Christmas Letter 2015

So, I finally mailed out my Christmas cards, again without a letter... I just get the impression that not everyone loves the letter and to save a few trees ... we will just do this electronically.

I'm not really sure where to start... 2015 has been a positive year at the Krapes house. Don't get me wrong, there are always a few bumps along the way. But all in all we are all still happy, healthy and always looking for a new adventure. In  January we started the year with a trip to Cancun with my sister and my parents. I always love relaxing vacations. I could get used to days of sitting by the pool with a good book to read. I know it can't last forever, so I try to enjoy it all while I can. Brooke, Tyler and Cali had tons of fun on the beach, building sand creations and playing in the water. In May Brooke and I went to Washington D.C with a school trip. Never being in that area before it was a great experience for both of us. Traveling with 25 5th and 6th graders is an interesting proposition. So when it is Tyler's turn, I think Lou will be going. In June we went to Long Beach California for Dance Nationals. The dance team did fantastic, and for the most part the trip was great. I'm not sure it is a place that I would go back to... In August, we did a little weekend trip to Beavercreek, we biked and hiked a little, along with some other fun activities. We let the kids swim and played board games. In September, we went with the Carey's to Snowmass and did the Tough Mudder. I'm positive that I'll talk about that adventure more ... And then in November we spent a few days in Steamboat, again with my parents and my sister. As far as mountain towns go, that one is by far my favorite. The kids went sledding, we watched people ski... It was great. Lou even mentioned that maybe he would like to ski / snowboard one day.

Tyler ... He is our guy that doesn't ask for a lot, but when he finally mentions something, that means he really wants it. He is always up for a new adventure, especially when sports are involved. He went snowmobiling with my parents a few times and decided that he really likes that, he doesn't even mind having to get up early. Academically, Tyler has continued to keep us on our toes, meaning that I'm always checking in with the school to see if there is progress.. The start of 4th grade has been fantastic, the teacher was motivating Tyler and he was happy to go to school. Well, life unfortunately happens, weather we like it or not and Tyler's teacher is moving to another state. We are all incredibly sad to see her go. Lucky for me (and Tyler) I was selected to be on the hiring committee and her replacement is a very positive person. So hopefully, we will still see good things. Tyler played soccer in the spring, he ran track in the summer and in the fall he played both baseball and soccer. That was a bit of a challenge for us logistically but Tyler couldn't have been happier. The things we do as parents, right? But I'm enjoying all of this now because some day, they may not like me as much as they do right now. Tyler also accompanied Grammie to St. Louis for a wedding in October. He had a great time and it was good for him to help out with responsibilities, giving directions and such without mom and dad there. And he was able to see the St. Louis Zoo and meet lots and lots of family that he didn't know he had.

We had a fantastic photographer for the soccer games...

Brooke ... She is the one that always has to be doing something... I wonder where she gets this from? Brooke 'continued' from 6th grade into middle school this year. At first I'm not so sure she loved it, but now that all the teachers think that Brooke is great, things are much much better. 6th grade ended well for Brooke, they went to Outdoor Lab, the school takes the entire class to the mountains for a week, with no contact with their parents or outside world really and they have to figure it out... Brooke had a fantastic time and said she is going back as a high school leader. Dance went well for Brooke this last season, but she has decided that she wants to change her focus, instead of always competing. She wants to perform and she would like it to be in Ballet performances. We started this season to compete so we will finish that but we have also looked into some other opportunities for the Ballet opportunities to come, so we will see where that takes us. Brooke's maturity level has increased as well, I don't have to go to school or dance anymore to have conversations with instructors or teachers, she has taken over that job... Thank goodness! As always, academically she is doing fantastic... she tells me she wants to have better grades than I did... That doesn't leave her much room for messing around. I'm proud of her motivation, and somehow she still manages to make time for her friends, for dance and school. Hopefully she can continue to balance it all for awhile longer.

 

Since Brooke turned 12 in March, she was able to get her first pair of pointe shoes... This girl was so happy! Until she realized how much work it is...

 

Lou ... Lou's tenure as the PTA vice president has officially come to an end. I think that as a family we are so happy to have him more a bit more... that might only be for 10 extra minutes but he isn't complaining about things going on anymore. That is exciting. He still is doing some tasks for the school, but nothing that he has to be there for hours and hours anymore. Some things happened in town with the industry Lou works in, which in turn has made him very busy. At the end of the day it is a good thing, but the day to day agony of dealing with customers who are pushy and needy is taxing and something that Lou has had to learn how to balance. Lou is the coach of Tyler's soccer team, and we found out just this week that he has been picked as the Real Edge Soccer U9-U18 Boys coach of the year. At first we thought this was a bit of a joke, because coaching 10 year old boys is an incredible struggle... but turns out it is kind of a big deal. We will find out in January if he will be the Colorado State Coach of the Year. In typical Lou fashion he says that it isn't him, it is all the help he gets from me and Tommy and David ... but Brooke reminded him that he was the one that puts it all together. I'm proud of him and strive to be more positive and happy and giving like Lou on a daily basis... maybe someday. Lou also did the Tough Mudder in September, his training was no where near as many hours as I put in, but of course, he makes it all look easy. In my world that is incredibly frustrating, but I'm also happy that he is almost always up for something new and challenging.

 

 

As for me ... I continue to work ... kind of a lot ... Bringing the Arctic Dealership into work has made my job both a bit more challenging but also a bit more fun. We have a new energy at work that, most of the time, makes things fun. All of us always have something to do, and some of us always feel like we are days, if not months behind. I try to be involved at school, but it isn't like it used to be. Luckily, both the kids have been able to take care of themselves. I'm still organizing runs for the Arvada Running Club. I'm certainly happy that they are so patient with me, because sometimes it all turns out to be a super last minute proposition. This year I have taken on some challenges with the running situation. As of this morning I have 24 miles to go, to hit the goal of running 700 miles in the year, for some people that isn't that many, but for me it is the most I have ever done... Believe me when I say I'm counting down every mile, but I also believe it is all within reach now. I picked up a Burpee challenge in September with a friend of doing 50 burpees everyday for 100 days. It has been difficult and burprees really aren't that fun, so I think after December 23rd I will be taking a break from those. I also, organized a running club at the elementary school for the kids and they ran a local 5K with the Olympic runner Frank Shorter. It was a great time for the kids, so I will be organizing the club again. It is so fantastic to see the kids when they are able to do something they always thought was so hard. I had one mom in tears because her son was so happy. That day made it all worth the headaches and hours of planning and the days when the kids were a bit out of hand. Hopefully, I'm able to recruit Brooke and some of her friends to help out. For this next round.

 

This is after our Tough Mudder Adventure.... at least we are all smiling!

 

 

All in all we have been very fortunate in 2015 ... we wish you and your family an incredibly happy new year...