Dusting off the old blog for the 2013 Cory Year in Review

Hey, Hi, How Ya Doin'?

When I sat down to write our year in review, I had to “dust off the blog”, figuratively speaking.  Keeping up with our kids and their activities as well as our jobs, friends, and the oh, so exciting responsibilities of life, leaves little time for random musings and superfluous updates. So, here we are – the obligatory, hopefully not too lame, annual update. 

Trips:

A few trips this year gave us opportunities to celebrate big events and laugh with family and friends. 

Last February, my Dad married Shirleen at a small family ceremony and big reception with the whole county in attendance!  OK, maybe not the entire county, but it was clear just how far and wide their circle of friends and family goes.  It was a lovely day, but a bittersweet weekend as it was the last time the Fritz Family Homestead was occupied by a member of our family.  My Great-Grandfather built the house in the early 1900s that four generations of us lived in. 

John was able to spend time in Iowa with his family on the tail end of a trip to a conference, and Anita did the same thing in June after serving as a facilitator for the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute in Bloomington, IN and in November after spending a couple of days as a consultant at the University of Nebraska. We both treasure these precious days kicking it with family and are grateful we can do so!

In July, we hit the road in the Cory Family Truckster and visited family in Iowa, Nebraska and a few days at the biennial Jeffery Family Reunion in Estes Park Colorado.  The kids loved laughing with Chris and her brother, “Bub” (their favorite Great Uncle – only their only Great Uncle on that side).   I got to see my Grandma Gena Jeffery twice last summer – something I don’t take for granted.  At 90, she is still sharp and healthy and living at home.  I noticed on Facebook recently, she is keeping a tradition alive with my cousins and their daughters – making a mountain of peppernuts (a traditional German anise shortbread cookie). At the reunion, we connected with cousins I haven’t seen in decades and of course that John the kids had never met.  The time connecting with family (all 110+ of them) was great, but so was Estes Park.  Colorado is such a beautiful place in the summer!

Harrison and John went to Scout Camp in August, and his sister Deb and a friend stopped in for a day as they vacationed in Idaho/Washington. Cam and I traveled to a few soccer tournaments, The Farm Chicks, and I spent a few days in Seattle at a scrapbooking convention with my bffs!  As I write, Spencer is in Iowa – flying solo – hanging with cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and being overfed Grandma Chris.  

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 Our Minion:

This is a big year of firsts and last for the kids.  This year is the last year we’ll have 3 kids at home/in school (not college) and the first year we haven’t had a middle school kid in many years.The first day of school this fall marked the last, first day of school picture of all three kids.  Sigh..sniff...oh these allergies!

Spencer is a senior in high school – sort of!  He took 3 classes at Washington State University last year as a Junior, and took 5 classes this fall.  In other words, he is only at the high school for cross country practice (yes, he was the biggest runner on the entire team) or a meeting with a teacher as he works to complete his senior project.  Spencer is still unicycles (although not as much as he was last year), plays ping pong and ultimate Frisbee, loves slacklining and played tennis last spring at PHS. Although he has been planning to attend WSU as an engineering student next year, he may put his plans on hold and have a “gap year” and do some studying or traveling before enrolling in college.  Spencer is a great kid and we’re blessed he has such a good head on his shoulders!  He has some great friends (Josh, Jamie, Spencer, and Nolan) who are each trying to make their after HS plans too!

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Camryn is a freshman in High School, almost 15 (and  beginning to drive), loves all the fun that goes along with HS (including going to Homecoming with a sweet classmate),  likes a few of her classes, and is still playing soccer.  After a concussion in August, she was finally cleared just in time to play in about 3 games this fall.  It was such a disappointment to her, but we just found out yesterday she’s been selected to play on a traveling tournament team that will be give her a chance to play soccer for the next several months!  She’s ecstatic! I'll be spending a lot of time in car pools and on road trips with giggling girls in the van! 

 

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Harrison is bringing up the rear in style.  You might have noticed the Fabio hair on my #3.  Don’t judge! John and I thought he was bluffing last year when he announced he wanted to grow his hair out to cut and donate it to Locks of Love, but he has stuck with it, and will probably have enough length to get it cut in February.  We celebrated his first double-digits birthday this summer (only 6 months after he actually turned 10) at the pool with buddies – a highlight of the year for him .  I guess if you have a winter birthday, you get quite bored with the options for fun in February.  He keeps us young with all that goes along with 5^th grade (i.e. pre-puberty, learning 5^th grade camp songs, new found freedom after school since he isn’t going to daycare anymore, etc.).   Harrison is our sporty kid – he plays a sport nearly all the time: soccer, basketball, baseball and recently he has been begging to play hockey and John’s been trying to talk him into wrestling.   He is also in his fourth year of Cub Scouts, and will soon make the rank of official Boy Scout!

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It's a living:

We are so fortunate to have jobs that are meaningful, and we make lasting connections with students and staff.  I was humbled and honored to receive an award in December from the Center for the Study of the College Fraternity for the “dissertation of the year”. 

Friends:

We are also blessed to have wonderful friends that are like our family here (i.e. hat tip to our friend  Kamal whom we have sort-of adopted on a permanent (or while he’s here, finishing his PhD) exchange student type of arrangement), our neighbors Matt, Linda, Patty, and friends the Sewells, Ammonets, Rogers, Boyans, and others from church! 

Unfortunately, living in a transitory college town can be rough.  We (kids included) say goodbye to good friends and colleagues every year as they leave Pullman for other opportunities, but we have each other and that is enough.  John and I celebrated 18 years of marriage – 20 years as a couple this year.  Wow!  Time flies when you’re having fun! Lucky us!

That's all Folks:

You’ve read this far, dear blog visitor!  Don’t be a stranger – connect with us here, on Facebook (Cam and I are active there), or better yet, plan a trip to Washington and stay with us.  For those of you nearer to us, we’ll see you soon!

To you and yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Anita, John, Spencer, Camryn, Harrison Cory 
along with
Zeke the Wonder Dog, and Simon and Chloe the Fat Felines