2017      Merry Christmas      2017

Where has the year gone? For us in Nevada, 2017 was very quiet. We spent a lot of time at home. Nita had a foot operation that put her on a knee scooter which made going on trips much more difficult. The kids got us a new TV for Christmas last year. It got a lot of use along with our ‘confuzers’ – Nita did a lot of reading and Pat practiced some housekeeping. We’re looking forward to getting back on the road in 2018. We are already booked for a seven day Caribbean cruise out of Galveston TX in February with another 180 Corvette fans. We’ll be in Virginia in May and in Colorado Springs in October for Pat’s 50th graduation reunion from the Academy.

We’re still involved with the Corvette club – a little less, since we both decided not to be on the board; Nita was secretary and Pat was webmaster. With his brother Mike navigating, he took another 2nd place in the 90-mile Silver State Classic Challenge Open Road Race. This time in the 120MPH Class - average speed was 119.9621 and missed the run time of 45 minutes by 0.8519 seconds. Nita & I made a quick trip to see the total eclipse, driving 485 miles to Winnemucca NV then early on August 21st , we drove another 260 miles to Seneca OR to experience the few minutes of the total eclipse & then back to Winnemucca for the night – great trip in the Vette on less travelled highways. In September, we drove to Prescott AZ and spent three days in downtown Prescott, participating in a large Corvettes only car show. The historic Hotel St. Michael, right on the town square, is a real neat place to stay.

Daughter Kathy changed positions with Nathan Adelson Hospice and now is working at their in-patient facility versus being an in-home case manager. She does not miss the Vegas traffic one bit. Nita and Kathy enjoy the events at the fantastic Smith Center in downtown Las Vegas.

In July, we drove to San Ramon CA and spent a few days with second son Andy and daughter-in-law Spon to celebrate grandson Jonah’s 7th birthday along with granddaughter Naomi (10) and our youngest grandson Vance, who will be two in January. Spon’s job has her making periodic trips overseas and one was to Denmark that Andy and the kids were able to join.

Oldest son Jim’s three children are all doing very well. Joe (22), along with his sister Katie (20), attend George Mason University in Fairfax VA. Joe is a senior in government and international politics studies and Katie is a sophomore in environmental science studies. In April, Joe was one of the 62 students nation wide awarded a Truman Scholarship for graduate studies. We are looking forward to being at his graduation in May 2018. Steve (16) is a sophomore at Brophy Prep in Phoenix and enjoys Football, Rugby and Quiddich. We are still heartbroken over the passing, last December, of our lovely daughter-in-law, Michelle Russell.

Looking forward to our 50th together next year.
If you are planning a trip to the Las Vegas area - call and come visit!

Wishing you a memorable Holiday season!

Pat & Nita
2018      Happy New Year      2018