FROM THE HUNTLEY AND CAPLIN FAMILY
While our family was not personally touched by this tragedy, it has caused us to reflect on our sense of security and tolerance and above all, to put in order our priorities. As usual, family time is number one and we had several unique opportunities to be together.
In February we decided to take advantage of Barry's conference at DisneyWorld and we all went. It meant taking the kids out of school, which we have never done, but it was an opportunity that held too much promise. The teachers gave us their blessings and off we went. Barry was already in Florida, so Debbie had to take all three kids by herself. This memory still makes her clench her jaw. There were cancelled flights, running through airports with luggage and kids, delayed flights, missed connections, etc. We made it to our hotel in Florida, past midnight, but safe. We loved our time at DisneyWorld, and spent one day each at Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, and Disney Downtown. Highlights included going on the fastest and biggest rides, staying at the Disney hotels on grounds, seeing a luau, and wearing shorts in February. As we spend time with family, we remember to enjoy those special moments which come to us as a gift.
In the summer, Debbie's family had a reunion at her grandmother's farm. Many of her aunts and uncles and cousins and their children showed up from all over the country. It was a moment, especially since this is a HUGE extended family which includes 35 cousins plus their spouses and children and 14 aunts and uncles. There were family members that she had not seen since she was a teenager...I know, that wasn't too long ago. As we spend time with family, we remember the importance of staying connected.
At about this same time, we added to our family...a silky terrier named
Snickers. She is a great dog for our family - smart, active, kid-friendly,
affectionate, and able to stay calm amidst our hectic life. Barry and
Debbie have taught her to stay, come, shake, lay down, roll over, and jump
up. The kids have taught her some tricks too, such as to eat whatever
falls off the table and pee whenever they come home from school and bombard
her. As we spend time with family, we celebrate as our family grows and
changes.
About two weeks after getting Snickers we decided to take our second family
vacation. This was literally our second family vacation ever (our first
being DisneyWorld, see above), since past "vacations" usually meant going
to a family member's house and staying for a few days before coming back.
This time we decided to go to the east coast on a driving trip. Of course,
Snickers would come too. We drove through Canada and upper Michigan to
Mackinac Island, which was a rare find since we were not planning to spend
time. In fact, we were not even aware of this place but got pulled in by
the beauty. We proceeded to Niagara Falls, which filled all of us with awe,
and on to Maine where we visited with some dear friends from our
Connecticut days. We then went to Newport, Rhode Island and toured the
mansions and ate fresh seafood. Following this, we drove to Boston,
Cambridge (and Harvard), and Connecticut, again to visit with some friends
from long ago. We then went the final leg of our journey to New York City.
There we saw the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Chinatown, and Greenwich
Village. We also got to visit some of Barry's family. We were happy to
see them since it had been a long time. In fact, they had never met
Brandon, and Brittany and Jeremy were around ages two and three. We took
some pictures of the kids with the NYC skyline that included the WTC in the
background...
As we spend time with family, we remember those who lost members of their
family.
Allow us to indulge in that yearly ritual of talking about our family: Barry continues to work at Qwest, but there have been many lay-offs which makes it an unpleasant environment in which to work. He remains the Director of Internet Systems Engineering, and while his job looks safe, we sure know that nothing is for certain. He also continues to coach kids' soccer teams and was the Director of the boys grades 3 and 4 division.
Debbie has a book coming out entitled "Diagnostic Assessment" which is written for graduate students and professionals. She coauthored it with a colleague. She continues to work at Minnesota School of Professional Psychology, which has been renamed Argosy University, teaching graduate courses to clinical psychology students, and is being considered for department head of the undergraduate psychology program. She also volunteers her time and creativity at many places. It was a scary year, however, in that both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer within a month of each other. It was caught early enough to be treated successfully and they are both doing well.
Brittany continues to show enthusiasm for every activity ever announced. She continues with piano, flute, soccer, and gymnastics, but in her first year as a middle school student, has added the following activities to her schedule: declam (speech), Destination Imagination (formerly known as Odyssey of the Mind), and jazz band (where she will play keyboards). By the way, school athletics are not offered until 7th grade, so we're a little afraid of next year's schedule. She remembers what is most important, however, and has been a kind friend, loving daughter, and enthusiastic student.
Jeremy is in band and plays the bass clarinet. He has a gift for music and also is continuing with piano. He plays soccer, tennis, swims, and demonstrates creative writing and drawing. He still talks about being a computer animator and that seems to fit his one-of-a-kind creativity and sense of humor. This is his last year in elementary school and he has met the challenge of being more responsible. He also spent time, along with his brother and sister, on his grandma and grandpa's farm. There were lots of fruits and vegetables that had to be picked, cleaned, weeded, and bagged. He also remembers what is most important, and has been a happy child who loves to laugh.
Brandon has the advantage of an older brother and sister. He loves first grade and his teacher, and we have been amazed to watch his reading ability take off. His gift for math has surprised us, as Debbie recently went to school and was told that Brandon got to make up his own math problems to solve since the other ones were too easy. The problem he gave himself was 0 - 54 = -54. We didn't know he even understood anythiing about negative numbers! Brandon continues to play piano (and offers to perform his pieces in EVERY music class). He is also involved in swimming, soccer, and gymnastics. Brandon is best known for his optimism, friendliness, and independence.
While this letter has gotten long, it serves the purpose of keeping you in touch with us. We look forward to a new year, and wish for all of us peace, love, and health.
Happy Holidays!
Debbie, Barry, Brittany, Jeremy, Brandon, and Snickers
<bc@bjb.org>