Our Christmas Card 2004

Merry Christmas 2004!

This last summer, the world gathered in Athens to participate in the spectacled once-every-four-year Summer Olympics. This holiday season, the world will again celebrate another once-every-four-year event. That's right folks: Ben, Ann, and Isaac's Christmas card!

We start off our festive message by bragging about how great our (almost) 2 year old son is. As women are painfully aware, men have special brain cells that assist them in identifying cars, motorcycles, and airplanes. We are pleased to announce that this year Isaac has developed exceptional talent in the under-appreciated areas of bus, tower, and playground identification. We'll be casually driving when a sudden shout “Bus!” from the backseat will inform us that such a vehicle is within a 4 block radius. Other than motorized vehicles, Isaac’s life revolves around kiwis, slides, and his new Aussie girlfriend.

We have obviously moved to Australia. And what a grand country it is! Australia is the flattest, hottest, and driest livable continent in the world. If you feel like swimming, beware of the crocodiles, the sharks, and the jelly fish that can all kill you. When walking outside, watch out for some of the deadliest snakes and spiders in the world. You can see why it is such a great place.

Living and working in Australia is fantastic. There is much to adapt, experience, and enjoy. However getting here was quite a project. Ann spent several months engrossed in the details of the move. She also mastered baby soothing techniques, honed over 30,000 miles of air travel, not to mention learning how to drive on the left-hand side of the road. She has only damaged 1 car and 1 concrete pole, and received 1 parking ticket, 2 speeding tickets, and 2 bridge toll infringements. Ben stays busy paying for it all with his work assignment to start a consulting practice in Asia Pacific.

We are enjoying the natural beauty of Australia and especially Sydney. Speaking of the outdoors, one of the retail highlights of this past year was purchasing patio furniture in 2 countries. It is such a fun husband-wife discussion! We may not own a home, but we are happy to know that we have outpaced many of our peers in the number of patio tables and chairs that we own.

Australians are so friendly and open. We've already lost track of the number of barbies we've attended. Ben has even picked up a few grilling tips. This year's culinary experiences are legion. As there are no Mexican restaurants in Australia, we ate south of the border over 30 times in the 2 month run up to our departure from the States. ¡No más!

We hope this card finds you and your loved ones healthy and happy. We’ll do our best to avoid lethal things down here. If you get a chance, come on down under and visit.