Ethan and Ehlana:
Happy 22nd Birthday, May!
We only had a short video chat with our favorite collegians today – at lunchtime, but we’re sure that May is having a happy day while enjoying the mini-vacation adventures. We’d like to be somewhere warmer today too, but that wasn’t an option; so we’ve managed to have a happy day even though it was cold all day too. Before we get into the adult side of our cousins’ update; let’s cover the minimal news since our last update.
Aiden and I had fun with his parents, sister, and Leah; and the Drapers were one of the sets of parents that took in extra kids so that other parents could get a kid-free night. WE had a pasta and sides dinner; played a board game after taking care of the clean-up; and then wrapped up our evening with a movie before heading for bed. We played some video games on our portables in Aiden’s room, but didn’t stay up too-late. Ehlana and Naomi had a good night too, but had to deal with Zack and Eli; so their adventures included food games at dinner and pranks and jokes during the evening of movies and bedtime music and girl chat time.
We did our own Tai Chi workouts indoors this morning; Aiden and I will claim the better breakfast thanks to the Olde Bakery treats in addition to the pancakes and bacon that we all had for our morning meal. We had the easier time getting ready for church too; and that was entirely because Zack and Eli were still in top form all morning.
The church service and Sunday school seemed quiet compared to the last couple of months of last year, but that’s normal for January; and we’re just getting into the next lessons module. Pastor John had a longer sermon than usual today, so we were at church for nearly two hours before coming home with Mom and Dad – without Naomi and Aiden; we had lunch and that video chat; and then our afternoon included some chores around the house; music and video game play time with Naomi and Aiden for a couple of hours; and then a quiet dinner and evening with Mom and Dad that we’re now wrapping up with our bedtime computing and twin chat after bath or Jacuzzi breaks. That’s pretty much all we have for our own news; so let’s move on to the second part of that cousins’ update.
Violet and Dillon are up first for that, and while they’re also very busy with taking care of Ryan; they’re also working hard at the lab. Dillon and Uncle Adam work together on most of their ongoing projects; and their research ranges from agricultural crop development through to cancer cures. Yes, Ehlana often takes their work to next levels, but they keep up with all of the daily work – along with the rest of the team that works in the lab with them. Violet’s work is on the business side, but in addition to working with Aunt Grace; Violet also has her own family business responsibilities that include most of our investments in research, medical products, and agricultural manufacturing companies. They manage to have some fun now and then with their family and friends, though their adventures are often kid-rated-or-related because they do spend quite a bit of their free time with other young parents.
Staying with the Rice clan, Chris and Sadie are happily making the transition to grown-ups while working with Uncle Blaine. We don’t actually hear a lot about their personal lives, but that might not be surprising; since young, married couples without kids tend to have the kind of fun that kid-cousins don’t need to know about! ;^) We can mention that they are getting closer to future plans to have their own architect office once they’re mentored with Uncle Blaine for another year or so; and they will likely set it up in Woodvale.
Martin and Kimberly are finishing up their Master’s degrees this year – his in computer programming on the video game side of the business; and hers in education. We haven’t mentioned it in our journals yet, but Martin already has some published game apps that have done pretty well for him; so they will not have any financial challenges once they’re done school even if Martin decides to become a freelance game programmer. Their social life isn’t something we hear much about either, but that is probably more to do with being focused on their education; since they are nearly as serious a pair of students as Cassie and Michael – a truth that likely shocks Martin’s Mom and sisters!
Finally, for the Rice clan, is Dawn. She’s in her third year of Aero Flight Technology; continues to spend most of her free time working on each next-level of her pilot’s license; and she’ll be ready to go to fly commercial jets by the time she earns her Bachelor’s degree in about a year and a half. As of her Christmas visit, there are no significant guys in her life; and won’t be at least until sometime after most of her pilot dreams and goals are reached. Uncle Rick is totally okay with that plan!
As we’re getting ready to move on to the Proctor cousins, we don’t actually have much to offer for Jaimie, Kaitlyn, or Jayden that we haven’t already commented on in our journals. Jaimie is looking ahead toward college, and will be taking the standard testing starting this spring. She’s leaning toward taking environmental engineering, and since Cassie and Michael do have a couple of really good friends getting into that field too; she’s planning on getting them to help her out with making her college plans. Micah may be interested in joining her in that program, and while he’s suggested that going further away for college than state; Jaimie likes staying closer to home – especially if she might also be able to take over a certain townhouse rental from her favorite cousins the summer after Cassie and Michael graduate! ;^)
Kaitlyn and Jeremy are both very happy – even with the long-distance dating issues, and the only news we can add is that her friends in Granite Park have apparently come to understand why she’s dating Jeremy after spending some time with him during his last couple of visits to her home. That’s true for Micah with Jaimie’s friends, but that’s still a bit different since Jaimie and Micah can both drive now.
Jayden is very popular at home; his friends usually want to hang out at his place; and unlike when he’s here; the guys do not usually hang out with the girls their own age unless they’re doing group activities outdoors or at favorite entertainment venues like movie theaters or sports complexes. He does not have any girlfriends; and is grateful that his sisters have kept his ‘secrets’ from here that are related to spending so much time with Jennifer last summer.
We haven’t covered the Johnson clan cousins, but this is another longer update; so we’ll need to do that another day – along with the updates we’d like to do for Cassie’s and Michael’s hometown and college friends too. This really is enough for tonight, though, and we’re getting tired; so it’s time to wrap it up; move on; and get some sleep.
Until next time, this little blast from your near or distant past is written for you with love from Ethan and Ehlana Proctor – twin junior Magi Masters of the Light!
