Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! Good Kwanza!

However you say it, the meaning is basically the same . . . it's the holiday season, time for love, family, friends, love, gifts, food, song, love, laughter, parties, love, giving to others, beautiful lights, and did we mention . . . LOVE?

This is our holiday newsletter, the Holly Herald. It's been in production since 1984, when it was first lovingly created on an Apple IIe computer, printed on an Epson dot matrix printer, and sent out to family and friends via the U.S. mail. My my, how times have changed. The content, however, remains steadfast . . . we lovingly offer up our life together to you, the reader, because you're our family or our friend, and we love you. So enjoy!

The HH keeps evolving with technology. This year's edition is a bit different, it tells the story of our year through our photos!

INSTRUCTIONS: Click on a thumbnail (below) to enlarge it, then click the back button on your browser to return to this page.

Dec 2011: At a holiday party	Dec 2011: My crazy office buddies! I still manage a college preparation program for high school students at Glendale Community College, and I love my job!	Dec 2011: With Mike, Wanda, and our beautiful niece Taylor at ASU's Gammage Theater to see "White Christmas."	Jan 2012: Our 32nd anniversary dinner, with Mike, Wanda, Taylor, and Mike's nephew Jake who joined the Air Force last year and was in training at Luke AFB here in the Phoenix area on his way up to his final duty station in ... brrrrrr... Alaska.
March 2012: Dora and I drive over to the Palm Springs area at least once/year to stay at our favorite blackjack spot, the Fantasy Springs Resort. Dora, Wanda, and cousin Cindy drove there later in 2012 to see Adam Lambert in concert.	March 2012: On our way back from Palm Springs, we stopped at Joshua Tree National Park. Beautiful!	April: Taylor got her first job, at SteinMart. Her career goal is to be a manager and/or buyer for a large fashion retailer, with a long-term goal of owning her own chic clothing boutique. We're so proud of her!	In April we lost our dear friend Jeff to cancer. Love you Jeff!
May 2012 Texas Trip: We flew to San Antonio for a week to "love up" Dora's father Bill. Here we are at our favorite Texas eatery, Bill Miller's Barbecue.	May 2012 Texas Trip: Breakfast tacos with Bill	May 2012 Texas Trip: Dinner with Lee and Brenda Gallegos. I was Brenda's Air Force supervisor in 1982-83. That seems like a million years ago . . . but look at us, we haven't changed a bit. :) Thanks Facebook for re-connecting us!	May 2012 Texas Trip: Lunch with Paul Vinton, who I hadn't seen since August 1979 when we graduated from Air Force technical training school together at Keesler Air Force Base. What a great guy, we picked up right where we left off and were laughing like all git out! Thanks Facebook for re-connecting us! And look at the indisputable physical evidence in the photo . . . we're just as young and handsome as we were in '79
May 2012 Texas Trip: We visited with cousin Thelma in Poteet, Texas!	May 2012 Texas Trip: Fooling around at a hat stand in Fredericksburg, Texas. We had fun shopping and enjoyed the cooler weather of the Hill Country.	May 2012 Texas Trip: We attempted to walk around the San Antonio Riverwalk where we honeymooned almost 33 years ago . . . but got rained out. Oh well, we've made that walk dozens of times.	May 2012 Texas Trip: We stopped by the Fort Sam Houston cemetery to see Dora's mom's (Sandy) grave. We love and miss you Sandy!
May 2012 Texas Trip: Going down memory lane - this is the break room in the Air Force Personnel Center on Randolph Air Force Base where Dora and I first talked to each other.	May 2012 Texas Trip: Going down memory lane - this is the picnic ramada in Eberle Park at Randolph Air Force Base where Dora and I first slow danced together. I proposed to her after our 12th date.	May 2012 Texas Trip: Going down memory lane - this is the old Recreation Center on Randolph Air Force Base where we had our wedding reception.	Dora is still managing the bookstore at our spiritual center, the West Valley Center for Spiritual Living. She's a great manager and everyone loves her!
June 2012: At PF Chang's for Dora's birthday dinner.	June 2012: We drove up to Prescott, AZ to see our friend Judy perform in a community production of "Cabaret." Judy was a high school friend of mine (Mark) - thanks for re-connecting us Facebook!	July 2012: Another trip to Prescott to escape the July heat and listen to some knee-slappin' good music at the Prescott Bluegrass Festival.	August 2012: We flew up to northern California to attend the Center for Spiritual Living annual conference at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove. What a wonderful, peaceful week on the beach!
Aug 2012: At the Asilomar conference - we often sat by the fire in Social Hall to play Scrabble, or just meditate.	Aug 2012: While at Asilomar, we made a day trip to Carmel, and this one, to Monterrey's Cannery Row.	Aug 2012: At Asilomar, our beloved Reverend Karen.	Aug 2012: Our newest member of the family, Allie.
Aug 2012: Allie was only 7 weeks old when we got her. What a cutie!	Our 2.5 year old Sherry is now always en guard for the playful Allie.	Here they both are, coexisting peacefully for a change.	Sep 2012: We enjoyed a few Cardinals games, even though our hearts are still with the Cowboys (and the Raiders to some extent).
Sep 2012: We went to see Crosby, Stills, and Nash for the 7th time. The old men sounded great!	Oct 2012: I attended a work conference in Nashville, While there, I toured The Hermitage, the retirement home of President Andrew Jackson.	Oct 2012: At The Hermitage.	Oct 2012: While exploring the hills of Tennessee by car, I found a small, down-home soul food restaurant that served me up some pulled pork, ribs, fried okra, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and sweet tea. A bit of southern heaven!
Oct 2012: While in Nashville, I stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. That place is so big, it needs its own zip code!	Oct 2012: Taylor turned 18 this year - here she is with Grandpa Bill.	Oct 2012: Dora and I had so much fun at the annual WVCSL picnic!	Oct 2012: We had Halloween dress up day at the WVCSL and decided to play "cowboys and Indians!"