The Dreaded Christmas Letter – 2011

I’m not a big fan of sending out the annual Christmas letter – that’s what Facebook is for year ’round, right? – but after being chided by a friend for not posting here more often, I thought I’d kill two turtle doves with one stone. (I don’t really condone the killing of turtle – or any – doves …)

The last 18 months have seen a lot of changes in the Rossiter/Bates children (children?) household. First of all, the household – we left Coggon in June 2010 and moved to an apartment in the budding metropolis of North Liberty. OK, that might be an exaggeration. It’s budding, that’s for sure – entire neighborhoods have gone up in the short time we’ve been here – but it’s certainly not a “metropolis.” It’s a cute bedroom community with almost everything you could possibly need, but there’s no Main Street (really, there isn’t) and it feels like someone snuck into the area in the middle of the night, plopped a bunch of buildings down and called it a community.

The “children” have long since outgrown that title. Justin is 19 and attending Kirkwood Community College to study

something – right now I think he’s majoring in “college.” He took a semester off this fall and worked with my mom in Altoona at a before- and after-school day care program – which still makes me giggle. Here’s Justin – all 6’5” of him, with his size 17 feet and his bright orange beard – working with little kids. The thing is, though, he loved it – and they loved him. His last day was right before Thanksgiving and he came home with a carload of gifts from his “little kids.” Now he’s ready for classes in January – just need to get him a job so he can get an apartment and quit sleeping on my couch.

Kimberly is now 16 and driving all over the place – I’m looking forward for the first time since we’ve been this far east to go to Christmas at John and Lori’s and I’m able to sit in the back and relax! I’m sure one of the kids will be driving – Kimberly’s called “dibs” if the weather is good – so I’ll have a book in tow! She’s a junior at Iowa City West, the move last year meant she went from a school of 250 in the

high school to one with about 1,800. She loves it, is doing great and is working and maintaining a good GPA. Very proud!

Me? I’m good. My third book – the first with my name on the cover – was published in September, so I officially made my “I want to publish a book before I’m 45” deadline. Of course, I’m co-author on a topic I didn’t choose, but my agent assures me it’s still my book. Yeah, well … Call me selfish but I still want one that is all mine, so I’m working on two – a novel and a non-fiction book. Wish me luck.

Here’s hoping 2012 is very kind to you and yours, and your holiday celebrations are filled with blessings!