Sunday, December 30, 2012

CLOSING THE BOOK ON 2012


                                                                                                       
As I reflect on this past year, I realize I have much to be grateful for…this Christmas was the first in 5 years that all four of my children and my Mom were able to be here with us. As the kids pair up and alternate family holidays, and Mom returns south again next year; I know these times are special and rare.

In January of this past year, Britt and her boyfriend, Chad, moved back to Wisconsin after living in Denver, Colorado the past six years. Both Britt and Chad were fortunate to find new jobs fairly quickly; Britt is the Marketing Manager for a large printing company in Sun Prairie, and Chad is doing Graphic Design work for Air Graphics in Fitchburg.

Britt was the last of the girls to migrate back to the Midwest.  All three of them have lived far away (Colorado and California) for a good part of the past 10 years. Britt, Kristin, and Austin all now live within 15 minutes of our house, and Molly and Lukas are only a couple hours away in Chicago.  It has been so much fun for Tom and I to have the kids so close. We didn’t realize how much we missed them.

Kristin returned for her second year of teaching Middle School Art in Beaver Dam. This marks her tenth year of teaching!  Kristin is also my creative partner in our Fiber Art Gypsy Doll venture. It has been wonderful having her so near for our collaborations.

Molly has had a momentous year!  Over Labor Day weekend she and Lukas got married in a beautiful outdoor wedding in Chicago. So many of our dear friends and  family were there to help us celebrate. It was a magical weekend we will not soon forget.
We feel blessed to welcome Lukas into our family.

Molly and Lukas both happily continue to work in the Marketing/Advertising field in downtown Chicago. Molly is an Account Executive at Plan B Advertising and Lukas is the Marketing Manager at HIMSS, a Non-Profit Organization.

Austin joined Tom in business this year, officially becoming the fourth generation Gannon to join in the Real Estate end of The Gannon Company. (Keep him in mind if you have any Real Estate needs. He is always willing to help you buy or sell (:  

Austin also took some Construction Administration classes at MATC this summer, and studied for, and received his Real Estate Brokers License .

2012 brought a promise of things to come for the Construction part of the business…and Tom and Austin built a gorgeous custom home for the first time in a few years! They also built several condos, duplexes., and four units. They have also started dabbling in rental properties.

After many years of  intense art fair gigs and pedaling my wares to galleries, I have cut back this year to mostly selling my (our) Gypsy Dolls in my (our) online Etsy store.  For right now, that seems to be enough while I contemplate what my next project/direction will be.

Tom and I took only one longer vacation this year-Florida in February-we loved eclectic Key West! Of course, there were also my wedding related trips to Chicago and many weekend  jaunts to our little cabin on Presque Isle Lake.  It was great having the kids join us in the north woods for many of those weekends.
    
It was, all in all, an eventful, lovely year.

I hope that you and your family have had a year full of good changes and grand adventures just as I have. I hope that you have made some truly magical memories.

And, I hope that the New Year brings you
More time with those you love,
Perfect health,
Abundant joy, peace and contentment.

Happy 2013!
   




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