2015 Christmas Letter

For those of you that I did not have addresses to send Christmas cards, here is our 2015 Christmas letter.  For the rest of you, no peeking, your Christmas card is on it’s way!  (Although there are a few more pictures  here than on the Christmas card!!!)

November 30, 2015

Dear Friends and Family,

Hey, it’s November and I’m already starting to write our Christmas letter.  But this year I kind of have to.  I need to have all of my Christmas shopping, wrapping, shipping, letter writing, baking (if I can get that far) and everything else in between done, because I am scheduled for surgery on December 21^st.  Tony will be taking that entire week off to be with me at home to recuperate.  The downside is that is the start of the boys’ Christmas break.  But we are getting it in before the end of the year, so we shouldn’t have to pay anything!  (Thank you for insurance that has catastrophic limits for the year!!!)  The second week of Christmas break the boys will attend a Christmas break program at the organization that does their summer camp, so that should help with the monotony of mom being laid up for a week!

Well, to start, 2015, has been a better year than 2014.  We are all still in the grieving process.  We still have our good days and not so good days, but the good days outnumber the bad days.  Cassidy will always be in our hearts and minds and memories!

Tony – Tony continues to stay busy at the VA hospital as well as teaching as an adjunct faculty member at one of the local colleges at their online university.  The big news for Tony, though, is that he has decided to pursue his Doctorate in Business Administration in Computer Information Security.  He started that this Fall and will be working on that for the next few years.

Caleb – We continued to have issues with Caleb’s health; however, he did not require any hospitalizations, although he did have two surgeries.  One in June was to straighten both of his legs and the second one in September was to remove his vagal nerve stimulator.  We really hated to have to remove his vagal nerve stimulator, but we couldn’t keep trying to fight the infection any longer and it came right back as we tried, with his infectious disease doctor’s direction, lowering his antibiotic to get to a more permanent dosage, the infection came right back.  We had no choice, but to remove the device.  Both surgeries were performed at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. While it was not the most convenient place to have surgery for us, it was the less stress free surgeries we have ever had with Caleb.  They were wonderful with him!!!!  I can’t say enough about the staff at the hospital.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven – Steven completed his last year of pre-k in the spring and started kindergarten this fall.  It’s hard to believe that he is in kindergarten.  He has grown up so much and has come so far based on what the doctor’s told me when I picked him up at the hospital.  We are so proud of him.  He continues to be a happy child and is loving school.  We are starting to see some more of his delays coming through, but he is tackling them like the champ that he is.  He has lost two teeth and just recently had to get glasses!

I guess that just leaves an update about me.  Other than my surgery, the biggest news for me is that I have started working from home again.  I have began doing transcription with two different contracts.  One is for a company that I do mostly legal.  These consist of court hearings and interviews regarding potential court cases.  The other company that I do is closed captioning that does mostly sermons.

So that brings you up to date on the Sines family.  We hope that this letter finds all of you doing well and enjoying the reason for the season.

Merry Christmas,

Tony, Cassandra, Caleb & Steven