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Dear Friends and Family,
It's that time of the year again when we're getting ready to start off a brand new year while still taking the time to think back on the previous one. Here in our home, during the years before there has never seemed to be a dull moment, and I am happy to inform that the same can be said for this past year. Yes, 1984 was quite an eventful year, filled with many laughs and a few tears.
Our biggest surprise this year came just a few months ago and has had everyone buzzing with excitement since it was announced. After almost two years of trying and last years miscarriage, Eric and Donna have announced that they will soon be parents! Donna is now five months along and is expected to give birth to a baby boy some time in late March. Both Mommy and Daddy to be are so very excited—as is the rest of the family—they've both started to think out a few names. Names on Donna's list are Andrew, Robert (After Bob), and Nicholas while Eric's in favor of Luke, Harrison, and Peter. Whatever name they decide on, I know he will be welcomed with lots of love into our family. Eric is continuing his job at the town's elementary school and is just loving it more and more each year. I can't remember ever seeing him so excited to go to school! And though Donna is enjoying her radio show as much as she did when she first started, she'll soon be taking her maternity leave next month.
There has also been the start of some wedding bells this year for one of our basement babies. That's right, Michael Kelso finally popped the question! Of course the biggest reason he'd prolonged the proposal was because he had reentered the police academy and wanted to wait until he graduated before getting down on one knee…at least that what he claims. He and Brooke have not yet set an exact date but are looking at some time in February. They want to get settled into their new place before taking on the wedding planning. A week after Michael proposed he received a job offer that is bringing him, Brooke, and Little Betsy back to Point Place! Betsy turned five this year with a Cinderella themed party and had her first day of kindergarten—she's loving every minute of it. She's taking after her mother and can usually be found with a book in her hand, that she wants to read to you. But you can easily see her father in her too, especially when she slid down a hill of snow while sitting on a trashcan lid. Luckily no bones were broken.
And speaking of the little ones, my precious namesake Little Katie celebrated her third birthday just last month. This little girl just gets cuter and cuter and is growing so very much! And not just in her height, but her vocabulary too. She's learned so many words—including Red's favorite D-word—and can carry on conversations for hours; she is definitely her mother's daughter. This year for Christmas she's asking for quite a few baby dolls, a puppy, and a little brother or sister. Her Mommy and Daddy are currently looking through newspaper ads looking for a puppy. However, there is no need to worry, both Steven and Jackie have reassured me that they do plan on adding to their little family. Just not yet. They said they wanted to start saving up some extra money before talking about more babies; they did just buy and move into the house across the street from us this year. Now I've got Steven and his family across the street and Eric and his family right next door, I love my boys being so close to me! Business at Grooves is still booming for Steven and Leo—who's managed to drop by our house for several surprise visits. And Jackie's started thinking about going back to college, but with Katie being so little and there maybeing another little one sometime soon, she's decided to wait and see how things play out. In the meantime she and Katie come over every Monday and Thursday for some cooking classes. This year was a big milestone for Jackie in the kitchen, not only did she manage to touch an egg without thinking how it came out of a chicken's behind, but she was also able to crack the egg in the bowl without getting any shells in. We were all so proud, no one even minded that the actual cookies came out a bit crispy.
1984 was also the year that Laurie returned home—from somewhere she still has yet to share with me—and for longer than a few weeks. In fact it's been almost six months and she's still in town. This time around though, she did come home with some rather shocking news. Laurie hadn't been home three days when Red caught her and Fez kissing in our driveway; well they tried to make things seem better by informing us that they were still married and were going to give it a try this time. Apparently Laurie never signed the papers and had failed to mention it once during the times she'd come back home for a few holidays and weddings. Luckily Red's heart seemed to take the news a lot better this time around than the first, so there was no trip to the hospital. Thank Heavens. And it seems like slowly, very, very slowly Red is getting use to the idea of Fez and Laurie being married. The two of them have been living with us these past few months, but they aren't the…. 'quietest housemates.' They're looking for a place of their own and Red and I are both doing our best to help them find that place as soon as possible.
And finally there's Red and myself. Since closing up Forman and Son's Muffler Shop last year, Red has been taking advantage of his free time given to him by retirement. He's healthier and happier, although he still does threaten people with putting his foot up their rear ends. And honestly I have to admit that I'm happy he still makes those threats occasionally, after all it's something that makes Red, Red. It also looks like I'll be hanging up my nurses uniform this coming year and joining Red in retirement life. We've already begun discussing what kind of things we'll be able to do once the two of us are both retired. Things like sleeping in, taking a few road trip in the corvette the kids and I bought Red as a retirement gift, and enjoying having a quiet house to ourselves. At least until one of our kids comes home. Though really the truth is, Red and I—but if you ask him, he'll only deny it—wouldn't have it any other way.
So from all of us to all of you, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
With Love,
The Forman Family