Season’s Greetings
from
the McPartlin Clan in Phoenix, Arizona
 
We started the year with a bang. Otherwise known as Mom’s (Betty’s) birthday (mom and Meg below / top), and we were lucky to have Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ray (below / bottom) with us during that time. The really great thing is that Betty has gotten stronger and healthier as the year has moved forward. My guess is her good health is due to three things.  First, she has committed herself to treadmill time and now walks better every month.  Second, she spent the summer and early fall at the cabin (by herself), and that was a great tonic for her. Lastly, I am sure the desert and warm weather is good for her (she will never agree to that).
 

Next and certainly one of the high points of this year (actually of many years since we never were sure it would get here) was Meg’s May graduation from the University of Arizona with a degree in political science.  As excited as Meg was about graduation, she seems to be more excited about Chuck II (since Shannon has Chuck I).  At this moment, Meg has a large phone bill since Chuck II is stationed (air force) in Iceland with a return in the spring, and I expect Meg will be checking out housing around some air force base about that time (probably Vegas).
 
Meg is working in records at the second largest law firm in Arizona and is enjoying having income and doing professional work.
 
This picture (below / top) shows Meg at the solemn ceremony with her sisters and Alanna (Shannon’s daughter). The picture on the (below / bottom) shows Meg pointing to the future.

The next pictures show a PROUD Dad with a HAPPY Grad, and of course, the last picture on the right is Meg at the party.
 
Over the summer, we moved Meg back home, spent time with Shannon’s family (Chuck I and Alanna).  I don’t understand Alanna at all. She is in 2nd grade and has not missed 1 spelling word in those 2 years and has 2 years of perfect report cards.  She is going to school in a VERY different way than I went to school, but her way works pretty darn well.  She keeps talking about Harvard or something like that, so Shannon better start saving college money right now.
 
Shannon has a great job working for a very cool company, http://www.ActiveForever.com and she loves it.  From what I can see, she is doing a great job, while making lots of customers very happy.  Chuck I is working for himself doing websites (mine is one www.DSIn.Biz ).  Shannon has also gotten very active in her church. She teaches Sunday school, is in a bible study and leads a youth group, plus makes sure Alanna gets to the choir activities on time.
 
As fall rolled around, we got to go to Michigan. Sharron said we were going to see Mom, but I think the reason was to see Alyson’s family (Matt, Josh and Zach). This was one of the best weekends of the year, and you can see from the pictures below grandpa had a real good time also.  You will also note that all of the pictures seem to be of the boys.  I looked for pictures of AC and Matt but kept finding grandsons.


AC is working in a law firm as a legal secretary, and Matt is in school headed for a degree in education. The one thing I am sure of is we miss them a lot and wish they were still here, which by the way, they will be for about 2 weeks over the holidays (hurry up holidays). This time I promise to get pictures of AC and Matt as well as the boys.
 
To get ready to finish the year in a big way, we did a weekend with Tim’s family.  Everyone there is absolutely great. We got to see Joanna’s video of her lead role in “Bye Bye Birdie”, and she was great.  Now I understand why they moved to Malibu.  Tim wants the film industry to discover Joanna, and he can stop working.
 
Tim may get surprised because Shawn and Sierra may beat Joanna to be big name box office stars. We got to see videos of their stage success also, and they are wonderful.  The good news is the kids do as well in school as on stage, so maybe Tim will have to keep working to send them to Harvard (so they can tell Alanna about where to stay).
 
The following pictures are from their pool area which looks down on Malibu and the ocean. That is one very beautiful place.  After the wonderful stay we had, they’d better get us extra keys since we will probably be there a lot.

The holidays are going to be wonderful.  We will have everyone here and will start Christmas by going to Globe to see Sharron’s family, who are the most amazing people I have ever known.  No one on earth has more fun or is more loving than that Globe group. 
 
Sharron’s family not only is feeling well but getting bigger.  If her nieces and nephews keep having kids and my side keeps expanding, I figure we will have to go to a birthday party about every 4.5 days by 2006.
 
After the Christmas holiday, we are looking forward to an April mini-version of a McPartlin family reunion here in Phoenix.  It turns out Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ray will be here for three months, my cousins Jim and Jeff can come, Tim’s family can come, Uncle Jimmy can come from Texas, plus the regular Phoenix group, and others look likely but not committed.
 
Well, that is about it from here.  Have a great holiday, and if you lost our contact information, here it is.
 
Love,
 
Rick and Sharron McPartlin
13628 N. 3rd Street
Phoenix, AZ. 85022
Home phone 602-863-3651
Rick’s phone 800-757-837

This is something new. Most years we can’t find the time to do cards, and this year we are trying to do a letter about our home and family. We should add a survey at the end so you can tell us how we did.
 
Some great things about this year:
 2002
Alyson and Matt brought a new GRANDson into the world in September, and they called him Zachary Thomas.  He started out big (over 10 pounds) and is getting rapidly bigger (over 15 pounds). Way to go Alyson and Matt! The four of them (Alyson, Matt, Josh and Zach) will be here for a week right after Christmas, for which we are very grateful.


Rick’s Mom (Betty) got real proactive and bought a house in Phoenix, sold her house in Michigan, broke her ankle, became an active member of the Phoenix community in short order, and we couldn’t be more pleased. Betty is going for a place on the Senior Olympics (We think). She has bought a tread mill and is doing multiple sessions each day.  Go Betty.
 
Sharron’s family is unbelievable.  Never has there been a closer more loving family.  Sharron’s mom is already the North American Champion for marathon Christmas shopping and is positioned for a 2002 world’s record.  Sharron’s dad is getting healthier every week and is a constant inspiration to all of us.  The rest of Sharron’s family is doing great with a high point being Sister Patti winning her second term as Justice of the Peace for the Globe area.
 
We got to see more of Rick’s brother, Tim, and his family both in CA at their wonderful home and here in Phoenix.  With mom here, we expect to see more of them yet in the coming year.
 
Aside from Alyson and Matt’s master accomplishment (Zach), they are doing well in Kalamazoo. Matt is in school full time doing very well and Alyson is working in a law office doing great. Josh (almost 3) is growing into a GREAT big brother and nice young gentleman (takes after his dad).

 
Shannon, Chuck and Alanna are doing well.  Chuck is working his way up the corporate ladder based on his web, database and internet skills, while Shannon has been busy working and raising one great kid. That kid is number 1 in her class, has repeatedly won best student, tested highest in grade, won an art contest (1st out of 100 in her grade), has time to sing at church and is just plain fun to be around.
 
Meghann is within a few months of graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in Political Science.  Aside from school responsibilities, she has worked her butt off as a waitress and now is in the health care industry which could be her employment for graduate school and maybe beyond.  One of the high points in Meg’s year is a new boy friend known as Chuck II (we have to tell them apart somehow).  Chuck II is in the Air Force and a very nice young man and is nice to Meg (he better be).
 
Sharron is taking great care of all of us in ways we could never have imagined.  She has the happiest 2 kitties in the world, the prettiest roses, the cleanest house and served a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for the entire AZ group.
 
Some things started out hard this year.  It was not a good year financially, and our cabin got broken into. However, those both had major up sides. 
 
Sharron worked harder than ever, business eventually got better (and more fun), and we relearned how to live simply, enjoy the little things and save for retirement (I can’t imagine that). While having the cabin invaded was tough, it looks the best ever. The insurance company was great, and now almost anything that plugs in is brand new (TV, Frig, washer, dryer, etc as well as a new tractor and other cool stuff) and shiny.
 
Hopefully this finds you as happy and as ready for the Christmas Season as we are.  Please keep in touch and God Bless!
 
Rick and Sharron and Family(s)
 
Cabin Tractor

Our children still at home.

Rick@DSIn.Biz