Dave:
We just got back from a quick trip to see my Dad and now are trying to get the boys geared up to get back to school (and finals) next week. The boys were disappointed that there was no snow in Iowa. Wish we’d had time to look up some of our old friends.
Thanks for all your posts and for helping our class stay in touch. Feel free to post the photo to the class site if you wish.Judy
2011 Holiday Greetings from The Bryant Family
This was another interesting year for our family filled with adventures and challenges. Together we took another RV vacation piggybacking off a week at Scout camp in north Georgia in July. Along with Rommel the wonder dog, we visited Dave’s mother in NY before heading to Acadia National Park in Maine for a few days. We then visited Lexington and Concord before heading to Boston for a reunion with Judy’s family. We hiked the Freedom Trail on the day of the second highest temperature in the city’s history. Great fun seeing family, learning more American history, and visiting Plymouth Rock on the way home.
Sam celebrated his 15th birthday, which in Florida means he is now learning to drive. He is quite busy playing tuba with his high school marching band. They performed in Tampa’s Gasparilla parade as well as with the University of South Florida band at a football game, not to mention all the high school games and various marching band competitions. He just finished his second term as Senior Patrol Leader for the Scout Troop and earned a silver palm to go with his Eagle rank. He was inducted into the Order of the Arrow (Scouting’s honor society) and served as a counselor for a week-long Cub Scout summer day camp.
Ben turned 12 and has taken up tuba for his middle school band. He got to play with Sam at one of the high school football games. Also following in Sam’s footsteps, Ben was recently elected to serve as Senior Patrol Leader by the Troop. He now has Star rank and finished several more merit badges at summer camp this year. He got braces in August which he adjusted to quite well. In school he was honored with 3rd place in the Regional Science Fair and was selected for the 4-student math team which won 4th place in the county-wide competition. Ben’s schedule is exceptionally busy now with soccer practice 2 nights a week and games every weekend.
Judy has completed 30 years at the University of South Florida’s Psychology Department. She serves on the School Advisory Councils for the boys’ schools, our neighborhood association, and as Chair for our Scout Troop Committee. She traveled to professional conferences in Montreal and Washington, DC, this year as well as to Iowa to visit her father.
Dave visited New York for his 35th high school reunion where he spent time with some old friends and helped his mother select a new car. He also took his father up for a Bryant family reunion which, schedules permitting, we all hope to attend next time. Last Spring he was hired to go to the island nation of Anguilla to handle a major criminal investigation that had significant economic implications. He was successful not only in catching the criminal, but in discovering a thief in an unrelated matter. In another case, he was able to establish the innocence of a man jailed for drug smuggling who faced 15 years in prison. Based entirely on Dave’s opinion and reputation, the State Attorney dropped the charge and released the suspect. Dave also continues as Scoutmaster for the Troop, but is actively trying to identify a replacement. No news regarding Saphira (our uromastyx) or Rommel (our Rottweiler).
Busy as we are, we enjoy visits from and visiting friends and family. Although this may be the only communication we get to have with many of you, we still like to hear from folks to stay up to date. If there is an opportunity to get together, do let us know. Best wishes to all of you for a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Our scouting family can you believe these giant boys?
