2006 Watkins Family Christmas Card

Another year is winding down,
Shoppers rushing on their sorties,
A tree sits lighted in the town,
Cool air down into the forties.

The theme should now be gratitude,
Goodwill to each and every one,
But often we get attitude,
Rushing to get our giving done.

If the season’s rush and bustle,
Has left you with a sense of dread,
We suggest you dodge the hustle,
By catching up on us instead.

So please reserve a little time,
To learn about our year’s events,
And browse through this year’s Christmas rhyme,
Our journeys, foibles and laments.

Behold comes now the teenage boy,
Graduated middle school,
Now our sophomore pride and joy,
Is learning new ways to be cool.

Homework is a new found shock,
Remember your old high school daze?
Sometimes fun, sometimes a crock,
A time of learning brand new ways.

Time together’s changed a little,
Our focus now on education,
On travel we were non-committal,
Eeking out just one vacation.

Briefly let us tell you how we
Traveled the Pacific Ocean,
Hung out on the shores of Maui,
Paradise without commotion.

Helicoptered to volcanoes
Swam with turtles, snorkeled, sailed,
Time stands still when anything goes,
And this time only fun prevailed.

Near home we found within our reach,
A sanctuary place to stay,
In the town of Solana Beach,
A forty minute drive away.

Renting there we’ve found a refuge,
Where Bogie runs along the shore,
Respite from living’s daily deluge,
Where Mary finds that less is more.

The mesmerizing ocean views,
Calm and nurture Mary’s spirit,
And something there somehow renews,
Our inner voice and how we hear it.

We’ve had our share of visitors,
And Jean of course the matriarch,
Has walked the beach and sandy shores,
She still has that old Keown spark.

With friends we sailed in San Diego,
And dined together afterward,
It’s more fun than a Winnebago
(Just thought it fun to rhyme that word).

Both David S and Mary J,
On different trips, unrelated,
Found themselves in Santa Fe,
Culturally fascinated.

The backdrop for our escapades,
Involved big change at David’s work,
New owners brought financial aids,
And gave us tasks we could not shirk.

In the end it’s for the better,
We’re more successful than before,
Conducting business without fetter,
Improving, growing ever more.

Uncle Dick and Cousin Laurie,
Stopped by Jean’s and we all met,
To catch up on the latest story,
And she came back via Charismas jet.

We went to ski with Tina B.,
And zip-treked over mountains too,
Canada's Whistler in B. C.,
Had fun things for us all to do.

It seems that many families,
Over time grow far apart,
Because there are no guarantees,
We need to hold them in our heart.

That’s the gift the season brings,
That the essential can’t be seen,
So don’t get caught-up getting things,
And strive instead to be serene.

Our wish for you this holiday,
Is lasting peace and happiness,
And even if you’re far away,
We’re thinking of you, and God bless.