2016 saw a lot of big changes for 3/4 of our family! We will start with the news that came first: Eric's graduation and new job!
Eric graduated with his Masters Degree from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in May. He accepted a job from Pricewaterhouse Cooper in Chicago and then he and Ashley moved to Illinois in May. Most of the summer was spent exploring Chicago's food scene and the historical locations of the city. You can follow
Ashley's Instagram account to keep up with their fun adventures!
Their new apartment is in The Gold Coast of Chicago, very close to Downtown. From the view of their apartment they can see many buildings on the Chicago Skyline. It is quite beautiful and Ashley has made it a mission to learn as much as she can about each building.
Ashley is still working for Indiana University. She commutes to Bloomington on Wednesdays and returns to Chicago on Fridays. Since Eric also travels, this works pretty well for them. Huxley has become a wonderful traveler! Due to the amount of travel Ashley would be doing this year, they made the decision to sell Ashley's 2004 Honda Civic that she got for her HS graduation. Yes, there were some tears, but now they are the proud owners of a new Ford Fusion.
Eric and Ashley got to experience some of Chicago's finest events: The anniversary of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the Diner en Blanc, and the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series!
Ashley ran a half marathon! She trained for it with dedication and checked it off her bucket list in April. We were so proud of her for training hard and for finishing the event.
Eric is enjoying his new job. His training was held in Washington DC for three weeks in August. He then began traveling to work with clients. We are excited to see him so happy with his job!
The second part of our big changes is with Bob! He interviewed for a position at Lindenwood University in May and was selected for the job of professor in the Educational Leadership department. He retired from Columbia College after five years, three which were spent as the Director of the Saint Louis Campus. The staff hosted a wonderful gathering for him. Bob started his new position on August 11. He teaches two doctoral classes and advises them and others. He loves the work and is getting to use his 32+ years of public school experience once again.
As for Terri, nothing has changed but that can be good as well. This is year three with the University of Missouri and now she is half time with The Network for Educator Effectiveness and half time with the Collaborative Work grant through the Hook Center. She works with public school administration and teachers and loves what she is doing. She teaches two classes a semester as an adjunct for Columbia College and loves working with preservice teachers.
Bob and Terri love living in New Town and have many good opportunities there. Bob is still with his band, The Boulevard Blues Band although they have a new lead singer since September. Lots of gigs this fall at wineries and a blues bar in old town Saint Charles. Their book club keeps them busy reading and the cooking club meets in the fall and winter to provide entertainment during closed-in times. Terri is the President of Chapter KQ in P.E.O. and the historian of the local D.A.R. chapter.
Part of Terri's family gathered in the fall to attend the St. Louis Cardinal's baseball game in honor of the American Cancer Society. We visited the dugouts, got autographs, had free food and Terri got to go on the field for being a survivor. Tons of fun!
Terri is on
Instagram here and you can find her on Facebook. Bob does Facebook, too and has an Instagram account but doesn't look at it much!
We love you all, and hope that 2017 is a year of blessings and joy. We are so grateful for so many things, at the top of the list is a new grand-niece, Ben's wedding, our dear friend Linda's cancer results, and a year of good health for Bob's mom and Terri's mom.
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| We named our house this summer. If you come and stay with us, you can stay at Lakeside Resort! |
Merry Christmas!
