Happy Holidays!
2009 was a great year, full of new experiences, fun and adventure. We started off the year with a fantastic holiday celebration. We enjoyed the sights and sounds of Christmas and New Year's in Seattle, and survived the worst snow storm in history!
We enjoyed the snow much more at Sun Valley Utah. Funny story, we won the Seattle Prep Live Auction Raffle, and picked this trip. What a great time for $100! LOL
Colleen made 2009 the year of health and fitness. She began an exercise class with her friends from tennis, and has really enjoyed getting into the best shape of her life. She is now swimming again, and regularly exceeding a mile. We are awaiting news of her first triathlon appearance. Colleen has been a leader at Lakeside in a leader in community development with social events and fund-raisers. She continues to juggle two book clubs and of course manages the three wild men still at home.
Jon had a great sophomore year at Seattle Prep. He was 3rd board on Prep's varsity Chess team. In only his 2nd year of organized chess he earned
5th place among sopho
mores in the State's Individual tournament, and then in the Team Championship, Seattle Prep came in 3rd overall, and Jon was named the best 3rd board in the state! He has continued to enjoy plays with Youth Theatre Northwest (Into the Woods) and his first play at Prep (The Good Doctor). Jon has also taken up the bass guitar and has not started a band called PBT.
Jeff celebrated his 25th Reunion at Kenyon in May, and 20th from Wharton. It is great to see that everyone else struggles with the same issues in life, even though we put on the pretense of having figured it all out. On the work front, Jeff logged over 200,000 miles flying in his new role as a Venture Capital Partner at NCT Ventures.
In June, Josh headed for Ireland for a summer at Trinity College in Dublin. He had a fantastic time studying Joyce and modern Du
blin 
writers, and studying the impact of the global recession on street performers or "buskers." Josh also flew from Dublin to London, took a bus and then a ferry to the Isle of Wight Festival and saw his favorite band, the Pixes, as well as Steroephonics, Neil Young, Razorlight, and the Ting Tings (thanks to a bday present from his Grandmother and Grandfather).
Matthew also enjoyed going with his Dad to Ohio for the 2009 U13 National Lacrosse Tournament. He played for the Washington club, and his Grandmother and Grandfather, Uncle Greg, Aunt Rosemary and cousins Kristen and Zachary attended. I guess our newest niece, Natalie also attended, but she wasn't born until July. Matthew continues to enjoy Lakeside, now as a 7th grader. His soccer team went to the finals this fall, with an unbeaten season, but lost in a tough championship game.
Jon had a great sophomore year at Seattle Prep. He was 3rd board on Prep's varsity Chess team. In only his 2nd year of organized chess he earned
5th place among sopho
mores in the State's Individual tournament, and then in the Team Championship, Seattle Prep came in 3rd overall, and Jon was named the best 3rd board in the state! He has continued to enjoy plays with Youth Theatre Northwest (Into the Woods) and his first play at Prep (The Good Doctor). Jon has also taken up the bass guitar and has not started a band called PBT.
Jeff celebrated his 25th Reunion at Kenyon in May, and 20th from Wharton. It is great to see that everyone else struggles with the same issues in life, even though we put on the pretense of having figured it all out. On the work front, Jeff logged over 200,000 miles flying in his new role as a Venture Capital Partner at NCT Ventures.In June, Josh headed for Ireland for a summer at Trinity College in Dublin. He had a fantastic time studying Joyce and modern Du
blin 
writers, and studying the impact of the global recession on street performers or "buskers." Josh also flew from Dublin to London, took a bus and then a ferry to the Isle of Wight Festival and saw his favorite band, the Pixes, as well as Steroephonics, Neil Young, Razorlight, and the Ting Tings (thanks to a bday present from his Grandmother and Grandfather).Matthew also enjoyed going with his Dad to Ohio for the 2009 U13 National Lacrosse Tournament. He played for the Washington club, and his Grandmother and Grandfather, Uncle Greg, Aunt Rosemary and cousins Kristen and Zachary attended. I guess our newest niece, Natalie also attended, but she wasn't born until July. Matthew continues to enjoy Lakeside, now as a 7th grader. His soccer team went to the finals this fall, with an unbeaten season, but lost in a tough championship game.
In July, the rest of the Bell crew flew to London to meet with Josh for a long week. It was our 10 year anniversary since leaving England for Spain. We visited many of the sights that the boys had seen as very young children, but his time, they appreciated them more -- The British Museum, The Tower of London, The Natural History Museum, St. Paul, Stone Henge, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, The Roman Baths. We also visited Salisbury Cathedral and the London Eye for the first time.
In October, the Bell clan loaded up and flew to South Bend for our first Notre Dame home game against the University of Washington. It was one of the Irish's six victories, and a really fantastic game. We enjoyed seeing the campus, and visiting Josh at his new off-campus house. He is enjoying his Economics and English major studies, and is having a fantastic time with his friends.In November, we went back to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was fun time to catch up, and get some family photos shot. Now we are back in Seattle for Christmas, and send our love to you and yours and our very best wishes for 2010. May God bless and keep you always and may Love fill your in your brightest and darkest moments.
Jeff, Colleen, Josh, Jon and Matt
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