This holiday season finds Hubby and I happy, healthy and in obnoxiously good spirits, and we hope that you and your families are blessed with the same.

The Yates family has been truly blessed this year! I'll start with the BIG news. Hubby and I are delighted to announce that we're expecting our first child at XXX! Yes, Hubby is going to be the male role model for a little Yates! I can't say how excited we are!! The whole experience has been simply amazing. I think hearing the baby's heartbeat when about 1 month pregnant was one of the most earth-shattering experiences! You know you're pregnant but nothing seems to be happening, so it's all so surreal - and then you hear the heartbeat of that tiny life inside you. Hubby's already dreaming of pup tents and children's hikes - I'm thinking diapers! Yes, we know the sex. I've not included it because I know some people want to be surprised. People ask Hubby and I - "Don't you want to be surprised as well?" I figure, it's my first pregnancy, everything is a surprise; so the child's sex doesn't need to be one of them. As I said, the due date is the end of April, so keep me in your prayers.

In other big news, we have recently bought a house. As you all know, Hubby and I own the world's largest collection of junk, and with the baby coming that collection is expected to grow exponentially. It's a beautiful brick home with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. We even have a fireplace. It's got a flat yard and both a deck and a patio. Unfortunately for you partiers, we are no longer a 10 minute drive from Georgetown or Old Town, (no more bike rides to the Penalty Box) so we won't be the cool couple to visit. However, as Hubby pointed out, with the baby it's unlikely we would be cool anymore anyway. Ah yes, childhood is short and maturity is forever. We'll be moving at the end of December, and I can't wait to own my walls and not have to share them with loud neighbors with bad taste in music.

Oh yes, this year we laid to rest my beloved car, and now Hubby and I own a black Nissan Pathfinder. Actually, the bank owns the Pathfinder, but it is Hubby's feverent hope that we pay if off before I wrap it around a tree. Hubby thought it prudent that we mention my new wheels so that the world can be prepared for a Kenkel with 4 wheel drive. Yes, now I'm an even bigger menace on the road! By the way, when we were looking at cars, know what Hubby wanted me to buy? A minivan! Can you see me in a minivan? (I know, in another 10 years I'll have a minivan and think it's God's gift to mothers) Anyway, I said to Hubby, "This is an equal opportunity marriage! If you have a nice car than I want a truck!" So I think I'm pretty cool.

This fall I was accepted into the Econ. Masters program at The George Washington University. Previously I was taking classes as a non-degree student, so I've already finished my first year. I think I mentioned that taking classes and planning a wedding was "the dumbest thing I ever could have done". Wrong! This year (again) I've taken stupidity to new heights. I'm taking 2 classes now (thanks to a cool job that picks up the tab) which was a HUGE mistake. Working 40 hours a week, plus the added joys of pregnancy, combined with 2 intensive classes is a killer. It is only by the grace of God and the everlasting sympathy of my husband that I survived! I'm only taking one class next semester and possibly one in the summer. Next year, I'll be working part time and we'll see how many classes I feel up to. If I manage to take 4 classes a year I will matriculate in May of 97 with my masters. However, Hubby and I both agree that time spent with the baby and each other takes precedence over graduating on time (although I would love to get this over with!)

Lets see - Hubby is still a project manager for the Navy, which he really enjoys. He is still expected to travel to such exotic places as Norfolk VA, plus he now presents his technology to grouchy Admirals, only some of whom have actually used a computer. Seems high stress to me, but he really likes it. I've just completed my first year with the National Longitudinal Survey in the Department of Labor. Because of the lack of a budget (since September), government shut down and other such nonsense, we've had to delay our new survey by a year. (The survey was the whole reason they hired me) This works out very much to my advantage since I plan on being on maternity leave when I was supposed to be pushing out preliminary statistics.

That's really all the big news from the Yates household! Again, we hope you had a wonderful year and have a great new year as well. Hope your families are healthy, happy, and giving you lots of Christmas gifts.

Happy Holidays, God Bless, and GO CAPS!

PS You'll notice we've switched our allegiance from the Penguins to the Capitals. (Ack!) I think Hubby only pretended to like the Penguins to get me to marry him! I suppose that after 5 years of living here, and now actually owning a home, it's time we support the DC teams. (But I doubt you'll see Hubby rooting for the Redskins against the Steelers!)