The Patton’s Family Newsletter Christmas 2012
Happy Holidays from the Patton’s! We hope this letter finds you and your family happy, healthy, and enjoying the holidays! We are doing very well and have recently moved (AGAIN! LOL) to Bethesda, Maryland. We made this decision so that Daron could be closer to work. We lived in Washington DC on Bolling AFB, and he would make the trek to Bethesda every morning on the metro and his commute was an hour each way! Now we live in a beautiful condo on the 12th floor of a high rise that is next to the metro and the Naval Hospital where he works is the very next stop. His commute time is now 4 minutes and he is one very happy camper haha! Ive cut back on my music lessons since we live far away from my students now, have only kept 2 piano students and 1 violin student, but am enjoying teaching.
I took a job here in Bethesda as well and am a nanny for a wonderful family with two adorable boys (age 11 and 6). I’m enjoying my job so much, and am also only having to travel 5 minutes to get to work. We are right next to the Strathmore Music center where there are many concerts and music events. We are also 20 minutes north of the National Mall in DC,30 minutes from Frederick, Maryland (near where I grew up), and right in the heart of the city. It’s been a blast, and our little 2 bedroom condo is really cozy, and it’s nice to be able to consolidate and live a more minimalistic lifestyle.
We have 18 months until Daron retires from the Navy and we are excited to finally quit moving around the world and put down some roots… I want a log cabin in the country and Daron wants an underground house where the closest neighbor is 50 miles away (YEAH RIGHT! LOL). We are looking to retire somewhere near Kentucky, but have no set plans as of yet. I flew to Arizona in May to go on a road trip with my Mom. I got to spend a few days at her and Gary’s new house (its GORGEOUS!) in Florence, AZ (they are snowbirds and live half the year in Casper, WY and half the year in AZ). We drove through New Mexico and caught up with Hannah (our youngest age 20), and then she dropped me off in Denver to fly home before she drove herself the rest of the way home to Casper, Wyoming. Then in June we helped our best friends (THE Nutter’s) to move to Washington State. We flew to Kentucky and then helped them (Sheri, Lance and their son Cameron) drive their 3 vehicles and trailer all the way to Omak, Washington! ROAD TRIP!!! We got to have a great visit with Sheri’s family and her Uncle Ray and Aunt Connie let us stay with them for a few days at their home in Omak. They live in a log cabin up on the mountain and own a gorgeous piece of property! We also met more of her family and then drove to Bellingham, Washington and we got to visit with my brother Deric, his wife Shellie and my two gorgeous Nieces McKenzie and Teagan! We stayed with my awesome cousin Michelle and her husband Dave and their cool daughter JoJo. We got to go on a fabulous Whale watching cruise all day and saw some beautiful wildlife (see pictures). They threw a family BBQ and my Dad and step Mom Elaine even showed up from Las Vegas! Got to visit with all my Dads brothers and Sisters, and all the extended family, it was a fabulous reunion! I got to meet up with my good friend Amy Morrison and her adorable 3 boys Logan, Tyler and Ryland on the way down to Seattle to catch our plane. Amy was my neighbor in Guam and she and her husband are now stationed in Washington State!
My sister Andrea and her husband Terrance and my niece Alex came for a visit and we did the DC adventure! My cousin Tim’s wife Cathy came for a quick visit and it was a blast ..we walked around the monuments at night and it was incredible!! My former student and adopted Daughter Tonya and her beautiful family (husband Don, and kids Mallory and Kaiden) came for a nice visit as well and we had a blast going all over DC to the museums. My Dad and Elaine also came out to DC and stayed for 3 weeks this year and it was great being a DC tour guide again. Our youngest Hannah came out for a few days to visit we had fun!. As most of you know, I’m a museum geek, so taking everyone around DC is NOT a chore, it’s a blast! Got to spend a lot of time with my Aunt Lil this year and spent the 4th of July with her and our oldest daughter Kate (age 22) and her boyfriend Chris. They all joined us on the base and we had a BBQ and watched the Washington DC Mall fireworks. We’ve also been able to visit a bit with our friends the Fishers (Phil, Sharon, Jacob, Preston, Ashlynn and their new adorable baby boy Kalob (they live in Martinsburg, WV about 1 ½ hour drive). Got my music/culture fix by seeing Les Miserable at the Kennedy Center, Cirque du Soleil (TOTEM), and the Philharmonic. Our friends the Jones’s (Lisa and Steve and their adorable son Brody came up so they could run the Marine Corps Marathon this year!) I got to babysit Brody (YAY!) while they ran it and they did amazing!! Lots of driving, house guests, moving, laughing and new jobs to keep us busy this year! God Bless and take care! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!! Love, Daron and Theresa Patton (Kate and Hannah too!) Our new address is Daron and Theresa Patton 5230 Tuckerman Lane #1208 North Bethesda, Maryland 20852 My cell is 703-539-9542.
• A NOTE FROM HANNAH:
Just celebrated my 20th birthday in November! Wow has this year been busy! For the first half of 2012 I lived in Alamogordo, New Mexico and worked as a substitute teacher and in a coffee shop before I moved to (freezing and WINDY!) Casper,Wyoming right after meeting my boyfriend. Since the middle of August I have been attending Casper College and working in the school cafeteria full time and I am happy to say I have been doing very well. I have mostly A’s in all of my classes and have managed to squeeze in 40 hour work weeks as well. I have recently made the decision to go back to (Warm and SUNNY!) Alamogordo. I will be returning to my old job of substitute teaching, and attending New Mexico State University. I really have found that I have a passion for teaching and especially enjoy working in special education programs.
For Christmas I will not be in the country (man that is fun to say)! I will be spending the holiday season in Munich and Hamburg in the BEAUTIFUL country of Germany with my boyfriend and his family. My boyfriend, Florian Burmeister, is stationed in New Mexico with the German Air Force and I will be going to meet his family for the first time (they all live in Munich). I am very excited for this especially because I have been studying the language and culture of Germany for 5 months now. Ja, ich spreche ein bischen Deutsch! I am extremely excited! Feel free to watch my blog at hannah-perkins.com! Also my new address will be 2124 Stardust Court Apt. 7, Alamogordo NM, 88310.
A NOTE FROM KATE:
Just celebrated my 22nd birthday this summer! After leaving Richmond Kentucky to start anew, my boyfriend Chris Taylor and I moved to the home of WVU, Morgantown, WV. We love traveling up to Pittsburgh for Pirates games and site-seeing. We also love exploring West Virginia’s forests and creeks, hiking and trucking through crazy-strong currents and climbing as far up as we can (and of course jumping off of waterfalls!!). I worked at a few restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings and Coach’s Bar and grille but I couldn't make enough money until I started working at a Scottish Pub/restaurant, I opened the store in November and I absolutely LOVE my job. I’m their top server and due to the fact that I work with 18 year-olds, the girls look up to me. I am currently paying off my school loans a little at a time and plan to go back to school either at West Virginia University or Fairmont State by next fall. Chris is working Applebee’s part-time serving tables and landscaping and security hardware installation . He is wanting to get his pilot‘s license so that he may be able to become a private supplies transport pilot. Chris is a new uncle to two beautiful babies, courtesy of his sisters Angelia and Crystal. Hopefully we get to see them this Christmas!! Chris and I love West Virginia, however seeing as we are both military brats, who knows where we will end up moving next! We are travelers, what can I say? Check in with us next year!! :D My address is: 2411 District Drive Apt C Morgantown, WV 26505.
Daron and I at TOTEM Hannah and boyfriend Florian
Kate and boyfriend Chris Orca Whale
BEAUTIFUL WASHINGTON STATE Sister Shellie and niece Teagan All Dad’s brothers and Sisters Mike, Darlene, Dad, Chuck and Sandy
Brother Deric and niece McKenzie Best Friends Sheri and Lance Nutter and Daron ROADTRIP!!
Dave and Michelle Willoughby cousins McKenzie and JOJO on our whale watching tour
Eagle on our whale watching cruise Beautiful Washington State!
taken by my cousin Dave Willoughby
Orca Whale on our whale watching cruise (pic taken by Dave)
