As expected, 2018 turned out to be a barnstormer year!
Jeff left Zürich in early June. Michele and the kids left in July. We all converged in Overland Park, Kansas (suburb of Kansas City) in mid-July, rented a house, and have settled well back in the Midwest! Below are a few more details...
Jeff took early retirement (28 year veteran) with GE at the end of April. Jeff misses a lot of the people at GE but leaving was the right thing to do! From April through September, he worked as a private consultant for a company based on Overland Park, Kansas. In October, he started as CCO and board member for Hillenbrand Inc in Batesville, Indiana. He has an apartment in Batesville and works there 3-4 days/week. And he loves his new job!!
We are happy to now be living near Jeff's brother Rob. Rob has been a great support as we've moved the family to KC. He also enjoys cheering on the Chiefs and taking Kate on biking trails. It's also been great for Jeff to reconnect with Anthony who has already done 2 roadtrips with Jeff to help him get his car from Utah to Overland Park and from Overland Park to Batesville. Jeff is volunteering at church as an employment coach and class facilitator.
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| Jeff and Anthony met up with another college buddy, Randy, in St Louis |
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| Kate's first NFL game with her Dad |
Michele sadly and slowly said goodbye to her friends and beautiful Switzerland during the first half of 2018. She was able to revisit several special places, implement the changes she hoped to lead at the Inter-Community School, and treasure every moment with great people before saying goodbye.
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| Friday lunches with Gina |
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| Farewell breakfast for Allison Sutton and Michele with friends from Inter-Community School Zurich |
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| ICS PA Board: Lolita, Marije, Kerry, Rhoda, Michaela, Michele, Raphael, Kelsie, Sundari |
Michele is also thrilled to be back near her birthplace of Kansas City. Her parents have moved from Utah to join us here. And it's been fantastic to have time with Michele's brother Steven and his family who also live in Overland Park. Michele is the children's music leader at church and loves them.
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| We celebrated Kate's 14th and Grandma LeMon's 80th birthdays this summer when the Memmotts came to visit. Highlights were WhirlyBall and the Hallmark Visitor's Center. |
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| Uncle Steven has introduced Kate to roller coasters at Worlds of Fun. She loves them! |
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| Denise's mom and brother visited from Ireland. Dinner at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum. |
John earned his Eagle Scout award in May. In June, he did well on his IB diploma exams and graduated from ICS! He chose to go to the University of Utah where he had a scholarship and 30 credit hours banked, thanks to his IB scores. He also has friends and relatives in Utah and has made the adjustment to college very well. He was selected to be on the First Year Council and has gotten an internship working in a psychology lab studying neuroplasticity and attachment in internationally adopted children.
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| Celebrating John's 18th birthday with the Stuckis |
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| Eagle Scout award ceremony in Thalwil forest |
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Graduation at Lakeside, Zürich
A favorite teacher, Alex Black (higher level biology)
Saying goodbye to good friends at church, Glen and Paul
Showing us the botanical garden where he interned in the lab
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| Shopping at Target for his college dorm with his Uncle Jeffrey (Jeffrey lives in a group home near Salt Lake) |
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| Saying goodbye to Mom as he sets out on his own |
Kate had a great year of functional education at ICS. She got to cook and walk dogs and navigate the public transportation system; and she loved it all! She also got a great reputation in our neighborhood when she saved a neighbor's dog as it broke free and ran into the street. Kate has had maybe the best transition of any of us to her new life in Kansas. She loves being near family and she loves her school. Jeff and I have been impressed and grateful with all the services provided by the school and the county. We chose Overland Park for these reasons and we have not been disappointed! Kate is participating in soccer, swimming, biking, choir, art, and horseback riding.
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| Dylan and Kate |
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| Vuk helping with Kate's dogwalking job |
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| Hiking at Pfäffikersee with Eve |
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| Checking out the Queen Cow on the 7th grade fieldtrip to Verbier |
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| Saying her last goodbye to Zorro the Car, Margrit and Lilou (the dog Kate saved from running into the street)--favorite neighbors on our street in Küsnacht) |
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| Riding Cookie in Bucyrus, Kansas |
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| Group shot from Young Women in Excellence at church |
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| At Halloween party with her new friend Avery |
Our dog Emma also bade farewell to some favorite people and places. And after already being shipped from New York to Johannesburg to Zürich-- she got another adventure this summer when she was shipped from Zürich to Chicago and then driven by van to Overland Park (because no plane is large enough for her crate to fit in cargo travel to Kansas City!) She also seems to love her new home--might be all the fantastic meat coming off Steven's smoker and all the people willing to feed her from the table). She has discovered squirrels and loves to run in the fields and forests near our home.
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| Goodbye, fields of snow |
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| Goodbye, stream fish and waterfowl |
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| Goodbye Tanya, groomer extraordinaire |
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| Goodbye Astrid and Charles, first friends in Switzerland (owner of Bouncy Buddies) |
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| Goodbye Bianca, best of friends (Bouncy Buddies) |
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| Goodbye, pack |
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| Hello, squirrels! |
2018 included some fun experiences with some of our favorite people:
In February, Michael Judson joined us for a trip to Berlin
We went to Les Trois Forêts in Hattigny, France, with the Andriches
Jeff and John went to London to see Harry Potter: Cursed Child
John went to Budapest with Zosia Piwko
We trekked with llamas in Lichtenstein
Jeff and Michele celebrated our 20th anniversary in Davos and Klosters with our friend, the Swiss scultptor Christian Bolt
It was John's turn to end up in the ER this year as Kate accidentally slammed his hand in a door. Jeff and I were out of town. Djurdja accompanied him to the hospital and he was very brave! His nail had to be reinserted and stitched to his nailbed. (Probably good Mom wasn't there for that one).
Michele's cousin Paula Anderson came to see us
The Andersons visited from Germany
We went to Wallensee with the Andriches
Jessica Barlow came for John's graduation
Michele and kids went to Athens and Naxos, Greece
John went to U of U orientation, Snowbird with Barlows, and hosted a radio show with cousin Briggs and Mike Wisland in Park City
Michele and Kate drove to Croatia with Djurdja, Vuk, and Boris
John went to Virginia to visit Brooke Thomson and her family at their lakehouse
John came home for fall break and we took a family trip to Chicago
The Fall held more fun with Rob!
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| Halloween at his house |
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| Christmas light bike ride through Longview Lake |
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| The Chiefs are going to the playoffs! |
Michele and Jeff went to the Flint Hills for a long weekend in November
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| Clover Cliff Ranch B&B |
And wonderful Stephanie Berichon came to visit for Michele's birthday
Michele's parents hosted a mystery dinner for her birthday!
In December, Michele finally got to see Jeff's new digs in Batesville when they attended the Hillenbrand Christmas Party together
And then she surprised John with a trip to see the taping of "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" in Chicago for his Christmas present
John came home for the holidays. It was wonderful to be with so many people we love!
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| Kate and Shannon at Crown Center |
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| Jeff and Kate at Overland Park Arboretum |
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| 11209 W 141st Street, Overland Park (Home) |
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| Grandma, Grandpa, John at Union Station |
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| John, Grandma, Grandpa LeMon at KC Rep to see "A Christmas Carol" |
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| With Kate and Jeff waiting for the show to begin |
Christmas Eve, we hosted family and friends. Unfortunately, Jeff was in bed sick with the flu. It was a great night where we all shared favorite foods and favorite traditions.
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| Steven and Denise LeMon |
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| Paula and Roy Davis |
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| Rob Stitt and Laura Davis |
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| Doug and Carol LeMon |
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| John and Grandma each made a birthday cake for Baby Jesus |
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| Shannon broke her arm the last day of school before the holidays |
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| Try to do a close-up of Colin's sweater |
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| John, Emma, Steven, Denise, Shannon and Colin, Shawnee Mission Park |
We have been blessed so much this year. During times of great change, we have seen and felt the love and support of dear family and friends. 2018 was a year of many unknowns--and some resolutions--all even better than we imagined. We are grateful for the steadying Hand of God through it all. And we pray that as our faith continues to be tested in 2019, it may always be found sufficient.
