For the past several years I have used this blog exclusively when traveling, but I decided to use it this year for the annual newsletter. It's a simple URL I can send to everyone, I know how to easily edit it, add pictures, etc. Kim and I have pretty much given up sending Christmas cards except for people who don't go online (i.e., our moms). It's more environmentally friendly not to waste the paper, it saves tons of money in postage and greeting cards, and it helps relieve the December crunch.

2011 had a tremendous highlight, and a terrible blow. The great news (not just good - great) is that our second grandson was born. Matteo Kellen Caristi arrived in April.

Kim was able to be in Washington to take care of his big brother Luca while Matteo was being born.

Our daughter-in-law Megan has set up a super family blog. If you'd like to see pictures and see what Anthony's family is up to, visit Chaos and Cuddles.

The terrible blow came just after Thanksgiving when Kim's father passed away. He had been weak for a number of years, and hospitalized on a couple of occasions, but hung in there. Finally a one-two punch of a heart attack and pneumonia were just too much for his 86-year-old body to take. Kim and her sisters did an amazing job of bringing everything and everyone together in just a few short days for the wake, funeral mass and internment at a military cemetery (Dad was a Marine). With the time before and after Thanksgiving, Kim ended up 18 days in St. Louis while Nicole and I made 2 trips totaling about 7 days.

We did have more pleasant travels this year. In May we drove down to Florida to spend a week working on my mom's Hallandale house. Despite a lot of hard work we were able to see several friends (Mark, Dave, Brisette, Lou and Leslie), spend a night with Wendy and Dan, a night with Kim's Aunt Trudy and Uncle Carl and a night with Jae and Gemma. We timed it so we would be able to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in Savannah, GA. It was hot, but we enjoyed walking around the town, seeing the history, taking pictures...and eating.

In July we celebrated Kim's 50th birthday (welcome to AARP). Nicole planned and executed a surprise party completely on her own. My only task was to get Kim out of the house for the day. When we got back from Indy, the house was filled with friends and treats Nicole had spent the day preparing.

Then came the drive of a lifetime. Kim and I drove 5,500 miles in three weeks. We set out from Muncie stopping first in Ames, Iowa, where we were hosted by our friends Tom and Linda for a couple of nights. From there we drove to Ft. Collins, CO, where we were hosted by our friends Martin and Mary Catherine for four nights. Then we drove to Jackson, WY for a night, visiting Grand Teton National Park. I believe Jenny Lake is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in the US. From there is was one night in West Yellowstone, MT, and a day exploring Yellowstone National Park. I knew about the geysers but didn't realize they have beautiful falls/canyons, too. One night spent on the road at a random hotel in Idaho and we reached our destination: Anthony and Megan's house in Washington. We got to spend a week relaxing, getting to know Matteo, getting reacquainted with Luca, visiting the zoo, Farmer's Market, etc. I could not believe that their kitchen window perfectly frames Mt. Rainier.

For the return trip we drove due east, spending a night in Bozeman, MT. The following day we made it to southwest South Dakota. We drove through Deadwood (it was raining and we had no desire to gamble), were surprised at the quaintness of downtown Rapid City, and then headed down to see Mt. Rushmore. We got there in the late afternoon, after a pouring rain, so the guys were streaked with water. The good news, though, was the iffy weather kept the crowds small. We didn't have a hotel reservation, and with the big Sturgis bike rally only 5 days away, we had to check several hotels before we found one - back in Rapid City. The next day we went back to Rushmore, made a quick visit to Crazy Horse, then on to lunch at Wall Drug followed by a visit to the Badlands. Another night at a roadside hotel, a quick visit to the Corn Palace and we made our way home.

Just recently we were able to celebrate Nicole's graduation from Ball State. On Dec. 17 I handed her her diploma as she walked across the stage. The following day, she moved out. 2011 has been quite a year for her, what with her graduation and getting engaged. 2012 will be a huge year for her as she and Joe get married in May then leave for Thailand to teach English the following week.

As I write this my mom is still at my brother Tony's house in Atlanta but she will return to our house sometime after Christmas, so Kim and I are really not going to be true empty nesters for very long. My mom is now 93 and still lives with us most of the time. Although she is quite capable of taking care of all her personal needs, she still is a handful in many other ways. Thank goodness my brother Tony is willing to take her periodically.

I'm in my 14th year at Ball State, and have applied for full professor. I purposely waited until this year, in part because a textbook on Communication Law that I coauthored came out in August. For those not familiar with academe, there are three ranks for faculty: assistant professor, associate professor and professor. Applying is a long process. I collected my materials in August to send out to two external reviewers (full professors from other universities). In November, my department colleagues voted unanimously in support of my promotion. In January it goes before the College of Communication committee and the dean. From there it moves to the provost, president and Board of Trustees. It will be early May before I know the outcome.

Happy Holidays and Best wishes for a fabulous 2012.