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Greetings and holiday salutations from the Barron household. 2002 brought with it many things to be thankful for. First and foremost, my wife Anita. Surprised? I'm sure you knew it was just a matter of time. We were married on February 16th, 2002 in Sevierville, TN at the Berry Springs Lodge. We had a small ceremony with family and then I was down for the count (be nice, I had a cold). We ate our first meal as a married couple at Wendy's (it's all I was up for) and went back to the Lodge and curled up under the covers to watch TV (some honeymoon). We made it back to the Gatlinburg area in May for a mini honeymoon and had a summer picnic celebration with many of you in August. We met through Match Maker International (yes, the dating service). We've still got some "dates" left if you're interested in a deal (they're transferable). Anita owned a home in Amelia, OH (eastern Cincinnati) so I gave my notice and moved in March. It's taken time and patience to squeeze 80 years of "stuff" into 1600 sq. ft. but we're comfortable with our four kitties (Precious, Sphinx, Beaver & Wolly). Anita's a real estate investor and works from home. I have the flexibility to do so on occasion myself (gotta love high speed internet access) and love the opportunity to eat lunch together (and eliminate the 45 minute one-way commute). Anita's family is from south west GA. We visited last year while dating (that's her Dad Sam with the gun) and we celebrated Christmas with them. Her Mother Lou's had a rough year with health problems (they didn't make it to either the wedding or the picnic) so Anita's been down once or twice to lend a hand. She's doing well, taking care of her pets and doing projects around their farm. I'm still working for Procter & Gamble (celebrated 16 years in February) but the question is for how much longer. P&G (like many) is continuing to evaluate it's core businesses. It's choosing to "right-source" functions which it used to consider core. Unfortunately (depending on your perspective), Information Technologies is no longer considered core @ P&G. My current work is right on the sweet spot (Supply Chain R&D), but one should never consider themselves indispensable (I've got a backup or two). In Feb. of 2001 I left my assignment in the Manufacturing Execution Systems Center of Expertise (after almost 6 years) and transferred into a group of one (sound familiar?) to do Planning Systems R&D. I assisted with a Proof of Concept test for Distribution Planning after training in England and Belgium. The Beauty Care folks took charge of the Pilot and I got involved in a Proof of Concept for our next generation Site Integrated Planning Solution. That PoC has translated into a Pilot and yours truly ended up as the Project Manager (not my choice). We're deep into the construction stage for our first site - Lima, OH! I've made a few business trips to Texas and New Jersey but for the most part the furthest I typically travel is 2 hours up I-75! This could change next year, they're threatening to make the 2nd pilot in Europe (can you say Mediterranean). My grand daughter Mia just turned 6 (time flies). We see her virtually every Sunday and she and Anita really love one another (I was a little worried Mia would be jealous). We spend a lot of time at Paramount's Kings Island (their season pass is a great deal), but our time got cut short this year because Mia broke her arm (again). She's back to 100% and asking about skiing this season (this will be her 3rd year). I think Anita has decided to watch from the side lines again this year - she took a bad spill on roller skates last year and still remembers the visits to the chiropractor. Mia finally had a chance to visit her CA relatives (many times removed) last year. It was a wonderful trip and I'm sure she'll have memories of it for ever. I'm glad we had the opportunity to do it. Speaking of little ones, we're working on it! Neither of us have children from our first marriages but we would love to be blessed with little ones. The doc's don't give us much hope (it's not their choice) but that's no reason to stop trying! Please keep us in your prayers, I know people who had all but given up but low and behold - a miracle! I'm still diving (when time permits). I sold Anita on the idea by showing her pretty pictures of reefs and fish. She got certified last summer and has seen the bottom of the pool at the YMCA and a rock quarry in Indiana (55 degree water with 10 ft. visibility). We'd like to swing a trip to Florida in 2003. We've been exploring ways to grow together spiritually. We've checked out each other's church's (I've got a small one, she's got a big one), attended a small group, started the Alpha class but stopped because the content didn't follow our needs and through the process I was fortunate to baptize Anita. Our next step is to look for a worship location that's closer to home (existing church's are on the north side of Cincinnati), giving us the opportunity to participate in after hour activities. My brother Kevin and his wife Tina had their third last year (William Madison). Some of you may have missed Jacqueline Grace (I forgot to mention her in my last letter). Their oldest, Andrew Michael, was the ring bearer at our wedding. My sister Kendra and her husband Eric had their first in September, Allen Jacob (AJ) Guidry. Mom's still in Laguna Beach, CA. She was laid off after the downturn in corporate travel after 9/11 but found a job working for a director (local theater) friend as his assistant. She had to give up her job (and her life) due to a diagnosis of an immune disorder early this summer. Her recovery has been slow but steady. Dad and Nancy sold their museum (like) home in La Quinta, CA just before the market softened last year and purchased a condo in Rancho Mirage, CA. Dad's semi-retired doing some consulting and Nancy's working as a corporate trainer. She now has a new (part -time) job inspecting homes for insurance estimates. We both hope this holiday season finds you happy and filled with the spirit. We're both so grateful for the blessings He's bestowed upon us. Please join us in Cincinnati if you happen to be passing through. We've got a guest room and would love to see you. With Love,
P.S. Just got back from celebrating Christmas with Anita's family in Georgia (keep your mouse pointed to the web site for the photos). We had a wonderful time visiting with her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Anita had the opportunity to dig through some family photos (literally boxes of them) with her parents and her Granny Rabon so we'll have some (more) new Anita photos on the web site soon (I got a chance to add some yesterday). We added a CD-RW to her parents computer so they can now send us (via snail mail) CD's with new images (they're still using a dial up connection).
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