December 21, 2018

Chase family Christmas Letter 2018

Happy holidays!

2018 is drawing to a close. It’s been a busy one (as the years all, always, seem to be) but life is good.
We were fortunate to be able to travel quite a bit this year. Kate and I kicked off 2018 with a short but memorable January getaway to New York City, then as a family we were able to enjoy a weekend in San Francisco come the spring. In the summer, we had a full two weeks in the U.K. to visit family and friends and see some of Kate’s old haunts from her days in Oxford as well. We know how privileged we are to be able to afford to do that much travel inside one year, and we don’t take that for granted.

Weekends were made for fun, and we had lots of that in the last year, too. Last winter, the kids conquered their first-ever double-black diamond ski run (as did I… old hat for Kate, though). We all had ski passes last season, so we got in a fair bit of action on the slopes!  Soccer Saturdays kept Sacha busy in the winter and fall of this year, and field hockey kept Sacha and Heidi both entertained in the springtime. Pepper in some basketball lessons for Heidi, swimming lessons here and there and just the usual running around, and it adds up to two healthy, active kids!

With Sacha and Heidi in grades five and three respectively, the kids aren’t so little anymore, taking themselves to school, doing homework, and assuming leadership roles in their schools. It’s awesome to see them grow. They both have their preferences in which subjects they adore and abhor, as did we all as kids, I suppose! At any rate, both kids are proving apt pupils and we’re proud of their efforts. They're also out there trying all sorts of activities: in the last year there has been soccer, basketball, field hockey, more soccer... the list goes on! 

I paddled a lot less than usual this past summer on the heels of all the declassification stuff for upper limb impaired paddlers, but I did squeak in a couple of regattas. I continue to represent as the chair of the Canoe Kayak Canada para committee, and I serve on the executive for my home club at False Creek. It remains to be seen how much paddling I will do in 2019, primarily because I’m trying my hand at para-rowing at the moment! To be more accurate, I’m classified, I’m strength training, and I’m doing rowing erg workouts… but I have yet to actually get in a rowing shell! Living in the mild south coastal region, this is a possibility for the winter months ahead—we shall see! It’s a fun new challenge in any case, and is keeping me fit. On the work front, it’s busy, but my life at Make-A-Wish continues to satisfy on a deep level. I could go on about that, but I want to keep this letter to a reasonable length, so I’ll just link to this video I made of one of our wishes. It should speak well enough to why I love my work.

Kate has had a—you guessed it—busy year with her work. Nurture Learning and Development provides a unique service delivery model for families with kids with special needs, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that her clinic is serving more families just here in the Vancouver area than some clinics delivering similar models are delivering in entire countries. Kate divides her time between delivering therapy and managing the administration tasks that come with being a principal in one’s own firm. This year she’s also handled teaching some courses at UBC’s school of speech and audiology, as well as served on the board for Speech and Hearing BC. She. Is. Busy… but still finds the time to play! She’s the leader on the ski hill, make no mistake about that. She’s also enjoying her road bike where she can, and has, been running up a storm this summer and fall.

As we gear down for the holidays, we hope you have a chance to be… less busy… for a few days, and enjoy time with family or friends. Many blessings to all of you! Merry Christmas from the Chase family! Without further ado, here is our 2018 family video Christmas card! Enjoy!