Holiday Greetings from Nanci, Tim and Kodie                                      December, 2012

2012 has been a busy and productive year for the Bess family.  Our family grew by two and we are so grateful and happy for our additions.  All is well for Family Bess in Minnesota, Arkansas, California and Arizona.  This letter will be a chronology of how our family experienced 2012.

Last December, Jon flew into Fayetteville Arkansas and this was the first time Nanci and Tim got to see him fly a plane.  We went to lunch in Fayetteville and then watched Jon take off and fly back to Wichita Falls, Texas.

We went to Savannah, Georgia last December to visit with the newly engaged Jeff and Janelle.  We spent time with them before going to Anna Marie Island, Florida to attend the wedding of our niece Stacie Jaracz.  It was a beautiful wedding on the beach at sunset. 

We came back to Arkansas to have Jon and Jessica visit us over Christmas.  Jon was reassigned to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California where he is learning Arabic.  Jon will go to Jordan to train Royal Jordanian pilots for two and a half years.  Nanci and I helped move Jon and Jessica from Wichita Falls, Texas to Monterey, California in January.  This was a long trip for all of us, but they got moved and enjoy Monterey.

We returned to Monterey in March for the birth of our first grandchild on March 17th:  Amelia Claire Bess.  She, of course, is beautiful and makes Papa and Nana so happy and proud.  Jon and Jessica are great parents and it is hard to believe that Amelia will soon be 9 months old.  Jessica and Amelia will be going to Jordan with Jon and we plan to visit them in Jordan.

Our friends Danean and Al visited us in Arkansas and it was fun sharing our land with them, even if it was for a short time.

In July, Nanci and I attended the wedding of our nephew, Brian in Portland Oregon.  Jon, Jessica and Amelia attended the wedding and we got to spend more time with them.  We stayed a little longer for a Jaracz family reunion on the Oregon Coast.  Bill and Tina (Nanci’s sister) rented a house on the coast and we spent three days relaxing with the Jaracz clan.

On September 2nd we attended the wedding for Jeff and Janelle in Monterey, California.  Nanci and I got there early and stayed with Jon, Jessica, and Amelia.  We had a fabulous time with Jeff and Janelle and their friends who came to the wedding.  Jeff and Janelle were married under a huge Cypress tree next to the Pacific Ocean.  Jon officiated the wedding and all the parents read parts during the wedding.  It was a glorious time and everyone agrees that Jeff and Janelle are right for each other.

On September 19th, Nanci had bilateral cochlear implant surgery.  When we returned to Minnesota in the spring we were going to purchase new hearing aids for Nanci but found out that hearing aides were no longer an option for her.  The cochlear implant surgery was 8 hours and Tim and our friend Debbie waited together during the entire surgery.  Nanci came through the surgery fine and her hearing is improving every time she sees the audiologist for adjustments.   Cochlear implants are amazing and we see progress for Nanci.

Jeff and Janelle visited us in Arkansas for three days on their way to Sierra Vista, Arizona where Jeff is attending school in the Captain’s Career Course through May.  We plan to visit Jeff and Janelle and Jon, Jessica and Amelia this winter.

On November 21st Tim had surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus.  The knee had bothered Tim for a few years and he had MRI’s completed prior to coming to Arkansas.  The knee is healing and now we just relax and enjoy our 20 acres here in Arkansas – 4J Maho Woods. 

We are off to Indiana for Christmas to attend Amelia’s baptism at the church where Jon and Jessica were married.   We will visit family and friends in Indianapolis during this time.  We met in Indianapolis and we still have friends in the area.  Jeff and Janelle will be at the baptism and we will get to spend time with them and Janelle’s mother and step father who live in Fishers, Indiana.

We hope that your 2012 was rewarding and that 2013 will find everyone well and prospering.

Love:  Nanci, Tim and Kodie and the Whole Bess Family.