Happy New Years!

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! Rather than send out cards this year, we put together this email message to update everyone on our news. It’s much easier to share pictures and stories this way. 2007 has been a wonderful year – full of fun times, good fortune, and many changes for the Pape family. We started the year living at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York and end it in Leavenworth, Kansas – near Kansas City. For the first time in a long time, we are living a relatively stable life, spending almost every day together, and are fairly confident about continuing this stability for some time to come.

Just days into the New Year, Jason and his father embarked on a 3 week adventure to explore Patagonia (Southern Argentina & Chile). They hiked, fished, and cruised together, venturing as far south as Cape Horn (the last bit of land before you reach Antarctica). Tamara had been listening to Jason talk about Patagonia for years and knew it would be a while before they could both go, so she encouraged him to take this opportunity to create lasting memories with his father.

Tamara spent the next couple of months finishing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy and working in an outpatient PT clinic while Jason completed his Master’s in Organizational Psychology at Columbia. Jason was fortunate to be part of the Eisenhower Leadership Development Program at West Point. As part of a cohort of 24 officers, he was able to attend a customized graduate school program and catch up on family time too. While living in New York, Tamara was excited to live only a couple of hours from her high school best-friend, to see her first Broadway show and to experience snow-skiing for the first time! The location also made it possible for Jason to see his family in New England more often. Going to New York City on the train, visiting local children’s museums, the Crayola Factory, and the Bronx Zoo and experiencing a couple of good New York snowfalls were all great adventures for the children.

Leaving New York was bitter-sweet because we loved living at West Point and were sad to be leaving after only one year, but moving to Kansas let us have one more year of family time with Jason attending more school at Fort Leavenworth. From New York, we traveled to Plymouth, Massachusetts to see Jason’s sister Tricia, who was due to have a baby any day. Luckily baby Bailey was born during our short visit and was quickly introduced to her cousins! Our next stop was in New Hampshire to visit extended family and spend some time at their cabin, which made the thought of “living off the grid” very appealing! From there we traveled to Michigan to see the rest of Jason’s family as well as to attend a cousin’s wedding. By the time our visit in Michigan was drawing to a close, we were anxious to arrive in Kansas at our newly purchased home and unpack our bags after being on the road for almost a month with two cars, two kids and a dog!

In August Lexi celebrated her 2nd birthday with a Dora party during a visit from Gramma & Bob. Around the same time, Jason started school and Tamara started working full-time for the first time in years...and the first time ever in a skilled nursing setting. Initially the children were in childcare at the Fort Leavenworth CDC but in late-September Mi-Jung arrived from Taegu, South Korea to become a part of our family as the children’s Au-Pair. Lance started soccer this past fall and we all loved the energy release it provided! In November, Jason, Tamara, Lance, Lexi and Mi-Jung all went to Florida to visit Disney. Jason returned to Kansas for 2 weeks of school, while the rest of the group visited with Gramma & Bob in PSL, went to Miami, explored beaches, and celebrated Lance’s 4th birthday with friends at a dinosaur birthday party.

And now another year has passed! We’re excited about what the next year will bring. Jason recently found out that he’ll attend the School for Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) starting in the summer. Who knew the Army invested so much time and money into making “smart” officers. One wonders, with Jason, if this reflects just how much effort it takes to make him “smart” like all the rest. So the family has about 18 more months of guaranteed “together-time” here in Kansas. With a baby due in March (didn’t you know?) this is good news indeed. Jason & Tamara are both excited about being TOGETHER for this birth.

Lastly, we'd like to thank those military families who continue to sacrifice in these trying times - Soldiers, spouses, children and other family members. We realize how lucky we are to have this kind of year together, and know that many have not. Thanks to you for your continued commitment, your selfless service, and your dedication to country.

Again – Happy Holidays & New Year!

Jason, Tamara, Lance & Alexis