It was the worst of times, it was the best of times..... Wow! What a year! 2004 was certainley a year to remember. 20 years ago we started writing the Pali Post-Christmas Card Newsletter. So it's only fitting that we have "celebration of life" festival newsletter theme this year. The year started off with some major losses. Besides at the casinos. We lost Pat's mom, Nana (Mary Agnes). And boy do we miss her and her great humor and love. Around the same time Ali loss her quasi big brother "Jay" from the Hawaiian Gang. Both are certain Pali "Hall of Fame" inductees. Sorry that's just how the Palis deal with serious things. We use humor, imagination, and we keep the loved ones going in spirit, respect,and admiration stories forever. Or at least until we go, Then we'll want everyone to have a giant party and keep us going in the spirit of their lives and certainly embellish the stories. Jay and Nana will be happy to know that the Palis did have some positive things go on in 2004. We finished all the remodeling jobs. Pat had a great winter living in Tahoe and skiing. The Palis had a great Hawaiian trip in May. Tammy and Reed got to join them in the islands and had a blast. Pat went back to full time work in August weighing in a little higher than normal. So he took advantage of being a PE teacher and started following his own advice and lost 23 pounds and got real fit again. The Palis are eating organic kinds of stuff and feeling pretty good. We made it to Canada this year for the hawaiian gang reunion and had a great time celebrating the memories of our lost ones. In Oct. Pat and Ali went to a halloween costume party as an old married couple. People laughed at our masks until we took them off and they realized that we really were old married people and then they screamed. We had a grandchild turn 16 this year thus proving that we are really old. Towards the end of the year we loss two more great ones. Pat's Aunt Eileen and Ali's favorite Uncle, Bob. Both passed right before Christmas. Two more hall of famers..... Pat's kids did come through with some saving performances to make the year have some positive notes. Nechia took her California High Volleyball team to the playoffs for the first time in twenty years (the last time they went, she was playing on the team), Her family had a little flu for the holidays but are surviving. Husband Danny took the week off to vacation but only got to watch rain and kids. Kids are all doing fine. Jeff's hard work brought us the "Polar Express" A classic holiday film for future generations. OK so we had to wait five minutes into the credits before we saw his name, but it was awsome. He and his family spent the holidays at Disneyland again and had a great time. And last but not least, daughter Tammy comes through like a trooper. She gave birth to a giant kid name Cole on Dec. 29th. He's so big that husband Pat is having to help with feeding him. He's only two days old and already weights 103 pounds and is four feet tall. We might have moved the decimal point to the right a little. But he is big and cute. Both mom and big brother Reed are doing well. Way to go Tammy! Both Tammy and Nechia put on a great Christmas shin-dig at the Palis Place for Christmas day. Thanks to all for the great time. Have a great 2005. Pat will be on sabbatical leave as a full time students up in Lake Tahoe and then in the spring he and Ali are off to Australia to study Aussie sport as part of the second part of his sabbitical. Another trip to Hawaii in June with the Millers and this time we're getting more serious about the swap of one of the tahoe rentals to a hawaiian rental. To all the great ones who passed on this year, we love you and will carry on the torch. It only reminds us that life is an attitude. And sometimes it shorter than we think, so really make it a good one (attitude of life)
.............................. Turkey Bowl 2004 .................................. Grand daughter Heather turns 16
Hawaiian Reunion in Canada
…