Connell Family
Christmas / New Year 2009

  

 

Charles: In the spring, I captained the high school's robotics team for their second year. The team won first place at a regional championship and competed in the world championships in Atlanta. At the same time, I developed an iPhone game called Castle Defense, now available on the iTunes store. Over the summer, I worked at the MITRE Corporation, a defense systems company. I am now attending Northeastern University, majoring in computer science.

These pictures show me: in NYC with my favorite comedians, Jake and Amir; with the robotics team just after winning the Manchester NH finals; and unwrapping a red stapler on my birthday. (Click on any picture for a larger image.)

         

Janet and Chuck: It has been a busy, rewarding year. After the Atlanta robotics event, we drove east to Hilton Head Island, which we had never seen. Since it was off-season, we got a great deal on a condo at Harbour Town and pretended to be rich for a few days. We proudly attended two graduations: Charles from high school, and Katie from middle school. Chuck then learned about Lyme disease and was amazed to find that very small ticks can make you feel very sick. (He is fine now.) We vacationed in Ogunquit ME and camped in New Hampshire, as we have for many years. In September, we were excited to take Charles to Northeastern to start his first year of college. He likes the school, enjoys living in the city, and we enjoy seeing him sometimes since he is nearby.

 

These pictures show us: with extended family at Easter; and with our new high-school graduate.

 

    

  Elizabeth: I am in second grade this year. My favorite books are about fairies. I like dance class and playing Club Penguin on the computer. On bus rides to school I talk to my friends about Pokemon and my brother lets me play with some of his old cards. These pictures show me: getting ready for a dance recital; climbing at a school playground; and with my "drip castle of drip" on the Ogunquit ME beach.

         

Katie The highlight of my year was in the spring, when I went on the 8th grade class trip to Washington DC. Then in June I graduated from middle school. Over the summer I went to a dance camp in Vermont for a week. I started high school at Bedford High in the fall and am enjoying it, even though there is a lot more work. These pictures show me: after middle school graduation; playing with my brother and sister on the beach; and lost in a bamboo forest on Cape Cod(!).

         

 

Happy New Year everyone.
We hope your coming year is joyous and peaceful.

(From Chuck... I usually joke around quite a bit on these holiday pages, but must inject a somber note this year also. I lost a good friend, Peter Bunzick, to cancer in August. I knew Peter for 50 years as we met when we were about seven years old. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and two children, who are close in age to Charles and Katie, and with his mother and brother, whom I know well.)


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