We've been blessed with another year of happy occasions and good heath for which we are so very grateful!

The biggest occasion of the year was Lara's wedding to Glenn Stewart over Labor Day weekend in St. Louis. Her grandparents Heywood, Chris and Anna as well as uncle Jon and his family and aunt Ellen Helzer and son Herb joined the party as a glowing Lara Elizabeth Miller walked down the aisle with Rick to join her new husband! It was a very happy time.

We also traveled to celebrate Rick's 60th birthday. This time to Chicago in April and we gathered friends and family from our 21 years of living there to toast/roast Rick with dinner and dancing. Upon our return to CA, Rick started a daily 'bootcampâ'-style outdoor workout program where he has finally learned to hula hoop as well as tone up for this next decade!! Rick continues his piano lessons, but no concerts this year!

RNM-Engineering, Rick's consulting business, continues to thrive as it enters its fourth year of operation and Jo Anne is still a Nokia employee, doing seed-stage investing - enjoying the work with the entrepreneurs and continuing to learn new things everyday. We were lucky to be able to have one of Jo Anne's regular Finland trips in June this year and have Rick join her. We attended a Crosby-Stills-Nash concert in Helsinki and spent a great weekend visiting St. Petersburg as well, an interesting contrast. Our best times are getting to visit with friends - both long-term and new and were able to do that once again this year both at home and on weekend trips.

Lara and Glenn and Chris and Anna joined us for an all-hands Heywood/Miller Thanksgiving as we enjoyed food and loving fellowship with the grandparents Heywood and all their offspring - children and spouses, grandchildren and spouses/significant others and their first great-grandchild - Jacob Riley Frost, niece Allison and Brian Frost's new baby. We will celebrate Christmas with some of this group, then head off on a Southern CA/Baja CA road trip ending up at Disneyland for New Year's Eve.

We were also saddened by the passing of Rick's cousin Jim Graves and Jo Anne's friend Marcia Jett and cousin Jackie Hardin this year, reminding us again of how each day must be fully lived.

We are looking forward to 2006 as the year in which we will FINALLY build our San Luis Obispo house and celebrate Jo Anne's 60th - Save the date Sept. 15-17 for a celebration weekend in San Luis Obispo!

Find us online at rickmiller@rnm-eng.com and joannemiller@rnm-eng.com and come see us in person at the Lundy's Lane Bed and Breakfast!!