December 2002

Here is wishing you a very peaceful and healthy Merry Christmas. We also wish you peace, good health, and happiness in the coming year!

 Back – Left to Right in above photo:   Mikayla, Janelle, Kyler, Brianne, Marissa

Front – Left to Right in above photo: Corby, Caleb, Mom holding Devontay, Kelsey with Dad in the center.

Yipes! We were officially evacuated from our home and lived in three hotel rooms for about six weeks due to health hazards of mold in our home. It has been a very stressful time for us. Please . . . everyone guard your house against water damage and mold. You may not even know you have it and it is a huge problem. Thank you to all of you who have helped us out during this crisis. We really appreciated it.

Brianne Kristina (age 22)

           Brianne is enjoying her full-time studies at Gonzaga University and she shares a house with two other roommates near campus. She will graduate this year with a Biology major and a minor in Psychology. She has applied to graduate schools to obtain a Master’s degree in psychology and human development. She has also applied to the Peace Corp to work in Africa. She joined the Gonzaga Ski Club and has also received certification from her scuba diving classes. Brianne volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in the Spokane Juvenile Court and has a part time job at Department of Social and Health Services supervising visits. Brianne enjoys time at Gonzaga campus with her two sisters.

Marissa Kimberly (age 20)

Marissa is enjoying her full-time studies at Gonzaga University and also lives in a house with roommates near campus. She will graduate this year with a major in Biology and a minor in Religious Studies. She is also in the Pre-Dental program and plans to go to dental school or graduate school after her senior year. Marissa has joined the ski team. She is looking forward to skiing with her sisters and other students at Gonzaga. Marissa also works part-time as a dental assistant at her dad’s office which her dad appreciates. We look forward to Marissa coming home and cooking some gourmet meals over Christmas vacation. Her specialties are Chinese dishes, salads, and fancy desserts.

Janelle Karina (age 19)

           Janelle is enjoying her sophomore year at Gonzaga University and living in the college apartment. She is a biology major in the Pre-Med program with a minor in Psychology and also is getting her teaching certificate. She is looking forward to the ski club and skiing with her older two sisters and is enjoying campus life in the dorms and having her two older sisters close by on campus. Janelle also received her certification as a scuba diver and has a part time job on Gonzaga campus which she really enjoys. She got accepted to school in Kenya for fall 2003 but we are worried about safety there. Janelle has made plans to do volunteer service over spring break in Jamestown, Missouri, will go to Florence, Italy for summer school.

Mikayla Karlene (age 17)

        Mikayla is a senior at Central Valley High School and still loves her music. She enjoys playing her flute, piccolo, and of course loves to sing in the choir and enjoys her voice lessons. Mikayla has a passion for opera and you can find her listening to classical music in her free time. She also has her mother and father listening with her. She is looking around to find good music colleges and is working part-time in her mom’s and dad’s offices. Mikayla graduates from high school in June and then plans to get her music education degree and teach music and perform. Right now she is thinking of making a music video. Stay tuned for the release date! She also is involved in karate and ice skating.

Kyler James (age 15)

         Kyler is a sophomore at Gonzaga Prep this year. He enjoys high school and is looking forward to playing basketball and is on the debate team. He has surprised everyone with his sprint of growth and his height. He loves to read and enjoys creative writing from time to time. Kyler also still appreciates nature and camping and looks forward to skiing at Schweitzer Mountain in Idaho with his oldest three sisters. His younger brothers like to play with him on  the computer and trampoline. Basketball season is in full swing and it keeps him pretty busy. He is also in karate although does not get to lessons as often as the smaller boys. The most frightening aspect of our lives is having Kyler drive us with his driving permit.

Kelsey Katrina (age 12)

          Kelsey is a 6^th grader at St. Mary’s Elementary School. She is on the honor band with flute lessons and is also playing piano. Kelsey really enjoys playing the flute and is in the St. Mary’s honor band. She was on the volleyball team and enjoyed playing with her team. Kelsey is now on the basketball team at St. Mary’s this year. Kelsey is an excellent attentive big sister to the younger children and the foster children. She is a great help to mom and dad and to the younger three. She enjoys taking care of Anton when cousins Brad and Shawnda come to visit. Kelsey will be playing the piano for us at Christmas and mom is encouraging her to take voice lessons.

Corbin Joel (age 9 1/2)

          Corby is in 4^th grade this year at St. Mary’s Elementary School. He loves soccer, baseball, swimming, and flag football and is now asking to play hockey. He also is taking piano lessons. He is excellent at computer games and is doing some of his studies on the computer too. Corby is going to continue skiing this year and is asking to try snowboarding. He definitely likes to stay active and enjoys his Boy Scout meetings also. Corby will begin practice in January on the hockey team and is looking forward to that. When the weather is nice he likes to go biking and race with his brothers and Kelsey. He likes to help out with feedback on mom’s children stories also and is a big help with his younger brothers.

Caleb Jerome (age 8)

        Caleb is a 3^rd grader at St. Mary’s Elementary School. He is active in boy scouts and his recent project was to build a tool chest. He is learning to play the piano with his teacher (mom) and loves to tell jokes. Caleb also enjoys reading lots of books. He is going to go skiing again this year too. Caleb enjoys being on the swim team with Corby and Kelsey but is not too thrilled about having to wear Speedos. He is also helping give his mom feedback on her children’s stories and books along with Kelsey and Corby. Caleb is looking forward to free time during Christmas vacation even though he loves school. He will graduate to yellow belt in Karate this month.

Devontay Joshua (age 6)

         Devontay is in 1^st grade at St. Mary’s Elementary School this year and really enjoys it. He is also taking piano and swimming lessons and has great fun with them also. Devontay loves to play and is very active. Devontay follows Kelsey, Corby, and Caleb in his free time and they play well together. He was also on the soccer team and will be playing softball this year in the spring, so he will have a busy schedule. In his free time, Devontay is learning to read and loves to draw. His adoption was final on November 27, 2002, so he is officially a Hood now and we all celebrated with him on his adoption day. If Devontay can relax and not run and talk so much he also will gain his yellow karate belt.

Derek now lives with us and is working as a computer graphic designer and plans to go back to school at Eastern to complete his degree in English this spring. He is working designing websites and doing graphic design. In his free time he continues to write poetry and short stories. Derek, on his own, plans to make a music CD with his own recording equipment. He has offered to give all the kids guitar lessons.

We may have a new foster child or two soon and are open to help someone out before the holidays. Please keep all foster kids in your prayers over the holiday season. The holiday season is a difficult time for all of them.

Jim (Dad)

Dad is enjoying being Dad and gets the very important job of running the kids all around to music lessons, soccer, basketball, etc. etc. Jim is currently enjoying taking classes in the Doctoral Leadership Studies program at Gonzaga University with Mom. He is also actively working as a CASA to advocate the rights of abused and neglected children in the Spokane Juvenile Court system. He has a busy active dental office and is very proud of his dental staff. He is looking forward to some quiet time over the holidays and a get away weekend in the snow with all the family. Dad also enjoys editing and encouraging mom to write poetry which she appreciates. He couldn’t be busier but also enjoys the family get togethers.

Karen (Mom)

Mom is sure enjoying her large brood of children. She is fortunate to be able to work from her home office where she can spend time with all of them. She is also enjoying the fact that the three college students are living on campus only twenty-five minutes away. Karen is currently taking classes in the Doctoral Leadership Studies program at Gonzaga University with Dad and has recently started substitute teaching biology and chemistry in the high schools in the area from time to time. She is also actively working as a CASA to advocate the rights of abused and neglected children. Karen enjoys writing and publishing poetry, fiction and non-fiction, in her spare time. She also looks forward to Sunday noon with family and friends.

In July Grandma Bert moved to Spokane and we are so happy she is here. None of the kids have had a grandparent in town so we really value her stay. She has a home right across from St. Mary’s Church (our parish) and St. Mary’s school playground so the kids are literally a hop and skip away. She really helped us during our mold crisis and that was very helpful.

From All of Us

We again extend a warm welcome and invitation to our family and friends to come by and visit us at anytime. We hope to hear from you this holiday season and look forward to hearing how you are doing. Do write, call, or email us.

It looks like we will be home most of the summer. We are going to a Hood family reunion in Estherville, Iowa from June 28^th to July 6^th for whoever can make it. We look forward to seeing most of you sometime this summer.

Sandy’s (Karen’s sister) boys, Derek and Monte are living in Spokane and Bradley & Shawnda are teaching school in Utah and enjoying their baby, Anton. Shawnda is expecting again around May 16, 2003, and all came up to visit all of us during Thanksgiving. Monte has moved into a very nice apartment off Sullivan Road and is working in a science lab. It is hard to believe it has been three years since she passed away.

We would enjoy it if all of you could send your e-mail addresses so we could also respond by e-mail. Please send your address to info@hoodfamily.com so we may have it. Visit our website at www.hoodfamily.com to see the family photos and photos of all the kids.

Have a blessed Christmas and healthy, happy New Year!

Love from the entire Hood family and foster kids too!!

Jim, Karen,

Brianne Kristina, Marissa Kimberly, Janelle Karina, Mikayla Karlene,

 Kyler James, Kelsey Katrina, Corby Joel, Caleb Jerome, Devontay Joshua

And Monte & Derek Moss

P.S. – Don’t forget we are still working on our Hood and Matsko family tree and genealogy study.

        If you have any further information on your family tree and how it connects to the Hood and Matsko family tree, please let us know.  Thank you!