What were the highlights of 2017 for you and your family?
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017
From The Hinkles
Dear Family and Friends ~
We hope this holiday season again finds you all healthy, wealthy, and wise. This year most certainly had its highs and lows but overall we are grateful, especially for family.
Our New Year started with the lowest of lows when William’s mother June Carol Chafin Hinkle passed away on January 9th suddenly and unexpectedly. Many extended family members recounted tales of June’s gracious hospitality, always welcoming people into her home and always being ready to feed them. She has been greatly missed this year and Christmas without her will be difficult. She really loved showering her children and grandchildren with gifts. Over the years, she collected elephants of all sizes. In her honor, this Christmas we will be adopting/sponsoring a pair of elephants through the World Wildlife Fund.
On a happier note, we ventured to Orlando in May with William’s brother Joe, sister Millie and our nieces Samantha and Ava to celebrate Samantha’s high school graduation. Sue’s sister Jeanne and nephew AJ joined us at our rental condo where Sarah loved having our very own swimming pool. At the Magic Kingdom, Sarah and her cousins enjoyed breakfast at the castle with several princesses. Our favorite park was Universal Studios followed by Epcot and we hope to go back again someday. We did enjoy some down time, too, just hanging around the condo.
Over the summer, Sarah was active with horses, swimming and camp. She “bought” several riding lessons with chips she has earned for doing chores around the house. Sarah learned how to put the tack on her pony Calvin, how to mount, walk and “post” and how to brush him before and after each ride.
She also swam with the Hammerheads Swim Team through the Florence Aquatic Center and competed in several meets. She continues to work on her technique through swim lessons and looks forward to also being on the dive team next summer.
Sarah experienced her first overnight at the YMCA Camp Ernst in August and enjoyed an action-packed day of horseback riding, swimming, zip lining, ropes course, campfires, S’mores and sleeping in the top bunk. She has been back twice for short stays and will be there for a full week next July. Her favorite part was receiving a letter from home!
Sarah is now in First Grade and again has a wonderful teacher. Though she likes it now, after the first week she complained that “it takes so long to be done!” Full days, apparently, are substantially harder than half days.
Now as a Tenderheart in American Heritage Girls, Sarah is excited to be able to earn badges. So far she has earned the Hiking, Creative Crafts, Kid Care and Swimming badges and has started working on Cake Decorating, Ancestor Detector and Fishing badges.
As for us, life is status quo: William is still at Vantiv and Sue is still a homemaker/volunteer. We are very grateful for all our family and friends and their love and support. We hope you have a joyous holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.
Love,
William, Sue and Sarah Hinkle