Done with 2022

Well, 2022 is finally in the rear view mirror and 2023 lies just around the curve ahead.

In 2022, we said goodbye to Naomi’s dad, Ray Caballero, who passed away at the end of January from complications of leukemia. Naomi’s sister Michelle penned a masterful obituary of this loving, humorous giant of a man. He was interred in February at the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi. While not the way we had originally intended to spend our Christmas/New Year’s break, we are thankful that we were able to adjust our plans and spend the time in Corpus Christi so that the family could bid farewell to Ray before he passed.

This past year also included more adventures in home ownership, including a complete roof replacement in April to address hail damage from a storm the previous year. It is nice to have a brand-new roof, though, and hopefully we won’t have to worry about that again for a long time to come.

We also had our annual Christmastime water leak a few days ago, this time above the laundry room. (For those who may recall, we had a previous pinhole leak in a pipe above our bedroom in 2021 on Christmas Day.) So, rather than continuing to play this game with our corroded copper pipes, we elected to have the house “re-piped” with PEX piping. This odyssey is still in progress as we write this, and anyone who has a passion for repairing drywall should let Tartan know.

Tartan Alex continues to teach English in Japan, though there is light at the end of the tunnel – he is planning to return to the U.S. once the current school term wraps up at the end of March. His big trip this year was to Tashirojima, or “Cat Island”, known for its large population of wild cats, cat-shaped cabins, and a cat shrine. On a sadder note, his trusty bicycle that he’s had for five years was absconded with by someone during the fireworks show around Halloween. He’s had to get a beat-up replacement to last him for the remainder of his time in Japan.

Last we reported on Kyrie, she was working on a Netflix collaboration project called “High in the Clouds”, an effort to animate a story and music by Sir Paul McCartney. Sadly, her work with this project has come to an end. However, she has now accepted a role at PIXAR!!! and will be moving to the Bay Area in January to start her dream job there.

Aidan, trying to one-up his brother in the “having things stolen” department, has had not one but TWO catalytic converters stolen off his Toyota Sequoia. One was a grab-and-run while he was parked at the Lone Star campus, where he is taking classes. The other was an “in broad daylight” job right in front of the YMCA, ten minutes before his lifeguard shift ended. A third attempt was foiled, either because the thieves were interrupted or because they noticed that the converter had been spray-painted a bright fluorescent color (which is said to discourage theft because they can’t sell it as easily).

Abigail has continued to choreograph and teach at Magnify School of Dance, and has also started a cosmetology program at Lone Star. She is passionate about both, and has been practicing her hair styling skills on both family and friends. In the spring, she choreographed a modern dance piece for the Magnify spring recital that blew everyone away: it was inspired by Marvel’s Shang-Chi as well as Avatar: The Last Airbender. The dancers and audience alike loved it!

Who got her driver’s license this year? Kayleigh! Between her senior year classes, dance, and getting together with friends for bubble tea, she has been getting in lots of practice driving.

Tartan has continued his work with ExxonMobil as the “Wells Data Principal”; essentially this means that he is responsible for working both within the company as well as influencing industry efforts for all things data related to wells. It’s a challenging but rewarding role.

Tartan and Naomi have continued to try and go camping every month. This year we decided to broaden our horizons a bit and look for places other than the usual Texas State Parks. Accordingly, we camped at Magnolia Ridge (a Corps of Engineers camp near Steinhagen Reservoir), in the Sabine National Forest near Toledo Bend (on the Texas/Louisiana border), and in Crockett National Forest. These last two were more “primitive” camps with no electricity or water at the campsite. We also spent a week outside Hamilton, Texas in a “tiny cabin” for our anniversary.

It has been a year of ups and downs, as it usually is, but we are thankful for the Lord’s blessings, including the opportunity to grow and trust Him in the down times. We wish all who read this an amazing new year full of love, joy, peace and grace.

The Colliers