Christmas Letter 1998
Dear Friends,
In the spirit of the season, Rachel is great with child and will bless our
home with a third swaddling babe sometime in late January. There was some
concern on the part of older brother Dunn when we announced that the new baby
will be a boy (ultrasound)--he had his heart set on a baby sister. It was little
comfort to him to know that Mommy would make more. We have chosen the name
"Chase Martin Westhoff." "Chase" after Rachel's Mormon
pioneer ancestor Heber C. Kimball and "Martin" after Heber B. Martin,
John's maternal grandfather who passed away this year. (After some deliberation
we have abandoned the name "Heber Heber Westhoff," as Ray thought this
too cumbersome.)
We have known Dunnington for about four and a half years now and he continues
to grow in wisdom and stature. I would brag about how smart he is but since most
of you know his mother it would come as no surprise to you so I will not bore
you with the details. Suffice it to say that he spends the balance of his time
drawing pictures (mostly of his family--though his piece, "dog brain,"
is my personal favorite) and pleading with his Daddy to play chess with him.
It's still early to say if he is Grand Master material but he is definitely
getting a head start. He has offered to teach his mother the game but she has
thus far been content with keeping it a "Daddy-Dunn" activity.
At two, Zachary is Dunn's little blond shadow. He idolizes his brother and
they get along swimmingly. Zach, like Dunn is a bit of a Star Wars fan and has
developed no small skill with his brother's light-saber. Allowing him to pursue
the ways of the Jedi has thus far cost us a set of blinds and a couple of
Christmas ornaments. Santa, recognizing that the force is strong in this one,
will no doubt be bringing Zach a light-saber of his own this year. [note: If you
ever have the opportunity to meet Zach and tell him you love him, he will say
"I love you two," to which the appropriate response is "I love
you fourteen."]
Rachel continues to do a marvelous job as Mother and Wife. I am continually
grateful for the woman I married, and each year we are married is better than
the last. That is not to say that things have not been difficult, and we are
both looking forward to the end of Medical School when we anticipate buying a
second car. Having small children at home without transportation is an
experience only those who have lived through it can appreciate. She has endured
it well and in the spring she will, with all due solemnity, be crowned
"Queen of the Minivan."
Graduation is in May of next year, after which we will be moving for my
internship year. By the time you read this, we will know for certain where that
will be. The two most likely possibilities are Tacoma, Washington and San
Antonio, Texas. During my internship I will take the third and final
"step" of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, and apply for a
residency in Emergency Medicine--another three years of training.
If you're reading this letter it's because we like you and we would like to
keep in touch! Feel free to write, call, or e-mail, and let us know what's
going on in your lives, particularly if you're moving, getting married or just
don't get my jokes. In the meantime, Happy New Year to all of you, Merry
Christmas to most of you and Happy Hanukkah to a couple of you. We love you and
wish you the best.
John, Rachel, Dunnington, Zachary and (almost) Chase
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