December 2000

Dear Family and Friends,

Its holiday time and thoughts once again turn toward letting people know "whassup" with us. We spent last Christmas here in Dallas and watched TV all day on Dec. 31 to see the New Year celebrations around the world as it became 2000. Allen was at SMU just in case there were any Y2K problems, but there weren't any.

Kelsey, age 4 ¼ now, has really grown this year, becoming a strong and opinionated personality in her own right. She completed potty training over the Christmas holiday last year. A huge sweet tooth, she got a cavity (her first) over the summer and had to have it filled but did just fine. She is extremely brave and fearless. Also over the summer she took swimming lessons. Kelsey is a real fashion diva, always wanting to wear lots of jewelry, hair accessories, and dresses. She is never without one of her growing collection of baby dolls. Allen took Kelsey on a trip to San Antonio in June.

Trey is now 7 3/4 years old. Highlights of his year include losing several more teeth, again participating in Indian Guides and children's choir, having his birthday party on a trolley, and attending golf camp and computer camp over the summer. This fall he started taking a martial arts class 3 times a week and already has moved up from white belt to yellow belt. Trey's always practicing his kickboxing moves out on Kelsey. His grades are good, he loves to read, and his hearing is now perfect thanks to surgery he had in March to repair a hole in his right eardrum. He recently got his very own computer and has e-mail too (trey@gwinn.net). He traveled with Allen and Allen's dad to Washington D.C. in May so they could fly on Legend Airlines, a local newcomer to the airline scene.

Allen (at SMU for 11 years now) got promoted to Senior Director of Technology in the business school and now has other directors reporting to him. His bigger news is that he sold the domain name itravel.com to a travel agency in Kansas and made a nice profit. With some of that profit, we decided not to build a pool but to buy a spa/hot tub instead. We have really enjoyed having it and it is certainly cheaper to operate than a pool. Allen is in the Dad's Club at Trey's school, YMCA Indian Guides, and continues driving the McKinney Avenue Trolley. He taught daily classes on IVP6 at Networld+InterOp this past April in Las Vegas and this past September in Atlanta. This year he began a successful grassroots campaign to replace the Dallas Public Schools superintendent, who was corrupt and dishonest. This led to some other community activism in Dallas, which has landed him on local TV a couple of times.

Terri is still working in the ethics center at SMU, beginning her 4th year there.Her position was increased to full-time, but she is able to continue working half-time while job sharing with a co-worker. In May she got a new car more befitting of her mommy image a Saturn station wagon. She continues to be active at church -- serving on the Board of Trustees, ringing in the handbell choir, and helping with a fundraising capital campaign at church. This year she started jogging occasionally and religiously awakes at 6 am weekdays to do an exercise program on TV.

Our travels this year took us to Pensacola, FL with all of Allen's family over the 4th of July weekend. The kids loved playing in the swimming pool but Allen and Terri liked walking on the sugar-white-sand beach. The Dallas Gwinns attended the annual Symank reunion again in Crawford, Texas, just down the road from Governor Bushs ranch. Terri's parents came to visit in April. In July they came to Dallas with Julie and her kids for a Thompson family reunion. Allen's brother Dan's family was here at Thanksgiving.

Our cat Mitzi had a lump removed from her neck in September. The tumor was malignant but the vet believes he got it all and the cancer does not seem to have spread. She's doing well for a 12-year-old cat. We welcomed a new nephew/cousin, Landen Matthew Gwinn, into the family in October All in all, we had a really fantastic year. Happy Holidays!

Yours truly,
Terri, Allen, Trey, and Kelsey Gwinn