Merry Christmas From Reagan

December 2007

I cannot believe it is that time again. I remember writing my first Christmas letter last year and how proud mommy was of my efforts. Now being a whole year older, and having a much broader vocabulary (I talk all the time and definitely take after my mom in that respect), I am definitely feeling the pressure of my second attempt, looking to avoid the sophomore slump.

Since the world is all about me (I personally hope that never changes), let me tell you about myself. I turned 2 on November 1 (although I tell everyone I am 9 – how fast we grow). I am 36 inches tall and only 25 pounds. I am tall and skinny – very model-like (I can hear my mom cursing me under her breath as I write this!). In my spare time, I like to build with blocks, watch movies (Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Strawberry Shortcake and The Wiggles are my favorites) and "color, color, color" on my art desk.

I also love to watch hockey with my daddy. Every time the Blue Jackets score, I yell "Goooooal" and then pump my fist! Of course, hockey was my first word which made daddy very, very proud. I also have my TV time with mommy as we had a weekly date watching Dancing with the Stars. My favorites were Helio and Julianne – or maybe they were mom’s. It was fun to dance in front of the television every Monday as mommy and daddy laughed.

My life is still a constant sporting event. There are so many people who would be jealous of all the games I have been to this year. I went to three Notre Dame football games (although I am not sure anyone would be jealous of that), a number of baseball games (including Spring Training in Arizona), too many NBA games (the worst), lots of WNBA games (which are great because I get a whole row to myself), and, of course, my favorite games – hockey. I also went to mommy’s pro tennis tournament, lots of college volleyball and basketball games and the horse races.

The highlight of the year was when I saw my namesake Brady Quinn at the Notre Dame Spring Football Game. He didn’t play with my feet this time, but he did give me a big smile and a high five. You will notice that daddy had to get in the picture with us too, and of course, no mommy! She was pretty sad about that, but at least she now has a photo of three of her favorite people in the house, on her desk at work, in her room …I’ll stop there. It is kind of embarrassing.

I traveled a lot this year, going to Phoenix, Dallas, Wisconsin, Illinois and three trips to South Bend. It is a good thing that I love my DVD player and can watch that for 8 hours straight if need be.

Mommy and daddy are good. They are still with the USTA and Thomson West, respectively. Mommy won the Ace Award for her company this year, which was pretty cool. Daddy got another promotion in the middle of the year. They are both doing stats for the various sports teams in the Twin Cities, although it is getting harder to balance all of it. Mommy is still playing tennis (although not very well) and Daddy started taking adult hockey lessons in the fall. He is really enjoying it and has not gotten hurt yet. Games start in February so we will see how he does then. Corby (who is 3 ½) is doing fine too. He is a good dog and loves his Wednesdays at daycare – so do mommy and daddy as they get a little break from their super high-maintenance puppy dog (can you tell he is 140 pounds in the photos?).

Mommy and daddy also went to the US Open for the first time this year. They were there for the women’s semifinals, the men’s doubles final and the men’s quarterfinals. They were joined by their Notre Dame friends, which made for a great trip to New York City. They are looking forward to going again in 2008. They also have trips planned to Texas, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Ohio, Spokane and Notre Dame. Good thing I like to travel.

One sad event I would be remiss without mentioning is the Minneapolis bridge collapse in August. Since mommy and daddy travel that bridge often, I was happy August 1 did not happen to be one of those days. It was truly a miracle that so few people died that day, especially if you saw where the bridge once stood. It just left you speechless.

I miss all of you. Here’s hoping that 2008 is the best one yet. I can’t wait to see all of you again!


Gotta "go, go, go,"
Love, Reagan Quinn Mushett
(Andrew and Lisa too!)