Happy Holidays from the Boyles! We wish you all the best for the season and the new year - and we hope the past 12 months have been kind to you. It's been an unusually eventful year for us, with plenty of twists and turns. Here are some of the highlights:

Natalie graduated from Bellevue High School and was all set to go to Utah State University, where she had her heart set on doing bee research. But then the Veterans of Foreign Wars gave her a great four-year scholarship to attend college in state - so we did a quick switch, and Natalie is now having a great time at Western Washington University in Bellingham, only about an hour and a half's drive from home.

Alan marked his ninth year at MSNBC.com, where he is science editor. The big story of the year was the space shuttle mission, which basically consumed the whole summer because of the on-and-off launch schedule. He also traveled to Wisconsin for a stem cell training session, to Moscow to interview a millionaire space passenger, and to New Mexico for a rocket fest. The best news was winning an award from the worldwide Pirelli Relativity Challenge for MSNBC's special report on Albert Einstein's legacy. The saddest news was the death of Alan's mother in Iowa after a struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

Evan is a freshman at Bellevue High School, keeping up with a course schedule so advanced that Mom and Dad can no longer help much with the homework. He plays clarinet in the school band and is active in the math club, and does some math tutoring as well. He's also a video-game whiz and holds forth on GameFAQs, his favorite online forum. He has already caught up with Natalie in height and may soon be taller than his dad.

Tonia has joined the local garden club. At home, she's the leader of the pack, including all of the above plus Toby and Bijou. We had a scare back in September: As Alan was coming back from Moscow, Tonia suffered a mild heart attack while waiting in her car in the airport pickup zone. She was rushed to a hospital, and with the aid of good care and good drugs, made enough of a recovery to attend the Seinfeld show a couple of days later. She is now going through cardiac rehabilitation - or, as she calls it, "reform school."

May we all have health and success in 2006!
Natalie was away at school when this portrait was taken, but we've been able to fill in, so to speak. Click on the images below for the year's highlights.
Bellevue High School's graduates sometimes decorate their mortarboards to celebrate their graduation - so bee-crazy Natalie made a beehive complete with fake bees, with a little help from Mom.
Tonia's family got together for a lakeside reunion in Michigan in June. This is Tonia and her dad, Norm. Click on the thumbnail to see the full Berry clan at sunset.
Evan got some shades during the Michigan trip - and he definitely has the look of a 15-year-old down as he waits for the steak to be done at a family picnic.
In honor of the centennial of Einstein's "miracle year," Alan went to work on Halloween as the great man himself. In past years, he's been a priest, a wizard, a baseball player and, of course, a mad scientist.
Toby, our Norfolk terrier, dressed up as a circus dog - and the prospect of winning a treat makes it easier for him to act the part. Click on the thumbnail to see how the trick was done.
Bijou, our Tibetan spaniel, doesn't have to do much to look cute. Just set her down with our back yard as the backdrop, and she looks as pretty as a picture.