2010 Holiday Letter

Dear friends and family,
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year! It has been a wonderful year at the Ropers. As you read on you will see what each of us has been up to. Please stay in touch! We are all on Facebook, and you can reach us by e-mail:

Paula: paularoper143@gmail.com
Ted: edward.h.roper@gmail.com
Caitlyn: sapphire.dachshund@gmail.com
Eric: johnericroper@gmail.com
Will: william.c.roper@gmail.com

Sending lots of love, and hopes for peace in the new year.
Paula, Ted, Caitlyn, Eric & Will

2010 - what is there to say? I was busy - we all were busy. This year I did more activities for myself. I took acting lessons and performed in May with the Disparate Housewives (directed by Suzanne Hevner). I headed south to NC a couple of times to visit my Dad and to see friends (Susy Miller in above photo), I sang with Harmonium Choral Society (photo from It's A Lark Concert), and I performed several weddings (Van Hoosier/Guiliano Wedding on 10/31 in photo).

I am also writing for www.thealternativepress.com. Check out my articles under Common Ground. And I teach Meditation classes twice a week, and have begun to teach and write a course called Education for Community, which includes a semester of Comparative Religion.

The hardest part of my years involved a computer incident which left me without a working computer for nearly 2 months. Who knew I would become a co-dependent of my laptop?!

Taking lots of photos, hanging out with my kids, and laughing a lot....that was my year.

Ted

Ted continues to work by day at Avanade, Inc. But by night - he is super guy - performing with Harmonium Choral Society, talking walks with his sons at Jockey Hollow, covering nightly walks with the dogs, and pertending to be a scary, sick, sadistic warden in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Ted has had a good year!

Ted has lost 19 lbs. so far on his NEW weightloss program. Be on the lookout for the "OMG I'm 50 and need to Lose Weight Now" program - available via FB soon.

Caitlyn

Photos: Top left - Chapel Choir at Christmas Pagaent, Top right - Caitlyn & Max before the Prom, Bottom left - Caitlyn after a bad - fake - car accident, and Bottom Right - Graduation!

Caitlyn had a BIG year! She graduated from High School, participated in the Every 15 Min. program to raise awareness of drunk driving, and attended two proms (NC & NJ). This fall she started her life as a college freshman at FDU, where she is loving the theatre program!!! She was cast in one of the fall plays at FDU - Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Her favorite fall activity at school was playing Humans vs. Zombies. Caitlyn was one of the hardest humans to be tagged into a Zombie, and it took 25 kids and plans A,B, and C before she was turned into a non-human.

She continues to sing with Harmonium Choral Society, is Director of the Chapel Choir at Grace Episcopal Church (Pagaent photo above - the little ones), and Babysitter Extraordinaire!

J. Eric

Left: Eric in a tux on 16th Birthday

Right: Eric on his way to Marching Band Awards

Below: Eric playing Bass Drum 5 at Meadowlands Stadium for the NJ Football championship

Eric has had a great year. The highlight was performing on Bass Drum 5 for the NPHS Marching Band. They participated in several competitions and were #2 in the NJ State Championships, and #1 with Best Percussion at the Northern States Championship. They performed at the Meadowlands at half time for the NJ State Football Championship.

In addition to band, Eric sings in numerous choirs including NPHS Select Choir, NPHS Men's Choir, NPHS Jazz Choir and the Gargoyles. He plays jazz piano, and has completed several compositions for Jazz Piano.

Eric is also VP for the TSA (Technology Student Association). He enjoys woodworking and continues to build things. Mom is hoping for an end to ER visits (twice this year to sew up fingers - enough already).

For most of this year Eric has continued to practice martial arts. He loves TKD, and is looking forward to getting back to it in January.

Eric performed in Thoroughly Modern Millie (NPHS Spring Musical) and Love of Three Oranges (NPHS Fall play). He is about to start rehearsals for Bye Bye Birdie.

His first college visit took place in August, when he toured the music school at UNC-G.

William

Gargoyles perform A Capella music at Grace Church in November

February 2010, Will and Eric in the Greensboro, NC train station.

William sporting his sonic screwdriver at Halloween (as the David Tennant Dr. Who)

This year William took Shakespearean Acting classes with Susanna Baddiel at Elefante Music. When he turned 13 in March, he opend a Facebook account. He performed in the Floating Pricess with the Musical Theater Workshop at NP Rec with Theresa Turner. Will played Prince Eddie Charming. He enjoyed RSCM choir camp in Wilkes Barre, PA. with Dr. Anne. Will continues to play the Violin, Viola, Alto Sax and Bari Sax, and performs regularly (Bass 2)with the Gargoyles.

If you sense a trend in music and theater, you would be correct. He is passionate about performing.

Will also reads A LOT!!! Hard to choose a favorite, but he really liked The Red Pyramid. He also discovered Dr. Who! You always remember your first Doctor!

Allison and Family

Allison (29), Eric (16), Will(13) and Caitlyn(19) at Thanksgiving....

Ashleigh, Daron, Allison, & Elizabeth Aukerman

Allison, Daron, Elizabeth (age 5) and Ashleigh (age 4) are living in Bellefonte, PA (just outside of State College, PA. Daron is a student at Penn State, studying history, Allison is a Nursing Assistant, Elizabeth is in Kindergarten, and Ashleigh is in Pre-School. In these photos, they were visiting us at Thanksgiving.