Dintzis Van Gelder Holiday Blog: Holidays 2013

December 2013

Season's greetings from the Van Gelder/Dintzis family! We have had a terrific year, and hope your and your family's year has been wonderful too. Here is our year in review:

Max

Max turned 15 this year, and graduated from Islander Middle School in June. Max is enjoying his freshman year in high school; he just got his learner's permit and lost his braces. Max played tennis in the fall and plans to play soccer in the spring this year. Max continues to play piano and bass, and made All-State for bass in the winter. He is also playing in the Jazz Ensemble in high school with his sister Rachel.

Too cool for words

At 8th grade graduation

The ace of bass makes his bass-face

Rachel

Rachel turned 18(!) this year and is a Senior at Mercer Island High School. She spent the summer doing research on Alzheimers disease at UW. Rachel plays piano in the Jazz Ensemble, and ran varsity Cross Country in the fall. Rachel was named a National Merit semi-finalist this year. Her autumn has been filled with college applications.

Rachel atop Mailbox Peak

Classic Rachel

Suzy

Suzy had a great year as well. Suzy is currently Associate Professor of Pathology, Director of Laboratory Operations for UW Medicine, chief of the Breast Pathology service at UW, and chief of Anatomic Pathology at UW Medical Center. She is currently co-authoring a web-based curriculum for medical student pathology under contract from Elsevier. She continues to go to boot camp at 5:30 am several mornings a week.

In the Snoqualmie river valley

Suns out, guns out in British Columbia

On the lawn at Lake Quinalt Lodge,

Russ

Russ finished his sixth year as chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at University of Washington. Russ had a good year, work-wise, earning an 'Audacious Goal' award from the National Eye Institute, having a large R24 grant funded, becoming Trustee of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology and being elected President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology for 2015. Russ continues to run, finishing the Mercer Island Half Marathon in March and logging over 500 training miles this year.

Hanging with Max near Fernie, BC

Clocksclub reunion with Paul Taghert and Erik Herzog in November

Friends and family

We had some terrific opportunities to spend time with friends and family this year.

In February, we took a ski vacation with Russ' high school buddy Mike Galow and family Vicky, Daniel, Emily, and Thomas at Big Sky, MT

30+ years since we first skiied together in high school!

In April, Uncle Gordon paid a brief visit

We also had the chance to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Dintzis, Aunt Joanne and Uncle Jim, and cousin Marlin in Baltimore

We also had the pleasure of attending Katie Bender's wedding and seeing Michael and Alice. Russ' good college buddy Reggie Kellum visited Seattle in July with his wife Lynn and kids Bryce and Mallory. Russ was saddened at the passing of one of his mentors, Dr. Bernard Becker, but enjoyed the chance to see many of his old St. Louis colleagues at his memorial service. Russ also had the chance to visit with cousins Caren and Dale in Chicago. And the whole family had the pleasure of Thanksgiving with the Thomas cousins in Tucson.

With the Thomas Clan in Tucson

Other fun

We had lots of chance to have fun this year, including a number of ski trips to Crystal Mountain, our week at Big Sky, and two backpacking trips (one to the Enchanted Valley in Olympic National Park, the other to Goode Ridge from Stehekin in North Cascades National Park). We also had a great week's vacation driving to Montana to enjoy Glacier National Park, then driving through southern British Columbia.