1553 County Road T Colby KS 67701 bfrahm@colby.ixks.com http://colby.ixks.com/~bfrahm

The big news here is that soon our foster son will be Karlyn Brett Frahm! He won't affect the world quite as much as the first Christmas Child, yet he's a wonderful gift for us. 3 black cats now call us home, and team-roping friends are boarding horses in our pasture.

In May we flew to Cleveland to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah. They told us to come prepared to party; we had NO idea....The ceremony and city's art museum were fascinating, too. Our usual July excursion to CT was by car in '98. Hannibal offered river views and mansions, the Indy speedway featured Brickyard 400 time trials (a 190 mph car 'in the flesh' is FAST) and their race history museum, and revisiting Cleveland brought a trip to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. We spent a night in the Poconos, and with our Gloucester MA friends had phenomenal deep-sea fishing luck. After all this the trip home was direct. Family friend Barrie from England then spent a month with us in and around Colby. During his stay a surprise visit from Taiwanese ham radio friend Paul BV4FH and wife Christina was a special treat, and we celebrated Janice's mother's 70th birthday here with her siblings, niece and nephew. Bruce Janice and Karlyn spent the week before Thanksgiving in New Orleans. Great food and weather, the zoo and children's museum highlighted, and we had 2 meals with native cousins. An overnight with Manhattan friends serendipitously led to Bruce's attending the 4th quarter of the KSU/Nebraska game!

This was a miracle year for Great Plains crops. Following a dry start, we had ideal weather and early July saw the finish of wheat harvest, with yields and protein both high. This was our first year with significant dryland corn; it did exceptionally well and irrigated was our alltime best! We filled every available bit of storage and still piled on the ground. Abundant crops often bring weak markets and with the world economy this is doubly true, so our bottom line isn't sharing in the phenomenal performance.

BRUCE enjoyed his first "multi-multi" radio contesting event from Hannibal, playing for USA's radio society whose board he serves on. Increased pencil-pushing responsibilities in the family farming operation will change again as our office is moved from downtown Colby to the farmstead.

JANICE is vice chair of Puddle Duck -- our church is resurrecting a private preschool that recently closed. She's been chasing paper on our adoption and has enjoyed rearranging furniture. Grand Sweep is nearly complete; the entire Bible is studied in a year-long course.

JON got a birthday electric guitar and enjoys doing self-taught licks and playing with buddies. He teamed with 2 computer classmates at the Tech Student Assn Nationals in Pittsburgh where they WON the webpage design competition! (http://members.xoom.KJweb) A programming competition at KSU offered another look at next autumn's new digs. He's on the Scholars Bowl A team this season.

KARLYN enjoys 2 mornings weekly with church friends, and 3 at a small daycare. He's learning alot of words, and state speech therapists are working with him on advanced concepts. He's very stick-to-it-ive and a great eater. Special things are balloons, bananas, pets and his "mamo", Grandma Anderson.

We are saddened at the loss of Windjammer's Fantome, sistership to our Yankee Trader of 1979, in Hurricane Mitch along with 31 crew. At the same time we anticipate the birth of first foster daughter Teresa's first child -- it reminds us of the value of life and that we should treasure it, especially at this season. We wish your family Christmas peace and an interesting and prosperous 1999.