Happy Holidays 1997
The year has come and gone so quickly that this Christmas letter is now more of a new years letter. I hope that the holiday season has been pleasant and your new year looks bright.
It is so nice to have the fall semester finished and to have a slight rest from school work. I still have some school work I am working on over the holidays, so all is not play. I will be graduating in April and am in the process of finishing work on an Honors Thesis. The research started last May and I plan to finish up the research so that the thesis itself will be finished by the beginning of February.
I have been pushing myself to finish my undergraduate degree in 4 years. Due to some scheduling of classes I had to take a heavy load this past fall and am left with a fairly light schedule for this winter. It is a chance for some much needed fun. I plan to take a skiing class, a tennis class, a volley-ball class, and a camping class. Even with all of the fun I will only have 14.5 credit hours, less than I have taken before at BYU. I am looking forward to it. When I bought my books the other day, my camping class materials included the Boy Scout handbook and Field Guide. It amazes me that some people take classes like this as part of their major!
It is startling to realize that I will have been home from my mission to Alaska 3 years this May. How time flies! Once I graduate in April I will be preparing for Graduate school to pursue a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. My undergraduate work has been in Applied Physics and Mathematics. I have no idea where I will be at this time next year. My current address will be valid until the beginning of May. After that, if I haven't been in touch with you first, my parent's will be the best place to get in touch with me.
I have learned many things this year, both in my education at school and in my experiences of life. I gained a brother-in-law in July and my sister and he live here in Provo. Kendra graduated with a degree in Elementary Education last April and she is working in Provo at 2 part time jobs while her husband Kelly continues his schooling at BYU. My mother's parents live in nearby Orem, and my mom and dad come often to visit. More of the family lives here in Utah now than in California. I have been here long enough that I have been accused of having a Utah accent on more than one occasion. How embarrassing!
I hope that the new year is bright and that you are in good health. The opportunity that the world takes at this time of year to remember the Savior, Jesus Christ, and his birth is inspiring. I hope the spirit and meaning of Christmas may be with you all year long. Have a wonderful year!
Love,
Karl Kowallis
