A Christmas Card from Our Family To Yours

Only a few more days until Christmas! I hope you all have finished your holiday shopping and decorating, and are able to sit back and enjoy some quality time with your friends and family members. Other than celebrating the birth of Christ, spending time with family and friends is my favorite part of the Christmas season.

I was reminded of this on Thanksgiving, when our family went to a restaurant with some of our closest friends. While we were there, we saw one of our oldest customers eating at the same restaurant, and when he saw my family, his face lit up with a big smile. He told us how he remembered my daughter as a little girl helping me set up for his nighttime home demonstration. He fondly recalled my young daughter holding up a light for him to see how it would look in a specific area. That night in his yard was a happy memory for him, and that night in the restaurant was a happy moment for me. It reminded me how grateful I am for my family.

In this spirit, I thought it would be nice to post a family-focused “Christmas Card Blog” from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Augusta and Lake Oconee. As many of you know, all of our children have worked in the family business, and most have worked here some in the past year. Many of you also kindly ask how are children are doing, so here is a quick update…

Our oldest son, Marc, moved his family across the country to start a PhD program at Michigan State University last fall. His wife, Megan, is teaching art at a charter school near Ann Arbor, and their daughter, Hannah, is growing up into quite a precious and precocious 3 (and half) year old. They recently gave us our second grandchild, Logan, a handsome little guy (see the pic). We were grateful that we got to see them so much last year, and although they are doing well in Michigan, we are really missing them this holiday season.

Justin is also doing well, and enjoying his job with Southern Cross Pipeline. He loves to travel, and this is a good thing, because he regularly roams the country inspecting underground gas lines everywhere from Californian cities to Louisiana swamps. He is learning a lot about this industry, and is passionate about keeping people safe through this important inspection work.

Kristin is loving her second year in her PhD program at University of South Carolina. She is learning a lot about school psychology, making great grades, and is getting a significant amount of experience teaching undergraduate students. She also has an exciting addition to he life, our fourth grandpuppy, Foster. He is a very cute little golden retriever, and she is raising him up to be a great dog.

Jonathan is enjoying his work waiting tables full-time at Taco Sushi. He is a great server, and has a prolific knowledge of all things sushi. He is wisely taking some time off from college this year to figure out what he feels called to do with his life. In this vein, he is excited to start fire and rescue training as a volunteer in the new year. We are very proud of him and can’t wait to see what he settles on, knowing he would be great at so many things.

Karen is also doing well and traveling a lot. With family spread out over Columbia, Augusta, and Michigan, she stays on the move. After fifteen years, I am still loving what I do. I consider it my calling to bring greater beauty, safety, and value by lighting up homes and businesses in Augusta, Aiken, Lake Oconee, and Athens. This past fall, I also became a volunteer firefighter in Columbia County. I truly enjoy being a first-responder, and am grateful for the opportunity to work with such great folks at the firehouse and in my business.

Although my life is far from perfect, Christmas reminds me how much the Lord has blessed us, and how much we don’t deserve his kindness to us. I am grateful for this time of year, which points me back to his grace.

I look forward to working with you all more this next year and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season,

Pat Otis, President

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Augusta

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Lake Oconee