2024 Christmas Letter

Greetings, Friends & Family –

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We’ve decided to try something new this year with a digital Christmas letter. We tried doing this four years ago and now we’ll see if we can get back in the habit. We hope that this letter finds you and yours happy and healthy! Here’s a (Chase’s definition of brief) update on what’s been going on in our lives.

This month finds Chase in his 15th year working for the Glenroy Construction Co., Inc. It is his greatest joy to work for the man that he most admires (his Dad). Glenroy has had some really phenomenal jobs here recently including a complete 2-year renovation to the historic Inn at Spring Mill State Park. We’re not done at Spring Mill, though, as we are now adding a splash pad and a new elevator wing to the Inn and have started a restoration of the Grist Mill. Chase and Levi joined Chase’s parents at the grand reopening celebration in November. Other projects include a multi-year masonry and flatwork restoration and waterproofing job at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument; starting the 4th of 4 phases of a masonry and roofing restoration project at the Indiana Statehouse necessitating encasing the dome in scaffolding; and two significant refurbishment and enhancement projects at the Indiana War Memorial. We’ve also completed work in two of Indianapolis’s most well-known schools, Broad Ripple High School (now Middle School) and Howe High School (now Early Learning Indiana). Another project of note was a year-long restoration of the historic belltower of the Orange County Courthouse in Paoli, Indiana (one of Indiana’s two oldest courthouses) which was damaged by a tornado.

Levi thoroughly enjoys working for Lowe’s in Mooresville where he has gone from an Appliance Associate to the Front End Supervisor to the Lumber and Building Materials Supervisor to, beginning last month, Department Supervisor for the Lawn and Garden Department. See him if you haven’t gotten a Christmas tree yet this year! Levi really enjoys the people with whom he works and Chase really enjoys Lowe’s generous benefits package!

We’ve enjoyed quite a bit of travel over the past two years. In the fall of 2023, Chase flew to LaGuardia in New York City with his parents where they spent a couple of weeks exploring New England. After a genealogical stop to Bethlehem, Connecticut (home of the Harrison family), they spent a few nights in Mystic, Connecticut (and had the compulsory pizza) and then travelled to Cape Cod where they spent time in both Plymouth and Provencetown. From there, they drove to Boston, Massachusetts where they met Levi and our friend, Cathy Hagen, who had flown to Boston. We spent a few days staying at the Union Club in the heart of Boston before dropping Cathy off in Salem, Massachusetts. Then, Carolyn, Lane, Chase, and Levi continued traveling north where we overnighted in Kennebunkport, Maine; Cavendish, Vermont; and Portsmouth, New Hampshire before flying back home again to Indiana.

Chase and Levi rang in New Years 2024 with a week in Los Cabos, Mexico which began an enjoyment for international and beach travel. We spent time in Jamaica in June and realized that while we like the Caribbean, we do not like the Caribbean in June! We had a very enjoyable long weekend in July with Levi’s sister, Bella, and her wife, Abigail. Chase drove with his parents to Norris Lake in Tennessee over the Labor Day weekend where we spent the long weekend with the remaining members of the Slaughter Family – Lane, Carolyn, and Chase; Chad & Jennifer Brown & family; and Nathan & Marion Brown & family. We were only missing Levi and 20-year-old Cousin Emily Brown, who was stuck at Purdue.

After a most enjoyable weekend with extended family, Chase drove from Norris Lake, Tennessee to the Outer Banks where his parents had rented a beach-house for a few weeks in September. Levi flew in and joined us for a week. We also had many other friends who came and went as their own schedule allowed.

Chase’s parents now have a full-time residence in Key West, Florida and his mother is spending quite a bit of time there. We plan to spend the end of 2024 and early 2025 in Key West and also celebrate Lane and Carolyn’s 50th Wedding Anniversary on December 28th.

In addition to work, Chase is kept busy with many nonprofit organizations. He says that this is necessary as he learns to adapt to a “Retail Schedule” with Levi. After a decade on the Board of Directors of Family Promise of Hendricks County, Chase termed out (he did it on purpose – he wrote the bylaws) in the summer of 2023 but Julie Randall, the Executive Director called him out of retirement to serve as the founding President of the Power House Community Development Corporation, a non-profit CDC and holding company for attainable housing. While we haven’t even been operational for a year, we’ve already broken ground more than once.

Additionally, Chase serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Governors for the Indiana Society of Mayflower Descendants; Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Brebeuf Jesuit Alumni Association; Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation; member of the Board of Financial Trustees of Western Yearly Meeting and member of the Board of Trustees of the Earlham College Foundation.

Together, Chase and Levi are “Bigs” for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and have been for many years. Our “Little” is getting ready to graduate from High School and we have enjoyed seeing him grow up and have gotten the opportunity to take him on a few college visits – including Ball State University and Earlham College.

Socially, we continue to be members of the Columbia Club of Indianapolis and very much enjoy the events and comradery there. We enjoy “antiquing,” but, according to Levi, the house is full so Chase has to stop buying antiques. Levi, this year, has become quite passionate about visiting as many National Historical Sites as he can. This year, we’ve visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina, the Wright Brothers Memorial in Ohio, and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We also enjoyed the Titanic exhibition in Chicago and a chilly visit to the Chicago Botanical Garden.

Miss Lyra, our adorable doggo has been busy keeping our backyard safe from other neighborhood dogs (or, we suppose that’s what she thinks she’s doing).

Much Love,

Chase, Levi, & Lyra

P.S. – We would LOVE to hear from you, too! Our contact information is below:

Chase (317) 966-2755 or Chase@GlenroyConstruction.com

Levi (317) 989-7553 or Levi.Tucker.Lucas@Gmail.com

Lyra – Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark

P.S. – After logging almost 30,000 miles this year in the car alone, Chase continues to listen to a LOT of audiobooks. Here’s a list of some of his favorites (no real order):