December 2012What a year! It has been a season where we have experience a tremendous amount of fun and excitement. From making an annual pilgrimage to Denver to hiking our feet off in the Sierra's, to going foreign—just barely—to taking a plunge into the midst of the Pacific Ocean it has been a year not be missed.
Retiring when we did has been a blessing. It has given us the time to spend with Gary's parents. The timing of our retirement has fit in with the needs of our family. This year has been a year of several big milestones—Gary's Mom and Dad turned 90 years old and celebrated their 60 years together. Being able to bring together their friends to celebrate was exciting, fun and challenging. We also were able to take them to San Diego and visit Mom's sister. In addition, we went on two other trips with them. The first was to Victoria, British Columbia in June. This was a leisurely trip up the coast, enjoying the water and the cliffs. We went through the coastal part of Olympic NP-another place added to our list of future adventures. When we got to Victoria, a day was spent fulfilling one of Mom's dreams—seeing Buchart Gardens. It was well worth the trip. Another day we traveled around Victoria's water front. On our way back, we saw Dad's sister and family.
My brother's friend, Kevin, made his condo in Kona, Hawaii available to our parents and so the five of us took advantage of it, doing a week's stay on the Big Island. And what a week it was. Lava, coffee, and water, along with lush jungles and water falls! We got to snorkel for the first time-swimming with dolphins and sea turtles, little yellow fish and sea urchins, and go up over coral. It was worth the trip just for that. But, as the commercials say, there was more. David took us on a trip around the island, including stops at an out-of-this world bakery for some of the best bread we have eaten. Then there were black sand beaches, the lava beds extending into the ocean, and classic paradise like waterfalls—the visual is too much for my writing talent. In Hilo, we went up to Hawai'i Volcanoes NP and saw the Halemua'uma'u Crater with its active lava. But the week came to an end with us wanting to come back.
Most of you know we attempted the John Muir Trail, aka JMT. We made it 90 miles, about 8 miles beyond the Devil's Postpile. Eight days out we stopped because of a potential medical condition--it was better to be able to hike another day than to push forward. Once back, we got some medicines adjusted. But before turning back we saw some really DDG country—that is Drop Dead Gorgeous. Granite peaks with ice-blue Sierra lakes provided relaxation for our tired bodies and minds each night.
So how are the kids doing, you might be asking? Rachel is still working as a live-in nanny in San Gabriel. But she is exploring career possibilities, but nothing definitive yet. While Steven is preparing for the possibility of going to Fresno State next year. As you can see, Andrea is still into her adventures and finding a permanent teaching job.
So what does this new year have in store for us? We do not think we will slow down too much. We hope to continue to spend a lot of time with Gary's parents, enjoying being with them and vacationing with them. Will we complete the JMT this year? (We are still deciding that one.) Rick Warren notes that service gives purpose to life. We continue to look for places of significance to pour our lives into.
Our prayer is that each of you will find new refreshment in our Lord this year.
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