Christmas Newsletter 2024

 

You will notice we are having a little fun with our Christmas Card: our family is a living advertisement for Costco. Although a photo shoot was planned with all our busy Thanksgiving activities, we were only able to get a quick picture in our Costco garb-you should have heard the ideas!.

It seems like we have been on the go all this year and this year has passed by pretty fast, or is that just a matter of age? 2024 did start off pretty slow for us. Sherri, Gary and Steven all got our first bout of COVID. Both Steven and Sherri recovered quickly-not so much Gary as it drugged on for three weeks. By March we had pretty much recovered and went on a two week trip with David and Andrea up to Olympic NP-wonderful time. We made three more trips up to Salem in 2024, the last for Thanksgiving. Have we given up on backpacking? Not quite. We did two short trips and are hoping that we can build into longer ones. Plus we spent 17 days, more or less, in our fire lookouts.

At 71, each passing year seems like it does not change much and our activities sound the same as last year: Fire Lookouts, House Church, OSHER classes and Book Group still take up our time. We also walk around our neighborhood which means stopping to talk to our neighbors. Then there were many hikes and snowshoe trips in our beloved Sierra. Puttering around the yard and trying to be ahead of the weeds and maintenance break into the fun of life. We try to get to Turlock once a month and visit Sherri’s nephew Ryan. On those visits, We have added seeing the Turlock cousins Yolanda and Marilyn, even celebrating a few birthdays with them. Of course, We also visited Sherri’s childhood friend Margaret with her husband Joe.

In June Andrea and Lawrence put down roots in Salem-they bought a house built in the 1940’s: two stories with a basement, and with all the characterof that era. Like any old house, there is work to be done, but by the reports, they enjoy the work and sense of accomplishment which goes along with it. In June we went up for a visit to see the house for the first time and to see Andrea’s Dragon Boat team race. Lawrence and Andrea also got to enjoy a delayed honeymoon in Italy, nine months after their wedding.

Steven and Korra have become inseparable. Whether it is going to the dog park or out hiking, Korra is there with him. We should say, mostly inseparable as there are times Steven takes off with his friends Peter and Katie taking in a show or going south to Disneyland. Then Sherri and Gary get Korra all to themselves.

Rachel is returning to her musical roots-she is taking up guitar along with being with her many friends. But she has not abandoned her travels. In February, she spent a couple weeks in New Zealand. Evidently, she liked it enough that when a friend of ours planned a backpacking trip there, Rachel hopped on the chance to go back again this year.

 

Thanksgiving was a special time this year for us as were in Salem with our amazing host and hostess-Lawrence and Andrea. We were able to get in a walk/jog at the Salem Run’uccopia before partaking of a delicious meal. It was great that we were all able to be together with David driving up from Eureka. Also adding to the activities was cutting down a tree with David providing the saw. Jason, Lisen his fiance- and their family joined us with my cousin Sue. Puzzles, games, and normal kid activities abounded in our enjoyment of the day.

The end of a year can be a time of regret of what we have not done or a time of warm memories. As a former school superintendent said, we are in charge of our own weather. Another person noted that when somebody does something mean to them to go and do something nice for someone else. But most of all, It is the call on our lives to show love to each person whom God loves. May your life be filled with the love and light of our Lord.