Hello, everyone from Nicholasville, KY,
Yes - we're still in Nicholasville. We
were hoping that we'd be in our new house in Danville by now - actually a
couple of months ago – but . . . we're now coming up on a complete year. Part
of the delay has been the weather. This has been one of the wettest years in
Kentucky history - lucky us. But a large part of it has been our builder and
his strange way of scheduling - or not scheduling things to get done. Right now
Bob's so fed up with the whole process that if someone offered to buy the house
- it would be theirs.
These last couple of months have been
rather busy for Bob. Besides trying to keep things moving on the house, he's
been dealing with a loss in his family. His aunt in Louisiana became ill
suddenly. He flew down there for a couple of days and she appeared to rally,
but shortly after he got home, she passed away. So, he flew back and spent some
days with his uncle. I'm doing my best to keep my head above water at work. The
months of September-November are the craziest here. The state takes a
"child count" on December 1st to determine funding for the school districts. So, we're encouraged" to get all the kids tested
and placed in special education before 12/1. This year has been a banner year
for referrals for new kids. Each referral takes at least 10 hours of time to
get the testing, meetings, reports, and
paperwork complete. So, when you have 19 referrals - things add up. Of
course, somehow we have to try to see the children already enrolled in therapy
and do all their paperwork. Anyone want to hire on as a secretary??!!
Anyway - Thanks to Autumn for putting
all this together again and for being patient with those of us who didn't get
their contribution in on time. We're
looking forward to reading about how
all of you are doing. Happy Holidays!!
Love, Deb and Bob
Since our last newsletter all three
boys have had birthdays they are now 12, 10 and 5. Ben is in 7th grade this
year and still deciding if he likes the harder work and the way kids pick on
each other at this age. He does his academic subjects at home yet, but everyday
travels to the local Christian school for band or choir. He is enjoying the
music practice and is finding out it isn't so bad to sing, although I still don't
expect him to sing a solo anytime soon! This is his first fall of deer hunting
and he is very excited for that. Nate is a fourth grader this year, and he
continues to play cello as well as the piano. He caught a snake this summer and
kept him for a few weeks along with another one the college science teacher
loaned him. He can't get enough of all that stuff girls scream at. He and Ben
did a lot of bug collecting at the end of the summer and learned how to mount
them. Grandpa and I even had to make them bug nets this fall. Joshua is
starting some kindergarten work although he is a young kindergartner yet. He
has taken over care of the two kittens we have and those cats let him do
anything to them. He continues to be fun loving and a pest, what a great combination.
Our summer flew by just like everyone's
summer does. We did a VBS at our church and we were able to get much more
involved with the church people there. We spent a long weekend camping north of
Duluth as well as a few days in Door County, WI. Once again we had a garden
this summer and some of the produce did well, the boys grew pumpkins which was
a first for them. The boys and I took a trip to Ohio in September and nursed
Mom through the first week after her surgery. I believe we left Grandpa in worse
shape though, as he didn't have to cook or clean, but spent as much time as he
could with the boys. Mom was even able to enjoy their instrument practice some
of those days. I have been taking a freshman speech class this fall at the
college, something I never took; and my sister-in-law and I thought it would be
fun to take a "misery" class together. This is Van's youngest sister,
she is a freshman here this year. It has been interesting going into the
classroom as a student, especially on the days I had to act as a substitute and
tape speeches while the teacher was out. I am writing this the night before I
go for surgery. I have multiple cysts on nerves to my legs and lower back which
have to be surgically removed through the abdomen area. This causes me great
pain in my legs and I haven't been able to place weight on my right leg for
three weeks due to this. It has certainly slowed my life down and will continue
to do so over the next few weeks. The boys have been learning to do laundry and
cooking.
Van is trying to keep up with his
school work, the library and teaching through all this as well as preaching
etc. on Sundays. It has been a busy semester but he has found a couple
afternoons to go out and bow hunt. The kids were shocked that see him the whole
camping trip without his laptop, we all think it is permanently attached to
him.
Well, this catches you up on the
Carpenters, we look forward to hearing from everyone. Early Merry Christmas to
you all!
Loretta
P.S. Aunt Sharon sent us an update and
Loretta came through the surgery fine. The doctor felt he got all the cysts and
sealed off the spots, so they shouldn't appear again. When Aunt Sharon talked
to her that night, she seemed to be doing well for right after surgery.
Hello from southern Iowa!
The Darrah family has had a couple of
changes since the last newsletter. The biggest and most exciting is that any
day now we are expecting our first child. Can't tell you if it is a boy or a
girl, have to wait and see. I have been doing okay. I did not have the typical
morning sickness that everyone thinks of. I had some pain second trimester so
for me the best has been third trimester. I am not that big, I am convinced it
is camping out in my ribs. I have not even gained 20 pounds and I still eat all
the time. Baby is very active, in fact last time I went to the doctor he could
not get much of a heartbeat because it kept moving. Our other big news is that
back in May Wesley was told his employment was closing its doors. His first
last day was suppose to be June 30 it kept getting extended every month until
Friday September 24. He was planning on taking a couple of weeks off to rest
and relax. Also he had several mechanical jobs lined up that would keep us
afloat. Well God had different plans for us. Monday Wesley got a call from a GM
dealership that he applied to about a month earlier. They were desperate for
mechanics. He interviewed on Tuesday and started work the following day. He
absolutely loves his job and it is in the field he went to Bob Jones for so that
helps. I am going to be a stay at home mom but God has provided little jobs for
me. I had been testing (Iowa Tests of Basic Skills) for the last couple of
years a family from our church that has ten kids. The mother of this family was
talking to another home school family and they were looking for an overseeing
teacher that would come once a month and also test some of their kids. There is
another family in our church that their son is in my Sunday School class and I
am testing him too. The local school district saw that I was overseeing the one
family and asked if I wanted to do another family. I have not heard from them
yet.
Happy Holidays to you all.
Wesley, Leona and BABY
Happy Fall!
I don't know about your area, but we
have had some beautiful colors of trees and shrubs this Fall. It has been
awesome to view God's creation and realize that He created things like this for
us to enjoy. As usual, time has flown since our last Family Newsletter and we
wonder where the summer went. Paul kept busy all summer with services at three
different care centers and added another one in September, church activities
and keeping up the outside of our property here at home. We made a quick July
4th weekend trip to Wisconsin to pick up our three grandsons and bring them
back to spend a week with us, after which another quick weekend trip was made
to return them. Grandpa managed to keep them entertained during the days that
Grandma worked. At the end of July, we made a trip to North Carolina to make a
visit to Erwyn and to take in the Sword of the Lord Conference. That is always
a refreshing blessing! We stayed home until Labor Day weekend when we traveled
out to spend some time with Timothy and see where he is living now. We are
thankful to the Lord for giving us safety in all our travels. In the midst of
all this, I (Sharon) was making visits to several doctor's offices to determine
the need for some repair surgery which took place on September 22nd.
Consequently, I have not been working these last few weeks, but have been
recuperating and am gradually regaining my strength. I am thankful to Loretta,
Lynda and Timothy who were able to come and help during this time.
We are looking forward to the birth of
grandchild #5 about the middle of November, or maybe later, out in Iowa.
We hope you all had a good summer and
look forward to reading about it in this edition of the newsletter.
Until next time,
Paul and Sharon
Happy Holidays,
In March I went away for two weeks to
Chaplin assistant school in North Carolina. With this schooling, I had the
chance to be promoted to sergeant in the PA National Guard. Along with this
promotion I switched to a unit that is currently deployed overseas. A sergeant
that was over in Bosnia when I was in Germany, that also works at WalMart with
me, is getting activated again for a eighteen month tour beginning the first of
the year. I was asked to volunteer for the same mission and would be willing if
needed, but I refused to volunteer myself.
I had the privilege to entertain my
parents on Labor Day weekend for little more than a day. While here they got
the chance to see the apartment I have and also the family I stayed with after
getting back from Germany. I got two home cooked meals and had the chance to go
grocery shopping for the ingredients before they came. I returned the favor
when I returned home to take care of my mother when she was recouping from
surgery.
Timothy P Johnson
Hello Fowler Family:
Things here have been kind of crazy
since last you heard from us. Jarrod broke his arm just prior to starting
school and just about the time that his cast came off, Doug was biking and
dislocated his shoulder. The rest of us seem to be doing fine however. :-)
Doug will be having surgery on his
shoulder on October 27 so by the time everyone gets this he should be 3 weeks
or so into recovery. He has been and will continue to be on short-term
disability for his job at the hospital since he can't do much there with one
arm. Thankfully, his job at UPS doesn't require that he have full use of two arms,
so he's been able to work there pretty much all along.
We all enjoyed going to Michigan to see
Kyle when he was home on leave. It was wonderful to have our entire immediate
family together for a least a couple of days.
Andy is in 8th grade this year, Jarrod
in 5th and Katie in 3rd. They're all having a great year so far and seem to be
doing well. Andy continues in band and Jarrod just started band this year
playing percussion! (I'm thinking about looking into soundproofing.) Katie
seems to be more of a choir gal so we'll see what happens when she goes into
5th grade in a couple of years. She is in children's choir at church and seems
to enjoy that.
That's about all the news from this
end. Hope this letter finds you all doing well.
The Listers
Greetings from Pennsylvania,
First of all we would like to wish everyone
a happy and safe holiday season, we are thinking of you all! There has been a
lot going on since we last caught up. Rob is finished school, he is very happy
to be finished his program and is deciding which direction he is going to go
with his degree. He has been doing some freelance work and still working in the
evenings. Melissa will be done with her Master's program in December. She has
finished all her classes and is working on her final research paper. After she
gets her degree she will be promoted at her job to the Director of Case
Management. She will be responsible for the social workers and resident of her
agency. This is the job she has been preparing herself for and the Board of
Directors have offered her the position when she completes her degree. Judy is
also doing very well, busy at work and busy at work! But everyone is preparing
for a special gift. In January, Melissa and Rob will be welcoming their first
child into the world. Anastasia Romayne Groden will be making an appearance in
the New Year and we are all very excited about meeting her. So besides
finishing school and working, we are all preparing for the new addition to our
family. We hope all is well with everyone, and again have a happy and safe
holiday season.
Melissa
I think this might be the first time I
have got an extension on an assignment and it wasn't because of my
procrastination so take note. I spent the last week on a mission to Iraq. If
any of you have a better reason for not getting the updates in on time I'd be
interested in hearing it. :) You likely heard about the British troops moving
north to free up US troops to retake Fallujah. Well, I was part of the group
that took them up there. It was an interesting trip but we all returned safely
so it was good. There is more details and pictures on my website at kyleshipp.com.
The conditions at our camp have
improved quite a bit since the last newsletter and there is also a lot fewer
people here now. There was much talk of us possibly going home early and being
home by Christmas. That is not the case however and we have been reassigned to
another camp. Our new mission is providing security on buses that take soldiers
from the airport in Kuwait City to the main processing camp in Kuwait. This
would be soldiers going home on R and R leave or soldiers just arriving or
leaving the theatre. We should be home sometime around next March.
Probably the biggest news since the
last update is I got engaged to Kristen Pratt. I had my R and R leave for 15
days around the beginning of September and I asked my high school sweetheart to
marry me. She said yes and is busily planning a wedding for 10 Sep 2005. Right
now she is working as a nanny for a 6 month old girl so that also keeps her
very busy. Grandma Shipp, Listers, and Batteys all came to Michigan while I was
home so it was good to see all of them. I put more frequent updates on my
website so you can check that for many more details. I also send the updates
via email so if you would like to be added to the list just let me know.
Kyle
Hi to each of you,
On this 21st. day of October here in
Ankeny, the leaves are falling and the air is crisp and cool, indicating
another change of season. Personally, Fall is my favorite time of year - not too hot and not too cold.
I want to publicly say thank you to my
"kids" for all they do for me. Both Steve and his family, and Deb and
Bob came out last spring (at different times) for a visit and I enjoyed their
being here so much. They don't just visit they keep busy doing whatever - in my
home and there is always something that needs attention. We do some fun things
too such as attending the Ingersoll Dinner Theater, and other entertainment
events going on at the time. Cyndi and Doug, of course, live about 10 minutes
from me, and they are a continuing source of help to me in so many ways.
The end of August, we all gathered at
Steve & Becky's for a couple of days to spend some time with Kyle who was
home on leave. What a great time of fellowship we had and Kyle is very proud to
be in Kuwait serving his country.
Along with working at the church, I
spend time with the grandkids – attending their events at each of their schools
and at church, and this is always fun. Then, about once a month I catch up with
about 4 or 5 friends of mine who are also widows, and we get together for the
evening. This is always a fun time and a very encouraging one as well.
I hope each of you are doing well and
are thankful for each day that the Lord gives you.
Love and Happy Thanksgiving, Norma
Thanks Autumn for extending the
deadline. I am probably the last to get my update in (If I indeed made the
cutoff). There is really not much news from Flint, but did want to at least
participate, since I enjoy reading everyone else's update.
We did not do too much this summer.
Took a couple of short trips and spent a little time on the boat, but the
summer was so slow in coming and then it was over. We did, of course, enjoy
having Kyle home from Kuwait for a couple of weeks. It was also great to have
family here at that time to spend time together. Autumn said Kyle sent an
update so he will no doubt fill you in on his life. We thank God everyday for
placing him in Kuwait instead of Iraq, and protecting him while he is there.
Just in case Kyle's update was sent before his last mission, I'll just say his
unit did take the British Black Watch troops up to the outskirts of Baghdad, so
he was able to see Iraq, experience some roadside bombs, and lots of sand. He
was also able to experience a little of the people and especially the kids of
Iraq and their favorable response to the troops.
Stacey is still working at the lawyer’s
office. Her cousin started working there a couple of days a week, said that has
made things somewhat more fun. Becky's job is pretty much the same. They did
move to a new office, and it is very close to home so that is nice. They also
have a new attorney working in the office, so that has taken some pressure off
her boss. My job is pretty much the same, just waiting for consistant cold, so
the bosses will realize winter does come and then can quit worrying. Supposed
to be a big re-organization next spring and early summer, but no use worrying
about that right now.
That is really about it us. Thanks to
all who wrote in and thanks especially to you,
Autumn for your work in getting the
letters together.
Steve, Becky, and Stacey
As the weather gets colder, we are sad to
see the cool summer days go. We all loved being outside on those days,
especially Hannah when the neighbor boys are out. We would take walks in the
park and she could see all the animals that ran around there. Hannah celebrated
her first birthday with just her two sets of grandparents. It was enough for
all of us and Hannah did not know that most have a big party for their first
birthday. She learned to crawl around her first birthday and has been showing
progress ever since. She is a speed demon so she can keep up with the kids I
take care of. Hannah has been working on walking the furniture and with us. She
is starting to talk using words we understand or figure out when she is playing
with it - "Juice" and "Uh-Oh" being her favorite. Phil has
been working the 1-9 am shift at his job. With the change of shifts came change
of work days and days off. Sundays are a little hard on him with an afternoon
nap and couple of hours before work, but then comes Monday and he sleeps all
day. This shift seems to be working out a little bit better for him.
I keep myself busy with work, leading a
ladies evening Bible Study, working in our church's cubbies and taking care of
my family and household. We have given up teaching our Sunday School as it was
getting to be too much. I have been very fortunate to be able to take the children
I watch to church with me, since I have been working more on Sundays. I am
still working on their parents, small steps at first.
That ties it up for us. Waiting to hear
from all of you. Thank you Autumn, for all your time into keeping us all
connected.
Love, Lynda
Dear family,
Our greetings from Florida where we
hope that the election news on Nov. 2nd doesn't turn out like last
year. We made out usual trip to Iowa with stops in Charlotte to see Erwyn
(Autumn and family were on a mission from church), Charleston to spend a few
days with Syl and then to Horsham to visit a few days with Judy, Melissa and
Rob. We were excited to hear from Melissa & Rob that we were going to be
great-grandparents.
We spent about six weeks at our trailer
as usual and enjoyed a very cool summer. It was wonderful to sit on our patio
and watch the people coming and going and all of the activity in the pool. We
arrived back here the middle of August just in time to greet our first
hurricane. We prepared for "Charley" but thankfully it didn't hit
here But "Frances" did on Sept. 5th and we were w/o power for six
days. We are blessed to be here as the main buildings such as the dining room,
etc. were in operation so we could get our meals and cool off in their A/C.
"Jeanne" came on Sept. 26 and again we were w/o power for 3 days. We
were better prepared for that one. The people south of us are still recovering
so we are not complaining.
We're back to our busy schedule here.
We look forward to hearing from all of you.
And again we thank Autumn for doing
such a beautiful job of producing this each time.
Love to all, Romayne & Bill
Hello Family,
It's hard to believe that this year is
almost over, this has been the fastest year ever. Just as hard to believe is
how old I'm going to be real soon .. completely unbelievable. Here's a little
about us here in the west. Sandy's just finished putting together another
successful golf tournament for the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce, where she's
the Executive Director (for those who may have forgotten). She also put
together a Health and Environmental Fair this year, a success as well. The rest
of her time is spent going nonstop with 12 hour or more days with Chamber
business. It tires me out just watching her go. She loves the work and is happy
most of the time with what her job demands. As for myself, I have just finished
another week of school at Toshiba, for certification on the latest hybrid
copiers. These are black and white copiers that have color copying as well.
They come out of the box already to put into your network and used as a high
speed printer. They fax, send and receive e-mail, scan, and oh yes make copies,
too. It was a class I have wanted to go to for some time and I was happy to
finally go. Extremely intense, difficult, exhausting and draining. Toughest
class I have attended at Toshiba to date. They crammed too much into to little
time. In the end I managed to pass and get certified, I just wished that the
class had been longer so more would have soaked into my thick skull and then a
better grade might have been achieved. I passed that's all that matters. So it
can be said that we here are doing great, keeping busy and enjoying each others
company immensely.
We do hope that all is well for all of
you and that the upcoming holidays will be filled with happiness and joy. We'll
be thinking of you in the snowy areas from our sunny and warm climate here and
all others as well. Those traveling, be safe. Those spending time with family,
enjoy the time together. Those scheduled to have babies, have 'em!
Our love and best wishes to all,
Randy & Sandy
GREETINGS FROM WEST VIRGINIA!!!!
Bet you thought you would never hear
from this part of the family again...well....not quite. I have been very busy
and finally can take time and write as to what has been going on. First, I am
still enjoying my midday shift at the station and we have grown by leaps and
bounds. The new format (music) has acquired quite a following. We are finding
ourselves in high demand. There are 4 of us on staff ... air staff ... and we
make 10 or more appearances each week, which is a lot. It has gotten to the
point where some of us can go to a public place and without any logo
identifying ourselves and people will acknowledge us as well as the station.
They will even howl...since we are known as "The Wolf"!!
I'm sure most of you are familiar with
how television and radio are rated. TV has Neilson and radio has Arbitron. We
call them "books" and a book or ratings period will last 12 weeks. It
is sheer agony at times for a station but, when the final results come
back...it is hard work that pays off. Kind of like a child getting a report
card...the grades can go either way. The "numbers" are often used as
selling tools for the sales department. So, they are very important. It would
take an entry longer than Autumns (sorry cous....still love ya) to try and
explain each demographic and how the ratings are divided up so, I won't even
try to. I will say that our format is geared towards the older crowd, men and
women alike, ages 25 and older. Each age range is surveyed and a chosen few
receive "diaries" which they will fill out stating their listening
habits. I still have yet to figure out how the higher ups at Arbitron decide
who gets a "diary" and who doesn't. But, they are distributed to
folks in the counties we cover and I'm not sure but I think we (The Wolf) cover
over 20 counties. Anyway, the diaries are given out and then at the end of the
period they are collected and then the "grades" or numbers are made
known first to the stations in that area and then the public. I am very proud
to say that we as a station came up from number 8 to number 3!!! That was
impressive and was a surprise to all of us. The other thing I am very proud to
say is that I beat out my competition. There is another Country station here in
Charleston and the midday shift is hosted by a female and I beat her over
all...BUT......I alone secured the numbers for men 25-54.....PLUS......in the
market I was number 2...out of ALL the midday shifts. My show was number 2!! It
was and still is unbelievable to me.
I will have entered my 21st year as a
broadcaster by the time you read this and that is quite a milestone for me as
well. Come July of 2005 I will have been here in West Virginia for 3 years and
as far as I know now...I will be re-signing for another 3 years. This is indeed
HOME. Some day I hope and pray that all of you will visit and see how wonderful
and awesome this place is and how awesome and unbelievable God is by bringing
me here.
My other news is I have joined a church
here. Hold on to something because it is Methodist but, it is a wonderful
"family". When the folks were here over the summer we went there and
despite all the standing I think they felt right at home. =) Pastor Barry is so
easy to talk to and he always manages to base his sermons to touch my heart
with the word of God. I am hoping to be a part of the choir and hand bell
choir. So far my schedule at work hasn't allowed me to but I will somehow as I
enjoy each ministry immensely.
The last piece of news is I have a new
addition to my "family". A 2003 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe. You
thought the Camaro I had was spoiled...this new addition is spoiled more than
the Camaro was. Uncle Gordon must smile when he sees how pampered my baby boy
is...yes, this one is a boy and his name is "Chessie". The car is
silver in color...a 2 door and LOADED!!! I love it and he got his name from my
favorite NASCAR driver. Yes, I am still a huge fan of the sport and because
Dale Sr. had a "chessie cat grin"...thus the name of my car!! The
Neon needed some repairs that would have exceeded the value of the car and Dad
and I discussed it and everything fell into place. For the first time in over
10 years I now have car payments...but I don't mind. This car is worth every penny.
Plus, I prayed about it and it really is Gods car...I'm just babysitting it!!
You'll just have to come here and see it. But be prepared because as Judy used
to say about my Camaro...when we go some place you will need a shuttle from the
car to the store or where ever we go...I park THAT far away.
So...there it is. The latest from WV. I
hope that you will agree that God has indeed been working in my life and it has
been so....so.....so...ahh...well...for lack of a better word...cool!!! I am so
blessed to have a wonderful place to work and grow at. My employers are unreal.
You'll have to come here and see for yourself.
Have a wonderful holiday season and may
you never forget that God loves each and every one of you immensely!!
Come to West Virginia....."WILD
AND WONDERFUL"!!!! Check out the stations website sometime 961thewolf.com and click the link for On
Air and go from there!! My pic is on there as well as a page I designed.
Love to all
Syl ......and "Chess" LOL =)
Happy Holidays to Each of You !!!
Well, course I’m sitting here with MY
Cheshire cat grin because we had 100% this newsletter …. not a family is
missing in updates and this always thrills my heart !!! =) I’m doing a bit of
collaborating with Kyle and if it’s okay with each of you on the next
newsletter, he may be setting up a website for us and the newsletter will be
posted on there for you to sign onto and read all the updates. Need some
feedback though from you all to make sure this is okay with you so be sure and
let me know and when it comes time for the next newsletter, I’ll send the
updates to Kyle and he will go to work !!! =) And if any of you don’t have
internet access on a consistent basis and want a copy of the newsletter, I can
still print out a copy for you. So let me know ?????????
Now for the Fowler/Ruckman updates. First
there is Dad and he’s still keeping things hopping at Courtland Terrace. All
the nurses and CNA’s love him there and enjoy having a conversation with him
while they are in his room. Some even just stop in to chat or tease him and
give him a hard time. Course he loves to give it right back. He’s had a tough
time though since the last newsletter … went through a bout with depression
(and who could blame him with all he’s been through) and after talking to the
doctor and changing up some medication and altering some things in his diet
that were contributing to it, things have greatly improved. Had a tad trouble
with one night time nurse who wanted to bypass us and make decisions for Dad by
herself but as I’m finding out in this stage of my life where roles are
reversed and I have to take on those “encounters” that I despise … God can
empower you to do things that you never thought possible and “live” through
them. So all is well and she knows her place and my dear Dad knows he’s in good
hands because he’s in God’s !! =) Health wise he seems to always have “issues”
but he always will with things the way they are for him now but his attitude is
much more cheerful and he’s kidding around again and carries on quite the
conversation.
A lot has happened with Fred since the last
newsletter, mainly that his time is short with US Airways. He will be finishing
up work with them the first week of December when we hope that his early retirement
papers will be approved and he will actually retire with them as he starts out
a new stage in his life … NOT RETIREMENT though … a new job. He’ll be starting
with a new international airline called Max Jet that is going through its
certification process right now and he’ll be coming in on the ground floor
helping to set up the operation and get all their “ducks in a row”. This is a
dream for Fred and will open up doors for him that he’s always hoped to go
through … that of supervising and management. One of his other roommates up in
Philly is hiring on with them as well so they’ll continue to be roommates
because the airline will be stationed at Dulles Airport outside Washington,
D.C. and YES … he’ll still be commuting back and forth to work but there’s just
nothing here in Charlotte at this point for him to do with the airlines, till
other airlines move into the area. But he and Gary will get to live together up
there (which will make this whole transitional process a lot easier to swallow
at this stage in their lives) and if Fred’s retirement goes through okay and
while US Airways is still in operation, Fred will have flying privileges with
them and can commute by way of them to his new job at Dulles. Nothing like
starting a new job in your 50’s and not exactly what we had envisioned for this
time in our lives but hey … God knows best !!! =)
Justin is 20 (man do I
feel old) and is now attending North Carolina State University in Raleigh,
North Carolina. He decided at the last minute to not return to UNCG where he’s
gone for 2 years because it just didn’t have what he needed to continue his
career in Graphic Design and the graphic design schools were so expensive that
he just wasn’t sure he wanted to take on that kind of debt, so because NC State
has an excellent Graphic Design program, he decided to give it a chance. He
found a garage apartment at the last minute (a God thing) … with a 95 year old
woman who is still so very active (does water aerobics twice a week at the
YMCA) … and he helps her out around the house and has a place all to himself
that he keeps spotless. He’s also working as a waiter at California Pizza
Kitchen (a sit down Italian restaurant) and is having a ball making great tips
… especially right now during the holiday season when everyone is shopping and
eating out. He’s a block from campus and really enjoying living on his own and
his dear landlady, Mrs. Riley, is a gem !!! =)
Samantha is a high school sophomore and 15 and DRIVING
!!!!!!!!! … well, with lerner’s permit and with me in the front passenger seat
… but goodness, this is my “baby” and she’s already driving … I’m getting too
old for this !!!! =) She’s a very cautious driver and things are really going
well … so well in fact that she drove with Fred back to Philly a few weekends
ago and helped him drive that 10 hour trip. Then she flew back home by herself
on Saturday night and I met her at the airport. She’s growing up and I need to
remember I’ve been here before … just seems harder to handle this time. She’s
very active at school and in extra curricular clubs after school and very
active in our youth group at church. Seems we’re always running to one thing or
another and she definitely keeps me on my toes. Getting great grades and
holding her own in Advanced Choir at school, as well as being in the adult
choir with me at church. She and I both do hand bell choir at church as well so
we keep ourselves busy, that’s for sure. She’s already looking at colleges and
at this point seems interested in Speech Pathology because she wants to work
with children and help improve their lives. Who knows where God will take her
but for now that is her interest.
And me … who said being a homemaker was
boring … cut it’s anything BUT !!! Just when I thought things would slow down a
bit with one child off at college … I find myself even more busy than ever.
Between being on a cooking team at church, activities with the youth, hand bell
choir, regular choir, Personnel Committee, Women on Mission, and Children in
Action on Wednesday night, and then responsibilities at home and holding down
the fort while Fred is gone and events and activities at the high school and
taking care of Dad and spending time with him, there’s hardly a dull moment. My
life is definitely full !! =) And so is my platter … =)
We’re all hoping that you have a wonderful
holiday season with your family and maybe even extended family and as always
your updates are so much fun to read and it’s so great to keep in touch with
each of you.
All our love and happy holidays !!!
Fred, Autumn, Justin, Samantha and Erwyn