Cyndi and Doug Lister

Andy, Jarrod, Katie

213 SW Pleasant St.

Ankeny, IA 50021

[email protected] (Cyndi)

[email protected] (Doug)

 

Cyndi and Doug-August 4

Cyndi-June 1

Doug-November 13

Andy-August 6

Jarrod-January 23

Katie-August 7

 

 

 

Spring/Summer 2007

 

Hi Family!

 

This is going to be brief - much briefer (sp?), more brief?? - than the last one.

 

We are doing a complete home makeover so that we can put our house on the market.  Sound weird - I know - but in order for our house to sell at the price we want and for it to sell quickly we had to do some things ----- o.k. many things.  Once again we called on the Shipp Family Restoration Service and they came to the rescue.  Deb and Steve came out at different times and helped us immensely with things that needed done.  Seriously, I can never thank them enough for their help.  Our plan is to get it on the market in August or September.

 

The kids are great - great at spending most of the summer doing nothing!    School starts in a month and they'll be in 11th, 8th and 6th grades respectively.  Doug and I work away at our jobs and the house.  Doug will be going back to school in December or so for a year to get his RN degree.  That's why were working to get our house going because then we can be in a new place and somewhat settled before he 'leaves us' for a year of school.

 

Our new church is growing.  We're so excited!  Katie actually has one per person in her S.S. class!  YEAH!!!!  The boys are really active in the youth group.  They took their first Wilderness Trip to Door County Wisconsin (many of you are thinking that Door County is far from wilderness, but when you put four boys together and one has never camped in his life - you have to start slow.)  They had a great time and all came back in pretty much one piece.

 

Well - that's it - I bet you're all relieved!  I'm going to give the Longest Letter Title back to Autumn.

 

Love to you all!

 

The Listers

 

 

Fall/Winter 2006

 

Hello Everyone!!

 

Well, it's a good thing Autumn did her usual extension because if I didn't get this in I'd never hear the end of it from my mom!  Thanks Autumn.  :-)

 

Things here have been changing by the week it seems.  O.k., probably not quite that fast, but some days it feels like it. 

 

Andy is in 10th grade at the high school and just finished up his first season of marching band for the Ankeny Hawks.  It was an incredible experience for all of us.  Mom and Dad learned how to shell out money at an amazing rate of speed and that volunteering to help the marching band each game ended up feeling like you just played an entire game of football.  For Grandma, Jarrod and Katie it meant going to the games, climbing up in the bleachers and then trying to get back down (an amazing feat) after the half-time performance.  But, most importantly, for Andy marching band meant early morning practices, evening practices, commitment, memorization, wet aching feet and teamwork.  Ankeny Marching Band is known statewide for its performances and the incoming sophomores have to grow up fast.  But he would tell you it was well worth it.  He's anxious to do it again next season.  If you want to see pictures and such go to … Toussaint Engineering presents Ankeny Bands

 

Jarrod is in the 7th grade and just finished his first play.  It was called 'Cactus Pass' and he played Ollie Scroggs.  He walked around the stage in these overalls that looked like they'd come out of a shredder and had to play a guy who was the local redneck bad guy along with his brother Orville.  It was really cute and the plot took an amazing twist at the end!!  So exciting.  He's still our resident scientist (yes, which means experiments) and social bug.  He and his friends from school are constantly becoming involved in something.  He plays percussion in the Parkview band and also became a part of

 

the Parkview Jazz Band this year so you'll find him drumming with imaginary sticks everywhere he goes. 

 

Katie is in 5th grade and actually enjoying it this year.  Last year, in 4th, she was trying to talk us into allowing her to quit school and she'd work at McDonalds and live with us forever.  Needless to say, we weren't too fond of the idea and thankfully 5th grade has dropped that idea out of her head.  She chose not to be a part of band.  She didn't like the early morning band rehearsals (doesn't like mornings just like her mom!!).  Instead she is going to become a part of the choir next year when she's in 6th and they offer an actual performing choir.  She is singing in Ankeny's Festival of Choirs for which she had to audition for.  It was her first time to audition for anything and she made that choir plus the opportunity to sing the National Anthem with some other children for Ankeny's Spirit Night.  This Festival is a big deal I guess with nicely printed invitations, a dessert buffet and sold out crowds.  She's looking forward to it.

 

Doug is working two jobs and going to school.  He's taking Microbiology, which is about ready to do him in, but he needs it to pursue his degree in Registered Nursing.    His jobs at UPS and Iowa Health Systems are going well and we're so thankful that he has two good jobs.  Half the time he doesn't know whether he's coming or going, but I don't think any of us would know what to do if he had it any different.  His schedule did change somewhat in that now he's home for dinner and for the evenings on most nights.  That was a HUGE adjustment for all of us - we can all give you our own testimonies on how that initially affected our lives :-).  But for once Dad can go to all the after school activities and conferences.  I tried to tell him that it was time for me to stay home and him to go for the next 5 years, but he didn't fall for that.

 

I am still the resident chief, cook and bottle washer (water bottles now).  ***And my family - quit laughing that I said 'cook'!!!*** I have also become a veterinarian (Sam, our dog has diabetes and has to have 2 insulin injections every day) and I am now a full-time employee outside the home.  I have quit working for Dr. Van Oort's as there were just not enough hours for me.  Since I was part-time, whenever he was out of the office I couldn't work.  It ended up that he was out of the office waaaay too much.  I thought I had an opportunity to have a full-time job here in Ankeny, but I kept hitting a brick wall - God kept closing that door.  I was so frustrated because I was just sure that the job here in Ankeny HAD to be the Lord's will for me. 

 

I kept trying to push that door back open until one day when my mom got a letter from the place where she purchased her hearing aid.  They had sent a letter out to all their clients asking if they knew of anyone who would be interested in a full-time position in their front office.  I was hesitant because its in Des Moines, but I thought I'd send my resume in and see what happened.  I e-mailed it and didn't hear anything for over a week so I decided I'd e-mail the gentleman I had sent it to and ask about the process.  He wrote right back and said that he'd been having problems with his computer and didn't get my resume.  Would I please send it to him via snail-mail.  I did and within 3 days of me sending it he was on the phone with me setting up an interview.  The rest just flew.  Talk about those doors flying open!!  Within 2 weeks tops that I had sent my resume - I was hired.  They had been without a person for the front office since last March and had been getting by with temps because they couldn't find the right person.  They received over 400 applications, but God was holding it for me.  I am so thankful. 

 

I now work for Woodard Hearing Aid Center in Des Moines.  It's a small office with 3 audiologists and they also have 12 satellite clinics around Iowa.  My boss, Paul Woodard, is very family-oriented and made sure that my hours didn't conflict with family.  He had me start at 8:30 every day so that I can get my kids to school in the morning.  It's only a 20-minute drive from Ankeny so I can drop the kids off - get coffee and be on the road.  Doug is home during the day and when they get home from school and G-ma's on duty on Wednesdays - so it works out wonderfully. 

 

Another big change for our family is that we switched churches.  We left Saylorville Baptist, after going there for about 25 years, and went over to a new start here in Ankeny called Community Baptist Church.  We started there on October 1st, which was the first time they met on a Sunday. (They'd been meeting on Wednesday nights for about 2 months prior to starting Sundays.)  As soon as we walked in the door we knew we'd found our new church home.  So far, we've averaged about 30 people on a Sunday morning.  We meet in a school on the Northeast side of Ankeny.  The youth group has 4 teens in it, two of them being my boys.  I thought it would be a struggle for my kids to leave a huge youth group and all their activities, but Andy was actually the one who sat down with Doug and said, 'Dad, we all love this church.  Just because you've gone to Saylorville for 25 years doesn't mean that we should stay there.  It's time we moved on and joined Community'.  I was shocked!  But Doug sat down that night and sent a letter to Saylorville asking that we be dropped from the membership.  We absolutely LOVE our new family.  And as a new church start, we've had to all do our part going door to door letting people know of our church.  Talk about stepping outside of our comfort zone.  But we were all there to participate and had some great contacts. 

 

O.k. now you all slap yourselves and come alive from reading this novel.  I'm sorry that this went on so long, but since I missed the last family letter - I'm allowed extra space?!?  You can blame my mom too - she made me do this.  (Love you mom.)

 

We have so very much to be thankful for as the Fowler family this season don't we?  Some of us have had, or are having, health issues and other life-altering situations, but we have a family that keeps in touch and prays for each other.  Many people do not have that blessing.  I hope all of you have a wonderful Holiday Season and we will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.

 

Love, The Listers

 

 

Spring/Summer 2006

 

None

 

Fall/Winter 2005

 

 

Hi Fowler Family!

 

We neglected to send in an update for the last letter so I thought I should get one in for this letter.  I know that all of you have been beside yourselves with anticipation for the Lister update.  :-)

 

I won't begin to go into everything that has been going on for the last 8 months or so - but suffice it to say we're seeing an end to the madness and life should be returning to somewhat of a normal rhythm.  It seems many of this family have had a tough year, but God's good isn't He!

 

Andy, Jarrod and Katie are all doing great in school.  They're in 9th, 6th and 4th respectively.  This year they're all in different schools in the Ankeny area so it keeps the Lister Shuttle Service hopping.  Andy has his driving permit so we live in fear daily for our lives as he drives!!  Nooooooo.  Actually he does very, very well.  Even Grandma lets him drive with her. 

 

Doug is still at both jobs - UPS and Iowa Lutheran.  He's going to be taking a class starting in January that will work toward his RN degree plus give him the credits to keep his LPN license updated.  Between the class and two jobs we'll see Dad even less than usual, but it has to be done and we're thankful that his hospital job is flexible with scheduling to allow him to take this class.

 

We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  There is so very much to be thankful for!  We wish you all a merry Christmas also.  We're looking forward to hearing about all of you.

 

Love, The Listers

 

 

Spring/Summer 2005

 

None

 

Fall/Winter 2004

 

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

 

 

Spring/Summer 2004

 

None

 

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