What else can I say?  I guess I can't really maintain two social networks, although I will check here now and then. 

Let's see.  In the past six months, since returning from Wisconsin, I have installed a totally new kitchen in my house (not me personally, but you know what I mean) have been to Europe for a River Cruise on the Danube with my husband, Fought many fires on the family front and have leaned on Jesus a lot!   But really, things are fine here now.  Mom and dad are living 20 mintues down the road until January 1.  They got here just in time for Thanksgiving after dad's 3 month drama with his gall bladder.  Read my mom's blog for those details!  Can I post my Christmas letter here?  That would summarize the hightlights!

Christmas 2009

Dave and I just finished performing in three productions of “A Baby Changes Everything”, an imaginative account of people who might have been at that inn 2000+ years ago when the savior of the world arrived as a baby. That got me to thinking about how that baby has changed our world and my life. I pray that God would use me and my family to further his kingdom and to make this world a better place to live in.

This year was fairly typical. No major birthdays or births. Skyler had his first birthday, celebrated with style and chocolate cake, on July 7. Kaden turned 3 on May 16 and is now in preschool. Both boys think that the world revolves around their babop (Dave, aka grandpa, although not often). So when Dave’s around I cease to exist. It’s OK though. I get them to myself during the week!

No changes in Dave’s work. He’s continuing his research at the Radiation Laboratory at Notre Dame. I no longer substitute, due to a lot of things, not the least of which is the need for me to be available to those aforementioned wonderful grandsons! Ken continues at Toys R Us and is actively looking for something more lucrative since he now has a serious girlfriend. We call her the motivator, although not to her face.

Michelle has worked almost a full year at Bed, Bath and Beyond and enjoys that. Sam continues his employment as a brick mason. So life continues.

Dave and I enjoyed the trip of a lifetime when we cruised the Danube River in early September. Now that’s the way to travel, unpack once and forget about it. Have all your gourmet meals prepared and waiting, eating with a different group of interesting people each meal and having English speaking tour guides at each port. We began in Passau, Germany and visited Salzburg, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, ending in Budapest. Wonderful!

I hope each of you enjoys a peace-filled wonder-filled Christmas with those you hold most dear!