Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2010!

As usual, we are late getting out our Christmas cards, but until they all arrive, here is our annual letter with this wish:

May the world’s Hope for

Peace, Love, and Joy

during the holiday season

last throughout the New Year!


(Our annual letter will open if you click on this posting's headline.)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

We drove up in a little bit of rain and slush, but the real snow began to fall yesterday afternoon and we woke up to a bit of blue sky with snow on the ground. And now it is definitely snowing! I'm happy to know that we will most definitely have a white Christmas while we're up here at Sam & Jenn's. It is the perfect place to rest, relax, enjoy our family, AND ski whenever we want!

Alternative Christmas Gift Giving

Last Sunday's annual Alternative Christmas Faire was another successful time of raising money for others - while honoring friends and family with gift cards explaining what project had been supported. It is not too late to buy alternative gifts - just use the links to the instruction sheet and "shopping list", then email me to arrange exchange of a check for a gift card.

Snow Returns to Ventura!

It's that time of year again . . . winter is on its way! We got .7" of rain in our back yard and the local mountains got lots of snow. I love more than anything to see snow on topa Topa, with Ventura's Two Trees surrounded by snow-covered mountains!

So Much For Which To Be Thankful

What a great Thanksgiving weekend we just had! It was full of good times, memorable images, and many firsts. Sam and Jenn came down to spend a few days with us and traveled to Costa Mesa for Thanksgiving dinner at April & Lindsay's - it was the biggest family gathering ever! Tom and I endured a wet and windy trip across the SB Channel to hike on Santa Cruz Island for the first time - what beautiful island views! I had to work on Saturday but it was nice that some of my Teen Council members could come and decorate the library in the afternoon. After a good First Sunday in Advent worship service, we had our first blocking session for Amahl and the Night Visitors and then went to the parsonage where we had a fun baby shower for Jacob and Heather and got to see how Mary has decorated her new home. I finished the four-day period with a nice long Sunday afternoon nap. (photos to follow)