We wish you all a Joyful Christmas. What a glorious time of the year.  We are still adjusting to Wayne’s retirement … our next big change will be in down sizing our home … our new home will be one story with the kitchen, master bedroom, and laundry room on the first floor.

Camille still works for Bill and Sarah supporting their souvenir business.  Wayne volunteered  as an AARP Tax-Aide counselor and made two trips to the Pine Ridge Reservation with St Andrews Episcopal Church.  We both worked on the Tri-Faith Dinner Under Abraham’s Tent at the Qwest Center last spring.  Wayne also continues to play bass with the Prairie Rose Ensemble, our big gig is under the Christmas tree at the Durham Museum in Omaha.

There was plenty of travel in 2009.

• Wayne spent time in Billings cleaning out Mom and Dad’s home … Greg carried the heavy weight here and he sold the house in 4 hours.
• Visited Charles & Megan in St Louis.
• We drove to Oregon and Washington in June.  Ian graduated. We visited cousins, showed  Mom albums of old pictures, visited Shelley, Julie, Greg, and families.
• We traveled to Oklahoma City for Wayne to play in the U.S. Tennis Assoc sectionals.
• We rented a cabin on the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior for a week in September.
• Both of us were on the Nebraska Episcopal Cursillo team in Halsey and we continue to be involved at St Andrews’ Episcopal Church.

Andrew finished his Masters thesis at Ohio State in June and is now officially a PhD student.  Charles continues to work at Essex Industries in St. Louis.  Megan and Charles took a vacation to Yellowstone (link to more pictures) and a recent trip to Phoenix and the Grand Canyon.

So we hope all our friends have a warm and joyous Christmas season.

So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.  While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.  There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”  At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.
from the 2nd chapter of Luke