Christmas Letter 2019

I started this letter early enough to send with our family pictures, which I had picked up from Costco the first week of December, but as I attempted to get it done in time to mail out before Christmas, it became obvious that it was not going to happen.  The envelopes were finally addressed two weeks after Christmas and pictures were mailed without the letter, which I decided would just become a blog post.... hopefully getting finished before the end of January. But February works, too.

 

 

 December 19, 2019

I've been having a hard time figuring out how to recap our year... I was going to write The Letter on my flight home from Ontario last week, but I got lost on Memory Lane as I went through a year's worth of pictures on my phone to see what we did, and before I knew it I was in Eugene, Oregon!

... Now I'm sitting here at Beaver Sports Medicine, waiting for Justin to come out of surgery.  He hurt  his knee at a trampoline park last month, so they are in there doing PCL reconstruction and  meniscectomy.   (If you want all the surgery details, you can find one to watch on youtube,... he watched it a couple weeks post op and can't believe he slept through it!)

I guess these first two paragraphs sum up our year, traveling and sports!

But even more than that, this family LOVES babies!  We are so excited to welcome two littles this year, Gianna Noelle Lichti, on January 11, and Aeson Jayd Byler, on August 28.  Also, Micah and Carissa started their foster parenting journey!  They had a newborn, Maria, for about a month, and after Thanksgiving they took in a seven month old baby, Julian!

We do love having Peter and Brianna and their six children living close by, its such a gift to keep the children while mommy and daddy go on a date or mommy goes shopping.  Peter is a great asset in the cabinet shop, and we also benefit when he experiments with different recipes in his meat smokers!  Byler's Custom Smoking did several events this year, give them a call if you want some good food!!

In October, we took cabinets to Virginia for Steven and Jenna's new house.  We are so thankful for the opportunity to be there and spend some time with them and their four children, can hardly believe our oldest grandchild is 11 years old!  Steven took the guys catfishing one day, and another day Jenna and I had some mother daughter time over lunch and shopping for the house!  Also, we were reminded again how many miles and hours there are between Virginia and Oregon!!

Brian and I went to Canada to meet baby Gianna and make memories with her four big brothers!  Brian put cabinets in the storefront at Impressions Coffee House and Bakery, which opened this fall.  If you don't follow them on Instagram, you should, their food looks as good as it tastes!  I got to experience it for myself a couple weeks ago when I made a grandma visit!  I'm not sure which is better, a cream puff or a peanut butter fry pie! Anyway, we decorated for Christmas and did a little shopping in that frosty freezing winter air.. great times, we may have to visit in December every year when they cant make it to Oregon for Christmas!!

Micah and Carissa moved this spring, closer to the church they attend in Ephrata, very close actually, on the same block! They're active in their church, helping with Kids Club and other events.  Micah sells lots and lots of tires for Bergey Tire as an outside salesman, and Carissa babysits a little boy several afternoons a week.  We are looking forward to them being here for Christmas and meeting little Julian!  (He is such a little charmer, we  love him!)

Davie and Camille also moved this year, to OREGON!!  They bought a house a few miles south of Brownsville that needed extensive remodeling and lived here in our apartment for several months until it was ready. I should say they lived here between taking many necessary trips back to PA!!   Davie has an office here at the shop so he's often in for lunch.  Camille works part time at the new school in Brownsville, Pioneer Christian Academy, doing secretarial work and teaching Reading and Phonics to second graders. 

I think Janelle may have taken even more trips than Davie and Camille, she made it a goal to go somewhere at least once a month.  In August she started dating a great guy. Justin Graybill, from PA. giving her even more opportunity to travel.  She's took on the challenge of teaching at PCA in Brownsville, after being asked to teach at various places over the past few years.  She has nine third and fourth grade students, and after substituting for her, I can tell she is doing a great job!!

Joel went to SMBI in January for two terms, then on a three week tour to Mexico.  It was a great experience for him, as SMBI always is!! When he came home, he went back to work for Zehr's Construction, which he enjoys most of the time.  He likes to work on his truck, and if he can't figure something out, there's always a you tube tutorial, right?  He and his brothers all bought dirt bikes, which the mom is not as excited about as they are!

Initially we were told Justin would be taking a year off from sports with this PCL surgery, but then another doctor says 4-6 months, so we will see.  It's one of those times you can't help wondering, Why? yet at the same time we trust our Father, knowing He will make all things work together for good.  His basketball coach still wants him to be part of the team, so he sits on the bench at the games.  This summer he drove a stacker for a baling crew and really enjoyed it.  He also loves to go hunting and took every chance he had to go roaming in the woods this fall.

Brandon is now permitted to drive (aced the test) and became a bass singer basically overnight.  and when did he get so tall anyway?  I hardly recognize this guy out on the basketball court, sometimes I have to look twice!!  He's an avid reader and keeps us entertained with his original punny jokes.

Our children planned a surprise 40th anniversary celebration for us in September, what a wonderful party!!!  Thank you to the many who came to share the special time with us, we do treasure you all!
Brian has been as busy as ever building cabinets and it doesn't look like it will slow down anytime soon!  Sometimes the schedule looks impossible, but God always gives strength as we take it one day at time. 
I try to keep busy enough to be distracted from this constant nerve pain, but not so busy that my back doesn't complain!  I am very thankful for life and strength to do what needs to be done.  Someone suggested the word "restoration' for the year 2020, so I am praying for that, and looking forward to seeing how God works in restoring different areas of our lives!!

It's been so amazing to watch how God is working in each of our families!  We know we are so blessed with this life we have been given, and the life that is to come!  I pray that every one who reads this will recognize the first Christmas Gift, Jesus, God's only Son, and receive the gift of eternal life that comes only through Him. 

With love,
Brian and Hope and family