Family Christmas Letter

Since many of you readers know or know of my family I thought I'd post my family Christmas letter, this year written by my mom, enjoy!

December 15, 2007

Open your presents at Christmastime but be thankful year round for the gifts you receive.

~Lorinda Ruth Lowen

Another year disappears into the mists of time, and as I reflect on 2007, it is time that seems more precious and less available, given the demands of everyday life.

Ralph and I are beginning to explore roads we haven’t travelled for some time. We journeyed to Portland over spring break and meandered along the Oregon coast, watching the waves pound the coastline as the rain beat on the car windows. In the summer we spent several days in the Okanagan playing some golf on nine hole courses and discovering why tee times were amazingly easy to get in the afternoon (30+ degrees seems to keep some people inside). We also visited over two dozen wineries from Osoyoos to Vernon and stayed in 3 delightful bed and breakfast establishments. The van returned to the coast laden with several boxes of wine which we are enjoying over the winter months.

Ralph has entered the realm of the retired but is busy catching up on things that just didn’t get done when he was travelling for 70% of the time. He is continuing to expand his knowledge of photography which began over 44 years ago, thanks to Uncle Lee, and has joined the Vancouver Photo Club. He celebrated his 60^th birthday in July with family and friends and was genuinely surprised as his family managed to keep a secret.

While school still demands most of my time and makes balance between work and home life an elusive goal, the smiles and hugs of children do help to wash the worries away. Volunteer work at church, visits with friends, and the occasional golf game (still an evolving skill!) provide welcome outlets.

Kristen is now living in Pass Lake, ON, as an intern pastor in a Lutheran congregation. The community, Danish in origin, pop. 400, is about an hour and a half east of Thunder Bay and the congregation of Salem Lutheran Church is part of a 3 point parish of her supervisor who lives in Thunder Bay. You can view photos, follow her adventures and send her messages via her blog: http://canadianlutheranchick.blogspot.com/. She completes her year there in August and returns to seminary in Saskatoon to complete the last semester of her studies before seeking a parish to serve as a pastor. Writing sermons, working with children through Kids’ Club (an intrinsic part of community life), and exploring family genealogy are occupying her time. God and weather willing, she will be in

Richmond for Christmas this year since her little church in Pass Lake does not have a Christmas Day service as tradition and travel dictate that families are together on Christmas Day.

Jennifer (aka Dr. Steele) is now teaching economics and engaging in research as an assistant professor at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. She too is experiencing life in a smaller community, as Pullman is a university town in a farming community. Ralph and I drove down to help her set up her rented duplex and were fascinated to observe combines tracking along hillsides at a steep angle harvesting wheat and lentils. For those of us used to picturing seas of wheat waving on the prairie flats, it was a novel site to see wheat waving above the trees that grew along the roads below. Jennifer too will be here for Christmas, together with Tim who has returned from New Zealand. They spent American Thanksgiving in Montana with Tim’s parents and Jennifer has also travelled to Las Vegas for a bachelorette party for a rowing friend. She will be attending a conference in New Orleans in January so continues to find ways to combine travel with work commitments.

David is still working with a local construction firm building houses and has completed level 3 of the Red Seal program in carpentry at BCIT this year. He returns for the last six week component in February and then just has to complete his apprenticeship hours. His skills have been put to use installing hardwood flooring and moulding in bedrooms upstairs. He is looking forward to a snowboarding trip in January with friends and continues to spend time with Jessie who is completing her Bachelor’s degree.

Ryan is working for Aquiform, a pool and spa supply wholesale distributor. He is now faced with the prospect of driving to Langley to work since the company has just relocated there. He is always active, playing soccer and travelling with friends on weekends and in the summer and spending time with Jodi.

The grandmothers continue to live near us and we visit them as much as we are able. Evelyn enjoys all her friends and activities at Dogwood Lodge. Audrey continues to reside at Inglewood Lodge not far from her much loved apartment in West Vancouver.

We wish you time to treasure the most valuable gifts of Christmas-the presence of loved ones and the peace of the season.

Ralph, Marilyn, Kristen, Jennifer, David, and Ryan