HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014

I had a lovely Thanksgiving (3 weeks) with my sons and their wives and children in Texas. I especially enjoyed spending time with Audrey (8), Roman (5) and Ryan (6 weeks). They sure grow up quickly and are doing so well with home schooling. I am continued to be amazed by how well Adam and Kyle can cook. Of course Pam's gumbo was up to it's delightfully high standard. Adam and I did a few repairs for her during this visit. I also visited my old friend Lynda in Centerville, again.  Then I spent Christmas here in Kansas City with my twin brother and two sisters and their families. Last night we capped off the holiday season with a fun night at my house with my brother, sisters and brother-in-laws. It was a great way to end the year and begin a new one. I used my computer and projector to show them old family pictures that I had recently scanner and digitized. Then I showed them my pictures of Tanzania for this year, including my son Adam’s visit and our Serengeti animal photo’s which are always fun.

That was just the beginning. We then ate a delicious gumbo made by my brother-in-law, Phillip, and some super beers and wine while watching Texas A&M come from behind to defeat a very good Duke team. We finished off the evening with a movie on the DVD. It was just nice to be with family, even though we are together almost every week-end. With several visiting family members we have gotten out of our normal dining routine.

This past month has been a little more challenging than usual due to health issue as we all get into our late 60’s. This will only increase in January with medical treatment starting for my brother and one sister. Janice will be having back surgery in mid Jan and Jim will be having out-patient surgery soon to install a fistula & enable dialysis for his failing kidneys. Fortunately, I passed my two physical exams which will allow me to return to mission work at Kowak in Tanzania, God willing. The heart doctor said I can delay my valve and aneurysm surgery another year and my cancer doctor said the cancer has not returned since I finished chemo 3 years ago. I had originally planned to return to Tanzania in late May after my birthday with family, but that return will now be delayed until we see how my brother is affected by the dialysis.

The year is really starting out nicely for my two sons. They have both been blessed in December. Adam finally found a job after many months of looking and Kyle and his wife and new baby will be moving to Atlanta in a few weeks to start his new job with eVestment, a small investment software company in Marietta where Chrystal’s parent live. I will see them all again in late February for the wedding in Texas. In early Feb I will be visiting my friend Rose in Miami for 10 days of fun in the sun. I think we will visit some Tanzanian sisters in Key West that we met in my visit last year to Miami.