2013 Christmas letter

Merry Christmas.

We are looking forward to our Christmas celebrations. Yes, more than one get together. That’s one advantage of having our kids and grandkids live so close by. We often talk about how thankful we are to have our family so close that we do things with them every week. Maybe that’s kind of like the joy of heaven.

We’ve had a great year. It was probably our most extensive travel year ever. In late January we spent over a week in Anza Borrego and Phoenix. In May, we were gone almost 2 weeks in southern Utah visiting Zion and Canyonlands before returning to Lake Tahoe for a couple of days with Karen’s brother, Jim. In June, we were back in the eastern Sierra (love that place) for a few days followed by a quick geocaching trip to Nephi, UT and a stop at Great Basin National Park. In July, we traveled to Yellowstone for a couple of days and then a week in the Teton Valley exploring the Grand Tetons. From there we went to Sisters, OR for another week in one of our favorite places for hiking and biking. In August, we spent our annual whole family vacation in the Lassen area. And finally, in September we spent a couple of days in the Portland area followed by a week staying in Anacortes and exploring the San Juan Islands.

“…the angel said to them, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” May you know that joy and find happiness in all your activities in the new year.