Lives More Temporary Than Our Own



Buddy being held by Nonna Chin in Montana this past summer

It's been just a few weeks since we said goodbye to our Buddy-dog.  He would have been 17-years-old this coming December, and we were amazed at the many, many years we had with him.  Dave and I got him when were engaged.  Dave had never had a dog, and I agreed to show him the ropes...so he and Buddy shared the Bachelor Pad in South Pasadena until I moved in after we got married.

We got Buddy when he was only 7 weeks old - drove on over to Downey to a breeder and picked the little guy out of a cute litter of mini-dachshunds.  He was actually the runt of the litter, and in order to ensure he had what it took to survive, the breeder set him apart from his mom and siblings.  Buddy, with all his spunk and character, made his way back to his momma, pushed his siblings aside, and got his meals at the front of the line!  We liked that about him! The breeders had named him "Tiny Tim" because of his size, but boy, that little guy had heart!

He quickly became spoiled.  That's what you do with a cuddly little floppy-eared dachshund!  We tried the whole "crate" thing, but that sweet pup pretty much ended up sleeping in between us for all of our 16 years of marriage.  Like all dachshunds, he was a cuddler and a burrower - he loved being warm and under the covers.  He loved to run up and down our street in South Pasadena and drink from the sprinklers.  He weathered our move to Texas with ease and ended up living in six different houses with us when all was said and done.  He loved laying in the sun, perching on the back of our couch, sitting up for treats, barking at big dogs as if he could take them on and win, ripping open packages on Christmas morning, giving kisses in the mornings to get Dave to get up and take him out, and eating chunks of apple (Granny Smith preferred, no skin).



Buddy and Brooks last Christmas

For those of you that know us well, that little guy was so much a part of our family I heard many times - "It's hard to think of the Quans without Buddy!"  And, you were right... he went everywhere with us... summer vacations in Montana, Seattle, California, South Carolina...  He flew on planes with us, drove on long road trips with us and walked all over many a neighborhood.  He was included in every Christmas card or letter... in family pictures... He was our first "baby."  For so many years, when we couldn't have a baby, he was our baby!  That little guy somehow eased the ache of longing for children just with his presence and his unconditional love (well, there were a few conditions, but mostly they involved treats).

And when Nate came along, the center of our universe really shifted.  Buddy never missed a beat.  He loved the little boy that moved into his territory - kissing him, playing with him.  He couldn't stand to hear Nate cry and insisted we go down the hall to Nate's room the moment there was even a sound.  Those two have shared a lot of sweet memories through the years.

In those final days our sweet little baby dog wouldn't sleep with us.  He was uncomfortable, blind and hurting.  He wandered aimlessly and cried and cried.  It broke our hearts... and it broke our hearts to say goodbye to this little piece of God's creation who had loved us so well and we loved tremendously. 



Buddy looking out over the Yellowstone River, 2007

It's been so strange... so much quieter.  Going to bed is not the same... not without that little puppy curled up next to me under the blankets.  We've all cried quite a bit - because for the last 17 years he was such a part of our everyday.  Faithful, loving, annoying, cute... company when we were a little lonely, comfort when we were a little sad, funny when we were in the midst of a busy day...  how amazing that a little dog could bring so much to our family.

We were given a poem when he passed away that summed it up in such a beautiful way - the love we had for our Buddy-dog:

"We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached.  Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would live no other way.  We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan..."   -Irving Townsend.

I think the only thing I disagree with there is the notion that memory is the only certain immortality.  My faith has led me to believe something different.   As with all loss, I have again tasted a bit of the longing for a whole and perfect creation that will one day come when all of creation is redeemed.  And, somehow, I know that every animal we've loved fits into that redemption story... 

Rachel for the Quan Clan

Dave Quan - 50 Years Young

Johnsons, Kankelfritzes, Quans & Myers

I cannot believe I am married to a 50-year-old man.  First of all, he doesn't look a day over 30.  In fact, he looks the same as he did when we first started dating.  Except for a few gray hairs that have snuck in over the years (most likely due to being married to a crazy woman), his waistline is actually SMALLER than it was the day we got married and people still mistake him for a college kid sometimes (depending on what he's wearing).  Throughout our 16 years of marriage, his looks have stayed the same...it's his heart that his grown...

Mike Lin & Dave - Air Guitar @ the party

In spite of his timeless look, I am grateful for a man who has weathered 50 years with grace, humility, a special maturity and a deep, deep kindness.  And, I would venture to say that anyone else who has met him would say the same thing.  He is wise.  He is kind.  He is calm.  He is giving.  He is loving.  As we celebrated his half century of life last weekend, I was struck by something our dear friend Alan Stewart said - he said, "It really is amazing to see the layers of friendships and relationships Dave has."  And, that, I know, is because of who Dave is - how his countenance puts people at ease, how his easy-going way of talking to people opens doors and hearts and suddenly folks are telling him their whole life story in but a few minutes, how the depth of his convictions and his faith get people to look at things through a different lens.

Dave, Al Lee & Randy Wong

We had friends and family who flew in from far away places to celebrate Dave's life and it was wonderful.  We celebrated who he is and we expressed our love for him and our gratefulness for his presence in our lives.  As we watched a video that took us from his childhood to today, I was struck by all the ways he is connected to people.  I was struck by how he and our son, Nate, are tied at the hip - closer than close.  He is the most amazing father and I am blown away by the depth of his love for his child and the way he fathers Nate, loves Nate, guides Nate and gives Nate the security and grounding that he needs.  I was struck by all the years of life I've shared with this man and the ways he's given to me - his constant care, his encouragement of my life and career and my calling, the fact that we don't have "roles" in our family - that my opinions and my passions are heard and respected - that it is his desire to see me happy and whole and healthy.  Whether it's cooking dinner because he got home first (or I'm laying on the couch, exhausted), or he's coaching Little League or he's running to the drycleaners because I need my Power Suit... he doesn't complain (usually :)) - he just serves.  I've never known any husband who has served their wives the way that Dave serves me.  And, all you "manly men" out there can call that what you want - but I am telling you - it's what every woman wishes and hopes for and oft times doesn't get.  It's what makes him stand out against all the other husbands out there (and many of my girlfriends would agree on this).

Dave and his evill "twin brother - Gi-ard"

Mind you, he isn't perfect.  One should not ask Dave to fix a broken pipe or repair a light fixture.  One should not ask him to balance their checkbook (that is why we have a family bookkeeper, I kid you not).  One should not expect him to be on-time (believe me, I have tried everything).  One should not expect him to stay awake during a sermon, no matter how good the sermon is.  But - these are not horribly important things at the end of the day. :)  No one is perfect... most especially not the woman writing this blog.

The party was a blast and we enjoyed seeing all of our "layers" of friends - old friends, new friends, friends from college, friends from church, friends from work, friends from all over the place.   We had a great time at St. Arnold's - drinking the brew, reminiscing, watching our friend Johnny Myers go all out in the caricature department... It was so much fun!  It was a special tribute and a special time...

Dave & Rach with Bill & Donna Kallmeyer

So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVE!  Nate and I are grateful for who you are and how you love us!  And, many, many friends celebrate this is as well!!!  To watch the video from Dave's celebration, click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-hcyUmxQQQ

No Place in the World Like this Place

Montana Rainbow

So, here I am.  Sitting in the sunroom off the porch of our Montana rental home, looking at a wide-open blue sky and Emigrant Peak (part of the Absaroka Mtn Range in the Paradise Valley).  It's our last day before we pack up and head back tomorrow and we could not be more sad.

First, there is no place in the world like this place.  Mind you, I haven't been to all the places in the world that could compete - every place has its beauty (even Houston), but this is the place we come to year after year after year - the place where we are amazed at the expanse of blue sky over our heads, the clear water of the Yellowstone River that runs through this valley, the cool breezes, the amazing afternoon thunderstorms that produce double rainbows.  We've been to many, many places - but this place - it just takes my breath away in a way that no other place has yet.  I think everyone I know has a place like this - it might not be Montana, but I'm sure there are places that many folks go to that have the same effect on them as this place has on me.

Nate splashing around in the Yellowstone River

Secondly, we have found that as much as we love our hometown of Houston, Texas - if we don't get out of the heat and humidity for a portion of time in the midst of the summer, we are miserable.  And you can't beat the 40-50 degree temps in the evenings - and the lack of humidity even when it's 85 degrees in the afternoon.  That, plus a dip in the glacier and snow-pack melted Yellowstone river keep us cool in a way that even air conditioning cannot in Houston.  It does something for our spirits.  It gets us to the fall when things cool down in Texas.  Until you've run 3 miles in July in Houston, you really can't appreciate the gorgeous summer weather in Montana.  This respite helps us finish our summer back home without feeling like we'll melt away any minute.

Third, I have to say I'm still a Western girl at heart.  I like the West.  I like the fishing here (or rather, I like watching my family fish here while I sit and encourage them from the banks of the river).  I like the horses.  I like that we got to spend time with my parents' good friends who have run a cattle ranch near the Beaverhead for several generations now.  Not that I want to start herding cattle, mind you, but I like the fact that we know some folks who have a relationship with their land in a way we do not in the city.  Land is precious to them because of the family and hard work it represents here.  Land is merely an investment and commodity for those of us who are urbanites.  There's a respect and kinship with land in this state that is not the same for those of us who buy townhouses in the city.  I am sure I have a romanticized picture of what life is like in the West, but dang...  I'll keep it.  It takes me back to my childhood when me and my Grandpa Field used to swap Louis L'Amour books while camping and fishing next to Deer Creek in Northern California.  This place reminds me of those stories... so I'll take it.

Fourth, I am not a tourist.  Never have been, never will be.  Please do not put me on a tour bus and take me to see 20 different things in 10 days.  I would die.  That's not relaxation  - that's overwhelming.  I'm just not wired that way.  I need a home base where I can soak in all the local flavor, surroundings and beauty and I'll wander out on my own to explore.  More than anything, give me one place where I can BE instead of feeling like I have to DO something constantly.  Being a "tourist" in the literal sense makes me think of a Chevy Chase "Vacation" movie.  I just can't do it.  I want to hear the river run by me and watch the clouds float overhead all afternoon.  I want to enjoy seeing Nate catch a fish or float down the river or play Boggle on our vacation home deck in the evenings -  not place him in front of historic sites and take a picture so he can claim he's "been there and done that."  Not that we won't someday... just not this summer (or next...). :)

Brooks oversees her Montana Domain

Finally - I love that the people around me love this place as much as I do.  I love sharing it with people for the first time (like our niece, Katherine, who came to join us this summer).  I love that our dog, Brooks, (who by the way, herded cattle on the Montana Ranch with my parents' friends for a few years) loves this place.  I love to watch her run up and down the banks of the river, like a wild animal, romping around in the tall grass and sunning herself on our deck - that kind of freedom just doesn't exist in the city.  She always has to be on a leash or in our backyard.  She was built for open spaces - and in many ways, so are we.

For us - this is what vacation is all about - a little romanticized, beautiful surroundings, building relationships with our family and friends who come to share it with us, running wild in wide open spaces... We've already started planning next summer - same place.  Oh yes, we'll go other places in the world as our lives take us to various locations for work or fun.  We always do.  But, this particular place... there's no place like it and we just keep coming back.

We're headed home - and I am grateful for home in Houston.  But, this little spot on earth... it's become home too.  Of course, I've never spent a winter here.  In that case, I'll take Houston as home in the winter months! :)

-Rachel for the Quan Clan

When you say you're "busy" what do you REALLY mean?

CAVEAT before you read this:  I am NOT perfect and I often use the word "busy" as the code word for anything but the true definition of "busy"... so read this through the lens of "Rachel totally is the pot calling the kettle black..."

Busy, busy, busy.

Our lives are busy.  Too busy.  Ridiculously busy.  Everyone I know says this.  "I'm sorry... I've been so busy that I haven't returned your call from 3 months ago..."  or "...let's just text instead of actually having a conversation, we're so busy..."

Have I been guilty of this?  You bet!  Have there been times in my life where I've been incredibly busy?  You bet!  I believe there are genuinely some busy times in life.  Take this week, for instance.   Staff is in town from Indianapolis and my schedule really is packed.  So "packed", that Dave will have to pack our family for vacation since we are leaving on Friday morning. So, I believe there are those moments and weeks in time where busy is a legitimate thing.  But, most of the time, I think it's bull.

I think saying that we're busy is really code for saying other things like:  "I am important.  If I weren't busy, I wouldn't be an important person and important people are busy people."  Or, it could be code for "I'm afraid of silence and solitude, so I'm just going to say that I'm really, really busy." Or, it could be code for saying "I don't want to work on relationships because I am too important to myself, so I'm sorry, I'm busy!"

And I'm guilty of using all of the codes I just wrote about.  But, I've learned a different way.  Thanks to my dear friends (aka "The Birds") Donna, Anne, Margaret and Martha, I have learned that I am just as valuable when I'm still, quiet and NOT busy as I am when I am legitimately busy.  And I have certainly learned that silence and solitude are required, all the more, when you are busy.

So, it's busy right now - and I mean that using the proper definition of "busy."  I have lists up the wazoo- lists for my meetings this week, lists for my menu in Montana, lists for Dave so he can pack us... but I am not "listing" anything this morning.  Nope.  I am engrossed in doing my most favorite "NOT BUSY" thing in the world.

First, I came downstairs in my PJs and I brewed my favorite Duncan Coffee - Butter Pecan (I go in waves of favorites, but this month, it's Butter Pecan).  Then I turned on our radio (an almost extinct form of media, these days) to NPR (which is 88.7 in my town) and then I pulled out the NY Times. When the coffee was done brewing and I poured my cup, I sat on the couch next to my dear sleeping 17-year-old dachshund and proceeded to READ.  Yes, that's a different thing in this day and age too - to read something and find pleasure in the gathering of new information, to be captured by an in-depth story about eco-systems and long-term effects of oil spills, as well as how those eco-systems are still strong and come back from devastation... to be impressed by a 14-year old girl who has spent her summer vacation growing an incredible garden via Community-supported-agriculture (and man, I'm hatching plans for Nate's next summer vacation - although it will have to look different since we don't have a half acre for him to till for our neighbor's salads, but I'll come up with something...and dang it, I'm going to make him read this story too).

Yes, it's Sunday morning and I could be busy at church.  I could go to church because that is what one is supposed to do on a Sunday morning in the South.  But, believe it or not, God is here with me today.  In my moment of solitude and reading, and now blogging (because writing feeds my soul), God is here and I am not busy.  I am BEING.  I am literally a HUMAN BEING.

I realized a few years ago, after working for an insane non-profit, that I could be busy - and that it was code for "I have to please the people I work for even though my family is dying for my attention."

Will I be busy?  Yes!  I guess I could honestly say I am busy now.  But, in the midst of many things to do, I have decided I am not going to use busy as code for anything else.  I need my Sunday morning, listening to NPR, reading about what's happening in the world and drinking my Butter Pecan Coffee.  Because if I'm going to make it through this week and get off on a much-anticipated vacation, I need to have a clear mind, a quiet soul and things other than myself to think on (like how two guys from the Clinton State Dept are using Twitter and Facebook for diplomatic purposes, or how a fragile eco-system has the ability to survive because that's how God made it...).

So join me!  Ditch the word "Busy" in favor of something else... like walking the dog (which is what Dave is doing right now... on the weekends he and Brooks head for the Bayou and sit on a park bench and just watch the people go by), or reading a book.  There is no such thing as "too busy."  Just people who don't know how to sit with themselves and God and know who they really are.  And, please, the next time you ask me "How are you?" and I reply "Busy" - ask me if that's really true or if it's code for something else.  Because, more than likely, I am probably slipping back into some bad definitions of the word and need someone to knock me upside the head...  seriously.  I am so guilty of the things I rant and rave about.

-Rachel for the Quan Family

How Time Flies...

It's bad when your last blog was JANUARY.  So much has happened in our little nest since then.  I will try and relay the various events in our lives in order:

Nate & Dave with Auntie Diane, Uncle Gil and Grandma Chin

FEBRUARY:  We enjoyed an incredible visit to the SF/Oakland Bay Area for Chinese New Year with Rachel's side of the family (the Chin Clan).  It was a treat to see Aunt Diane & Uncle Gil for the second time in just a few weeks (we were with them in New Orleans for our last blog post).  And, we loved being with Grandma Chin.  Highlights for Nate included a rousing game of Boggle late into the night with Diane and Gil, watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics on their gigantic television, and a special dinner with Grandma and Diane at Lake Chalet (which Nate liked to call "Lake Shall-et" with a Texas accent).

Grandma Chin & Rachel

MARCH:  The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and the Black Eyed Peas concert with Auntie Roxie was a huge highlight.  A BIG change for our family started the very last day of March.  Rachel accepted the position of Vice President of External Operations for the 2011 NCAA Houston Final Four.  She took a sabbatical from Mowalla and decided to take on the challenge, as did the rest of the family.  With a less flexible schedule, we had to get our "ducks in a row."  This included after-school arrangements for Nate, dog-walking for Brooks and more of Dave's cooking at home.  She hit the ground running on March 31st, flying to Indianapolis for the 2010 Final Four... she capped her 9 day trip with 3 days in Chicago to finish out some things for her MoPeeps - who she misses a great deal... however, we figured we could handle anything for a year...

Nate - First Place @ Mark Twain's Inventor's Showcase

And we were such proud parents when Nate won his school's Inventor's Showcase with an innovative idea - a Car Door Rain Canopy - a mechanism that, if invented, would have prevented his mother from getting soaked when she got in and out of a car in one of Houston's signature thunderstorms.

Go Defenders!  West U Little League

APRIL & MAY:  West University Little League took over our free time.  Dave coached, Nate played... and we spent many an evening or afternoon at the ball fields - yelling, cheering and hoping.  Although it was not the greatest record, we made it to the second round of the playoffs and then (thankfully) it was over.  Not that we wouldn't have been happy to go further, but we must admit, it had gotten fairly exhausting. :)


So...here we are in summer.  ..time is flying by - which is fine... because we are gearing up for two weeks of vacation in MONTANA - our favorite summer destination! We've rented a great house in the Paradise Valley and can hardly wait for the cooler weather, gorgeous mountain ranges off of the 1500 SF deck and fishing in the Yellowstone River.

We'll come back from our trip in time to celebrate Dave's 50th birthday!  Can you believe it???  He doesn't look a day over 30!

All this is to say that life changes quickly, time passes in the blink of an eye.  I am often thinking of the small baby that was placed in my arms in 2000, and realize that a decade of his life has gone by in a flash.  Our careers have changed and morphed and taken on new dimensions and challenges.  We've taken hold of the important things in life as Dave opened his own law practice, and after spinning like a wild woman for years as a workaholic, I decided to find balance the past two years...

Dear and special people have passed away - Dave's dad, one of his best friends, Glenn... my Grandpa Chin... a close family friend's 15-year-old son...

We don't know what life holds.  We don't know what tomorrow brings.  So, I find myself STOPPING more - to take in a moment, to be grateful, to just be present.  As I was going through the process of interviewing for the new job, I spent many hours at our family's favorite neighborhood park in the spring, finishing up a writing project and wondering what new things might be around the corner.  I had no idea it would be a job with college basketball... Nate had no idea he'd be an Inventor's Showcase winner... Dave didn't know he'd be cooking so much more :)... but here we are.

Today, my trainer, Kelly Duffy, finished my workout with me laying down, eyes closed for two minutes.  "Don't think about all the things you have to do today..." she ordered me (she obviously has come to know me well).  So, instead, I went to that place in my mind where I focus on the "being present" and revel in a moment - like when Nate's comment made Dave and I laugh hard last night, or thinking about all the special people in our lives as I addressed envelopes for Dave's birthday invitations.  At the end of the day, those are the things that define us...

It's taken me years to learn this - and I'm certain I missed so much - but glad I eventually learned how to STOP, take it all in... and count my blessings.


-Rachel for the Quan Family

Going for Broke: New Orleans, World War II and the 442nd

In order to fight the post-holiday blues, we planned a little trip to New Orleans as a family. This was inspired by my Aunt Diane and her husband, Gil, who were going to be in the Big Easy for a law professors conference. So, we packed up and drove on out in very cold weather...

Of course, the food was amazing... Acme Oyster House, Brennan's, The Upperline and Cafe Du Monde to name a few... we weren't short on good, rich and fattening food. And, the company was great. It was great to be with Diane and Gil, to catch up and to just share perspectives on life and everything in between.

And the National World War II Museum was really incredible. I was so glad to take Nate to it and to walk through all of the exhibits. He was very quiet, took it all in, and just now, some of the questions he has about that war and war in general are surfacing. The 35 minute movie they show in their theater was quite impressive as well. It felt like we were in the middle of it all - scary, sobering and the experiential nature of it lent itself to making it seem so real. The most memorable line from it was from a soldier writing about his experience... something like "nothing makes you a pacifist more quickly than being an infantryman..."

Sadly, there was one gaping hole in all of this. The only mention of the internment of the Japanese-Americans during WWII was in one sentence in a little area that dealt with the topic of minorities and women getting jobs in key factories, etc... because everyone's help was needed. Not one mention of it during the movie... not one mention of the 442nd (a unit of all Japanese-Americans fighting their way through Europe)...here were these incredible Americans who had had every civil liberty taken from them going off to fight for their country - and not once was this mentioned. This was the regiment that coined the phrase "Go for Broke!" The 442nd WAS THE MOST DECORATED REGIMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED SERVICES, with 21 Medal of Honor recipients... and NOT ONCE were they mentioned in the movie... and perhaps I missed something in the exhibit... but we went through every room and saw nothing about this. I was glad to see a whole section dedicated to the horrible racial stereotypes the government utilized against the Japanese race in their propoganda...

So... my assessment... go see it! It's well worth it and eye-opening, educational... I was so moved by the volunteers who staff the entry, the coat check, the various points along the way. They were all WWII vets and I was struck by how very soon this generation of Americans who served in this war will be gone. They experienced so much, and I don't want their experiences to be lost as time progresses - which is why the museum is so amazing and important. Having Nate see this was key. The media, the kids he goes to school with - they all glorify war. I wanted him to see how horrific it is when humans have to solve their problems in this way - how much death and sacrifice takes place in war... it isn't anything to glorify.

So, I'm off my soapbox... if you want to know more about the museum, click here http://www.nationalww2museum.org/. To learn more about the 442nd, click here http://www.the442.org/ and here http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/nisei/index3_442nd.html and here: http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210341/442nd/splash442nd.htm. Go for Broke!

The Holidays are Over...welcoming 2010

It's been quite the holiday season in our home... all of the traditional things we do in addition to lots and lots of family, friends and activities. And yet, there's been plenty of time for reflection. Some of our highlights include:

• Having ALL of my (Rachel's) immediate family under one roof for Christmas this year. It has been seven years since my sister, my parents and my little family of three have been together for Christmas. We are so spread out geographically, it's hard for everyone to always be together for this special time - but we all made it happen this year. My parents came on the 20th and Auntie Becky & Auntie Fran (pictures above) rolled in on the 23rd. It was hard to say goodbye to my sister as she and Fran headed back to New York on Monday the 28th...and Nate is already mourning my parents' departure this coming Wednesday, the 6th. I cooked, cooked, cooked with my sister, we celebrated THREE birthdays at Ousie's and played Wii like crazy (Nate FINALLY got one after many years of hoping. He'd showed us how responsible he could be with the limited DS time he got, and so we caved... but we've all been having fun playing it together)... you can see the little video from Christmas morning of him opening his gift, below...




• Our traditional Christmas Eve with the Quans (and my family!) at our home reminded me of how time moves so quickly, and how family changes, grows and adapts over time. Our nephews were here, but two of our nieces and their husbands were not... makes me sad to think that as people's lives change, jobs take them to various places and life in general happens, it is not often that we are ALL together. But, we still had the traditional Jook (Chinese Porridge) and Curry night for Christmas Eve. People's absences were duly noted because I actually had some leftovers this year - something that has not happened in quite some time. Three crockpots of Jook used to not be enough... and suddenly, I found myself putting away a quart of leftover. :( Sort of sad... However, Nate still lit the Christ Candle on Christmas Eve with the help of his Aunties and Uncles and Cousins, and still went to bed eager and excited for the morning and all the fun it would bring. I loved that his Chin Clan was here to enjoy him enjoying them...




• And, we still had our annual trek to Leona, TX - a tradition that started many years ago... we trek up to the Mizwa Ranch in Leona and meet our friends the Eutslers and the Myers (and usually the Chois) every year... and this year shared the experience with our friends the Mosemans. My parents even joined us as we fed Tex, the Longhorn, visited with Mamere and Dado Mizwa (who have loved Nate since the day they laid eyes on him) and had incredible steaks and dessert at the Leona General Store.

So, we hope you too had some good memories... and thought you'd enjoy catching up with our family holidays here... we were grateful to have been granted one more year to reflect on the faith that sustains us and to celebrate that faith. I love the Message version of John 1:1... "And the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood..." Our little family is so grateful for that truth that means so much to us...

No matter what you celebrated, we hope you had a holiday filled with great peace and love!