Christmas Letter, 2009
Christmas Letter, 2009
December 15, 2009
Christmas greetings from The Five Fischers! Time for the annual year-in-review. No one else volunteered to write this year (I think they were hard-pressed to top last year’s letter from Roxie), so Dear Old Dad will have to attempt the recap.
Anna (12) keeps us supplied with home-baked cookies, and continues singing as she goes about her day. She got to go to summer camp at Hume Lake for the first time this year. She also hosted her Book Club again this summer for six or seven of her friends, but since school started (seventh grade) she has been busy with Eastern Hemisphere countries, dendrochronology (look it up), and math. She also continues her flute lessons, and earned her senior orange belt in Kajukenbo (mixed martial arts).
Joe (16) had a couple big trips this year. Over the summer he spent a week in Jamaica on a mission trip with the High School group from church, and in September he and Lori spent eight days traveling in Ireland. He continues to play guitar in a couple of groups at church, and helps lead a small group Bible study for some high school and college-age friends. In school (10th grade) he’s reading lots of classics in his British Literature class, learning Spanish, and studying meteorology. He won the Student of the Year award and earned his blue belt in Kajukenbo, and also helps out with the younger kids’ classes.
Jamie (19) is working as a host at California Pizza Kitchen and as a librarian in the church library, as well as teaching ballet and voice. In her spare time she is a sophomore at Citrus College (and on the Dean’s List no less). She’s looking at a couple different universities for next year, but may take a year off for an adventure (stay tuned).
Lori got to spend some time in October with her sister Lynn, visiting from Indianapolis. Lynn was with us for a week or so, and then the two of them traveled to Hilmar (near Modesto) to spend some time with their dad and his wife. As mentioned above, Lori also got to travel to Ireland with Joe, and reveled in the stark beauty of the island’s more rural west coast. On the home front she continues to home school Joe and Anna, as well as teach a Spanish class for several other home schooled high school age kids with Western Christian Schools.
Jeff is wrapping up his first year as an Elder at church (guess the gray hair is good for something). He continues to work for Union Bank as an IT Enterprise Architect, and is thankful for the prudent leadership there that steered them clear of all the turmoil in the banking industry this year.
Well, that about does it for 2009. We did manage to give the family web site a face lift, and have posted some more pictures and stories up here, so check it out when you have the time. As always, we look back in amazement and thanks to God for His care and provision for us. We feel extremely fortunate, especially considering how hard this year has been for many others. May 2010 be a year of blessing for you and yours.