I wrote this post almost a year ago, but never published it. I went a long time without blogging and am just getting back into the swing of things. I found this in my “incomplete drafts” folder so I decided to publish it, now.
Christmas 2007
Yes, we are late but this year we actually got this sent out. Usually, we procrastinate writing this letter until it’s too late and then simply don’t do it.
For the first time ever, we have a good excuse for being late. We have spent the past several months building and moving into our new house.
Our 2300 Sq. Ft. home sits on one acre in the East Valley area of Yakima. We enjoy our view of the Ahtanum Ridge and the valley below.
We have much work ahead of us to complete several projects – mostly the landscaping, a deck on the rear of the house, and an adjacent garage/shop that Don has dreamed of for many, many years.
We moved into our home just in time for our annual family Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange. Joining us were all three of our children, Mom and Dad Wilson, Ted and Debbi and family, Dave and Vickie and family, Dennis and Shenna and family, and Alyssa’s boyfriend, Daniel.
Alyssa is living in Nampa, ID, sharing a house with four of her friends that she met while attending Northwest Nazarene University. She graduated this past May from the nursing program at NNU and is now preparing to get her masters degree so that she can become a school teacher. She spends most of her spare time with Daniel.
Ashley is attending Yakima Valley Community College and working at The Coldstone Creamery. She isn’t clear, yet, as to what her major career emphasis will be, but has plenty of time to decide. She just purchased a Siberian Husky puppy that she has named Kaiyah, who has quickly become a beloved member of our family.
When Austin isn’t working on his “homeschool†work, he’s playing xbox or computer games. Kart racing is out of season, and we’re trying to decide if we should race again next summer or if we should sell the karts and get some dirt bikes to ride around the surrounding hillside. Austin is pictured, here with Ashley’s puppy, Kaiyah.
We wish you all the merriest of Christmas seasons. May God bless you, richly, as you celebrate the birth of his son, Jesus Christ.
Don and Leslie Wilson
Alyssa, Ashley, Austin
Now, I’m even late for Christmas 2008, so I think I’ll add those details, now.
Christmas 2008
We celebrated Jesus birth in the traditional manner – by gathering with all our family and eating lots of food. Hey, we prayed before each meal, alright?!
The traditional soup kitchen meal at our home preceded the Christmas Eve celebration at our church. Then we followed up with the opening of gifts. We were joined for the evening by Mom and Dad, Ted and Debbie and thier 3, Vickie and Dave and their 2, Dennis and Shenna and their 3, and finally, Leslie and I and our 3 plus Alyssa’s boyfriend, Casey, Ashley’s boyfriend, Eric, and Eric’s brother Ryan……whew! Soup is all we can afford.
Austin has his driving permit so he’s learning to drive more than just a racing kart. He attends East Valley High School and is active in they youth group at West Valley Church of the Nazarene.
Ashley is attending Central Washington University, my dad’s and my alma mater. It’s nice to have her close enough to see her fairly frequently. I’ve already mentioned her boyfriend, Eric, who is also attending CWU and is an intern at the local CMA Church.
Alyssa works at a child care center in Nampa, while preparing to enter a master’s of education program at Northwest Nazarene University. She is dating Casey who is the Pastor of the Children’s Ministries at Valley Shepard Church of the Nazarene in Meridian, ID.
Leslie still cuts hair, I still collect payments from apple sales, and we both spend the rest of our time working in, on, and around our house. We spent the better part of last year putting in the irrigation and planting our lawn.
As before, we wish you all the merriest of Christmas seasons. May God bless you, richly, as you celebrate the birth of his son, Jesus Christ.
Don and Leslie Wilson
Alyssa, Ashley, Austin