That your Christmas is simply delicious,
That joys are stronger and blessings more
And your life is happier than before.
We'll try to bring you up-to-date
Without superfluous accolade
For now our family's gaining ground
As we write you once more around.
In June Miranda graduated
Within the four years designated.
It was cum laude from her college
And then she used her stored-up knowledge
To get a job
asa 4th grade teacher.
It takes us now five hours to reach her
Living on the west state line.
We're glad her social life is fine
On weekends with her football cheers.
(Drew is in college for two more years.)
Miranda loves teaching and living in Quincy
And her apartment which isn't chintzy.
It's in a house on the second floor
With living/ dining room, two bedrooms, more.
Her dog is accepted as a permanent fixture,
Zoe, a Husky/ Rottweiler mixture.
John's
completing his graduate endeavor.
With two years of grad school it seems like forever.
Last summer he researched factory screws
Which is paying all his grad school dues.
He's a certified volunteer firefighter.
His Wesley Foundation offices are lighter.
Instead of president, he drives the church van
And is coffeehouse manager and head committeeman
And he's been a Graduate Advisor two years
For the honor society for General Engineers.
John's fiancé, Cara, teaches 6th grade.
She's church youth leader and this year she's paid.
She got her job in John's college town
So they're together whenever we're down.
John's in the process of job interviews
So by next year's letter we'll have some more news.
Martin's still pastor at Kankakee
And I volunteer as secretary.
We answer the phone; I type and file
And everyone seems to like Martin's style.
Due to dementia, Martin's mom's here
And has been for well over a year.
Our staying here helps in many ways
And Martin even got a raise.
Martin keeps buying printing equipment
And more
suppliesby the shipment
And a foiling and rubber stamping machine
But he sold two cars and a limousine.
He wants to restore a '49 car.
(Till the engine's unlocked, he won't go too far.)
His collecting has found a brand-new option
Which has to do with Martin's adoption
When his brother was five and Martin was three
And they left their original family.
Their sister found them on the Internet.
There's another brother and sister yet
So the brothers and sisters total five.
Mom Carol's in Florida still alive.
We've met the first sister an hour away
And we'll meet the others some sweet day.
My hobbies are reading or something calm.
My days fly by, caringforMom.
It's the strangest thing you ever saw.
I'm now a stay-at-home daughter-in-law.
I sewed a picture for my nephew's wedding
Which was in Wisconsin in a garden setting
And we took a trip too for graduation
And Miranda's move to her school situation
When a lady came for the Elder Care job
And to feed our four cats-Taylor, Tim, Mom, and Bob.
For six months we kept a rat in a cage
And then raised Zoe through
the puppy stage.
For four months our two dogs supervised
While Zoe, in general, terrorized.
Now Miranda and Zoe have moved away
And Doozlie and Henny relax every day.
As changes come, we take them in stride.
Life now is good; we're enjoying the ride.
So with Christmas blessings as the old year ends
We send our best wishes to all of our friends.
With the new year opening a new thousand years
The sky lights up brighter than what it appears
For we know that the glow won't fade from our sight.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Love, Martin, Anne, Miranda, and John Gutzmer