Christmas Letter/Year in Review

Greetings family and friends,

We hope the Christmas season is finding you all enjoying the spirit of the season and the conclusion to a wonderful year!  The carols especially have meant so much to us this year, like these lines from Hark the Herald Angels Sing:

 Mild He lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die.

Great lines sung portraying a great truth about the great grace from our Great God to man.  May that truth keep your heart's warm and illuminate your mind into the new year!

It has truly been a blessed year for us in so many different aspects.  In this past year, we were able to purchase a bicycle for Arthur, which has provided opportunities for great adventure and fun.  We have enjoyed riding our bikes together around the area as well as participating in an organized sixty five mile road ride (which was a little longer than our current comfort level) and competing in a triathlon together.

Besides the wonders opened up to us via bicycle, we have had the opportunity to go on some wonderful vacations, including a honeymoon to Arkansas (Lake Catherine and Petit Jean state parks, both extraordinary) and a week at Horn Creek camp in Colorado.  The week was especially meaningful as it was the first time Alex's family returned to the camp with all her parents, siblings, and their spouses (plus our adorable niece).  It was a truly wonderful time.

While staying at home, Alex utilized her limited outdoor space and started gardening in containers.  We have both enjoyed the fruits of her labor and, now that the weather is too cold for outdoor gardening, we have plants set up in our basement under grow lights.  After a weekend at a Mother Earth News conference, we look forward to trying new techniques and self-sustainability skills in the coming year.

We both continue enjoying our jobs and the benefits of no longer being "rookies."  Alex works as a physical therapist and strives to make lame people awesome (a more accurate description may be that she helps people walk and be independent).  Arthur daily engages in his never ending quest to rid the world of inefficient manufacturing process as a process engineer at a company that produces control parts for airplanes.

Finally, we have enjoyed an active social life through our church, to which we have become official members (Arthur gets a huge amount of enjoyment in how fitting it is that a process engineer should be a Methodist.)  We are involved with a small group with whom we get together for watching football games, holiday parties (for our Halloween party we went as Sheldon and Amy from the Big Bang Theory), and even some hiking.  Arthur looks forward to his first role in church governance in the upcoming year, and we both have enjoyed working as mentors with the youth.

As great as 2014 has been for us, we look forward excitedly to the challenges and opportunities awaiting in 2015.  We thank you all for your continued love and involvement in our lives and wish you the greatest of happiness.  Merry Christmas!

Alex and Arthur

Christmas with a large dose of culture

This past week we have attended a variety of Christmas events through the realm of fine arts appreciation.  It is kind of a goal for us to be "patrons of the arts".  Right now our "patroning" (I'm not sure that is a verb but I just used it as one) consists of attending high school theater productions in the area.  We expanded our tastes to the collegiate level this week.  Over the weekend my cousin invited us to K-State to watch Winterdance, which is the K-State dance department's semester recital.  The last dance recital I attended I was a participant in back in the second grade.  Dance is not one of the art forms we get much exposure to in Kansas.  We really enjoyed the production.  I found myself thinking about the choice of lighting, costume selection, the importance of choreography, and an appreciation for what dancers can do with their bodies.  I think my husband is rubbing off on me since I can no longer just sit and enjoy but must analyze all the details.  One of my favorite piece that was performed was entitled the Crystal Ballet.  It is a three part ballet that is based on the change in an ice crystal cystalline structure from a solid state to melting.  To begin with all the dancers were standing in a grid shape with very precise, synchronized movements and as the number went on the "uniformity" melted and became more fluid.  How's that for a ballet review.  Other numbers included a traditional African dance, a tap dance number which was wonderful, and a few more dance numbers which we puzzled over the meanings of since even as "self-proclaimed patrons of the arts" we just didn't get what was going on.  As a side story I took ballet and tap dance for two years growing up until I dropped out to take up soccer instead.  My ballet instructor from 20 years ago is now on faculty at K-State in the dance department.  After the performance we headed out to eat at Noodles and Company which is always a treat-- we used to eat there every weekend I would be in town while we were dating-- we even have "our booth".  Following a delicious meal of pesto cavatappi and whole grain Tuscan linguine we watched the K-State football game at the Student Union.

The cultural experiences continued into Sunday.  Our Bible study went to a Christmas concert that was put on by a small college in the area involving the choir and orchestra.  What I remember of it was very good but 3pm on a Sunday afternoon is my usual nap time and let's just say I'm a creature of habit.  Arthur kept elbowing me as if I didn't know already I was nodding off.  After the concert we all had dinner and shakes before driving around looking at Christmas lights.  Our friends get together every year and have some of the best lights in the area scouted out.  We saw everything from classy to about 20 inflatables that would make Clark Griswald's display look tame. 

Our cultural weekend has also inspired us to dive deeper into the wonderful world of dance through Netflix documentaries.  We watched First Position which about some of the top youth ballet dancers in the world preparing for an international contest to win scholarships or jobs in the ballet world as well as another documentary about Russian ballerinas.  Through watching dancers the thing that impresses me most is that it really is very physically demanding but unlike athletes, dancers have to make their strenuous craft look completely effortless.

So if you are feeling like you need just a tad of ballet in your Christmas season enjoy this clip from The Nutcracker.  Omnia Vincit Amor. 

7 shopping days left till Christmas.

I love the Christmas season but one of the things I try to avoid is shopping during the month of December.  Truthfully I try to avoid shopping all year.  This year we were on top of things and got our "shopping" done early and Arthur and I actually enjoyed the process.  We did Christmas "shopping" online through the World Vision and Samaritan's Purse gift catalogs.  (To our families-- hope this doesn't ruin the surprise of Christmas for you-- at least what type of farm animal we got you will be a surprise).  This is one of our family traditions that started when we were still dating.  That year Arthur had been working as an assembly tech for the company he now works for as an engineer.  One of his superiors made the comment that Arthur was a really hard worker-- a real bad "donkey" (to keep this blog in a PG-rating).  After Arthur told me this story I decide that I would get him a donkey (or at least a share of one) for Christmas.  Over that year he made several comments about wondering where his donkey was and what hard work it was doing for a family in need.  Last year I got him a goat for Christmas since he was always "trying to get my goat".  Arthur now has a picture of a donkey at his desk at work.  Over the next year he is going to try to put the money that he would usually spend each day to get a Pepsi at work to go towards buying a whole donkey.

Another tradition for me has been collecting Hallmark ornaments in the Mary's Angels collection.  This collection started the year I was born.  Growing up, one of my neighbors would get me one of these angels each year for Christmas.  Arthur has continued the tradition by getting me the newest angel each year for my birthday-- I have a considerable collection now.   (This tradition is also helpful since he has a specific idea of what to get me for my birthday so we don't have a repeat of the camouflage polo incident.)  This year we couldn't find any stores near us so Arthur's dad willingly braved going to Hallmark to hunt for a small angel ornament and was successful-- Thanks!

While on the subject of Christmas gifts we should share about some of our memorable Christmas gifts.  When I was about three my mom sewed two dolls for me which I named Norman and Lou Emma.  These are the only dolls I ever had in my life-- no Barbies here.  I didn't play with dolls much but I do remember doing "physical therapy" on these dolls during nap time, stretching and doing exercises so that they could stand and walk.  I have also received numerous art supplies over the years, roller blades, and an iPod to listen to audiobooks.  When I was 9 or 10 I used my Christmas money to buy a log cabin doll house kit.  (Even though I never used it with dolls.)  Mom and Dad helped me glue it together, stain it, and furnish it.  I played for hours with the doll house with PlayMobil figurines-- another one of my favorite Christmas gifts.

I (Arthur) suppose my list of favorite Christmas gifts is going to sound pretty materialistic next to my dear Alex's.  One gift that had a profound impact on me was a set of paperback abridged versions of classic literature for children.  I was already an avid reader, but that paperback set instilled in me a love for classic literature.  The other two gifts are probably going to be viewed as less noble, but they definitely provided hours of entertainment: a Super Nintendo and an Xbox.  I used to love imagining myself as the hero in the Super Mario Brother's franchise.  I even wrote stories on during my paper route in my head, originally with Mario, then with Chester Arthur Marshall.  So I suppose I can attribute some of early interest in writing to Mario (of course, engineers aren't known as being great writers, so maybe I would have been better off playing Legend of Zelda.)  I played a lot of football on the Xbox and actually learned a lot of strategy from it.

We have probably received a number of Christmas gifts that we have forgotten over the years.  However gifts are a tangible act of love from the giver.  Christmas is a time to remember the gift of Christ, who took on flesh and is a tangible symbol of God's love towards us.  Omnia Vincit Amor.

Have a Super Sonic Night

The weather this weekend has been relatively mild for December.  And we have loved it.  On Saturday we went out and did some hiking, which we always love.  We thought for sure we were done hiking this year in November but 55F weather in December is hard to turn down.  We were planning on going to a state park but when we got there there were warning signs that a hunt was going on.  We decided that it might not be such a good day to tromp around in the woods.  Luckily we were in an area with a river walk trail near by and even saw some herons along the water.  One evening we decided to go on a walk and take in all the Christmas lights through town.  We bundled up which turned out to be completely unnecessary and strolled along ooohing and aaaahing at all the lights in town.  Along the two main streets in town each house has a 4-5 foot tall ceder tree and they are all decorated which is pretty festive.  One yard had a blow-up decoration of Santa and his sleigh that was lit up to the music of the Hallelujah Chorus-- not quite sure what we think about that.  Another home had the lights sync to music which was pretty fancy.  I think it is Arthur's dream as an electrical engineer to do something crazy with lights and music someday.  To finish the evening off we went to Sonic since we had coupons.  During the summer we often walk to Sonic in the evening and the patio area is usually crowded.  We had the patio to ourselves on this December evening.  After sitting and eating ice cream outside for 15 minutes we did get a little chilly and continued our holiday stroll on home.  Today we are snuggled inside while is is cold and rainy outside doing Christmas baking and working on Christmas cards.  Omnia Vincit Amor.

Christmas Songs

Thanksgiving is over, signaling the end of Alex's ban on Christmas songs.  Marriage teaches you many things about yourself; one example of this is that I never realized what a proclivity I have for bursting out in random song, nor did I know how often these random outbursts turned to Christmas music.  For whatever reason, Alex does not ascribe to Mr. Dicken's recommendation to keep the spirit of Christmas year-round and will consequently protest vehemently should I sing from the List of Forbidden Songs, sometimes in a different language.

But for this brief window, together we sing the Christmas hymns from the official hymnbook of Grace Baptist, a true treat.  They bring back nostalgic memories; caroling with my church at the assisted living facilities, going to bag candy at the grocer my great aunt ran to be dispersed at the church Christmas program, the parts I played in said Christmas programs (my dear wife will shudder at this, but one year I was a clown-Alex has terrible fear of clowns), peanut butter crackers dipped in almond bark, and a myriad of other childhood experiences invoked by the old songs; but this year, perhaps more than in others, it is the beauty of the lyrics that have truly enraptured me.

It may seem counter intuitive to our readership, but besides being an engineer I am something of a fine arts enthusiast.  This passion first manifested itself in fourth grade when we were taught about limericks and haikus; I then proceeded to write an individual limerick for each of my classmates and a haiku for each day of the year (these documents have since been lost to the sands of time).

For all this love of poetry, I fear I have never developed an objective barometer for gauging the quality of poetry.  So I ask our readers, when I am struck by the magnanimous beauty of the lines:

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;

is it the wonderful phrasing of the poet that fills me with such awe, or is it the truth those words convey?  I have no idea.  The distinction is of course somewhat silly; I guess what I am getting at is that for whatever reason, I am being especially moved by the hymns I've sung all my life, and I would love to be able to somehow cause our readers to feel the same emotions I experience when reading those lines.  Really read them; I wonder if sometimes in singing we loose the weight of the meaning behind those lyrics, as though all music should be regarded with the same contemplation as something by The Jonas Brothers. Here are the lines from Hark the Herald, Angels Sing, which we sang tonight:

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

 "Pleased as man, with men to dwell," what a marvelous phrasing of a marvelous truth! "Come, desire of nations, come, Fix in us Thy humble home; Rise the woman's conquering Seed, Bruise in us the serpent's head," does the language deepen your longing for this request?  "Born that man no more may die," the words themselves naturally punctuate without the call/response format of the music.

All this to say, I am having a very happy Christmas season, and I wish our readers all the joy of the season.  Omnia Vincit Amor.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is rolling around, and in the spirit of the season and keeping with a tradition we started last year, here is a list of things we are especially thankful for this year.

1. We mentioned this in a previous post, but it stands repeating: we love state and national parks.
2. How about the President that started the concept of national parks?  While certainly not a perfect man, I’ve always found Teddy Roosevelt’s example of hard work and fortitude inspiring, and he left us with some wonderful speeches and anecdotes I find myself thinking of often.
3. Law enforcement officers.  I certainly don’t mean to be political, but recent national events have really put in perspective what a dangerous and often thankless job they perform.
4. The right to assemble, and the fact that in our country the vast majority of those assemblies occur peacefully.
5. Our healthcare infrastructure.  This could quite justifiably get some scoffs, and I could easily scoff at someone else typing the same thing, but the ebola epidemic has really put into contrast our healthcare system versus what our healthcare system could be.  We wouldn’t complain about it if it wasn’t valuable.
6. Well, this is getting very nationalistic, so let’s move to another genre: materialistic.  I am thankful for the 42 inch flatscreen television we purchased this past year.  That may come across as shallow, but purchasing anything you’re not thankful for is rather stupid.
7. The semicolon.  I am told that I structure my compounded sentences with an inordinate amount of this oft-neglected character; I believe it give my writing a distinctive flair.
8. On the subject of punctuation, I learned this past year year that the comma between a noun and the word "and" when listing items is called an Oxford comma.  I'm thankful that there is always new an interesting things to learn even in subjects like grammar.  To show my feelings on the use of this punctuation,  
9. Microsoft Excel, the finest piece of software ever created by man.
10. The 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs.  I got so much enjoyment out of watching them turn basketball into high art.
11. Bill Snyder football teams.  They aren’t always (perhaps not even often) the most talented teams, but their dedication to doing things right always makes me proud.
12. Well, let’s see; I suppose I should transition into some more serious items or our readers might begin to think that I’m just a materialist patriot who watches too many sports.  I’ll start with my in-laws.  I’m told that relations with the in-laws can be awkward, but that has not been my experience.  I have two brothers-in-law who I can debate philosophy and politics with, a two year old niece who always makes me smile, and strong friendships with parents and aunts and uncles and their families. (3 alternating and’s in a sentence that is grammatically correct.  I didn’t know that was possible).
13. Of course, I am also extremely thankful for my immediate family.  I have been the beneficiary of an extraordinary amount of love my entire life and that has molded me into the person I now am. 
14. Above all else, let us all give thanks to God for His gift of salvation through Jesus and for the council of the Holy Spirit.  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and Omnia Vincit Amour.