From Mike and Linda

 

(Click on images for enlarged versions)

We have reached the time in our lives when our annual highlights consist mostly of trips to see family and doctors. If you find Christmas letters of that sort boring (I do) why write one?

With no apology whatsoever to David Letterman (I'm mad at him for retiring anyway), here are our Top 10 Reasons for writing this year's Christmas letter. Cue the music, Paul.

10. My father had a cartoon taped to the wall at his veterinary practice where only employees could see it. It said, “There's no d*#m reason for it, it's just policy.” After all these years the same goes for our Christmas letters.

Laura and Sam

9. We do need to report that daughter Laura, her husband Sam and Cooper the Granddog continue to thrive in Carmel, a suburb of Indianapolis. She teaches, he advises clients on their finances, and he barks at squirrels. We leave it to you to determine the correct referents in the previous sentence.

(Hint, he's the squirrel guy)

8. Our congregation continues to do an amazing volume of ministry, and to provide us with great friends. In these dark days we all need to see the Light of the World.

Steve, my college roomie, visited for the celebration of the 30th anniversary of my ordination

7. Three words: Old Oaken Bucket. Three in a row. Okay, seven words.

6. Son Dan and Granddog Brianna live in New York City. He attends medical school, she vaporizes chew toys.

Big sis visiting Dan

5. Linda hopes to expand her cleaning business, hiring somebody else's knees to get down on a few of those bathroom floors.

Construction through early fall

4. Bad news: our house construction has blown through ritardando all the way to fermata. Good news: we have a house under construction.

"Dog of Dan" Brianna and me on Round Lake, where we're building the new place

3. Linda's parents and my mom continue to grace us with their presence, modeling wisdom and grace whenever we see them. We're comfortable with not speculating on what they do when we're not around.

2. Yes, we still run,though at this point we look more like Tim Conway than Hussein Bolt. (Make sure you click on this link. It leads to the best 5 minutes of your day.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AwOIs2buE

And the number one reason for us to send you this Christmas letter: we hope you will respond in whatever way works best for you, letting us know you are still converting air to carbon dioxide and perhaps even including a word about what else may have happened for you this past year.

In the immortal words of Tiny Tim (the one with the crutch, not the ukelele or fire hose), “God bless us, every one.”