It’s December 1^st!  The turkey has been tossed and the pumpkin pie pitched.  The credit cards are still very warm and flexible from Black Friday.  Yep, we are firmly snuggled in to the holidays.  But what comes next you might ask?  Well, the annual Wilson Christmas letter of course!  So curl up with your favorite large mug of stimulant and enjoy!

                                                                                                                                                                Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas from the Wilsons!!

A big welcome from the state of confusion; from wildfires to floods, riots to bathroom laws, not to mention a political swing state!  And it is going to take more than Bath and Body Works to remove the stench from this election year.  But alas, I digress…

This year has been fairly uneventful family wise.  I am still adjusting to being “Stevie Homemaker” as I have not yet started back to work.  This doesn’t mean I’m sitting around all the time; every day seems to bring on a new set of “opportunities” that keep me quite busy.  In fact, I’m not sure how we got everything accomplished when we both worked.   I am still writing as I am led and inspired so if you have a burst of courage or curiosity, log in to www.lifesimplyspoken.com and take a peek!

Jenny celebrated (tolerated) her twenty-fifth year working for OneAdvanced which used to be Vista which used to be Advanced which used to be CSH Group which used to be Iris, which used to be Transoft, which used to be Easirun which used to be Sinc, Inc.  No wonder she answers the phone with “UHhhh?”  One of the big highlights for Jenny this year was being called for jury duty to serve as a juror on a murder trial this fall.  All of her prayer efforts seemed to pay off as they suddenly had to postpone the trial and she was off the hook.

We managed to take a couple of vacations during the year; we went to North Myrtle Beach in April and to the Shenandoah Valley in September. Alison, Justin and Crystal were able to meet us at the beach for an extended weekend and it was great watching Crystal experience the sand and surf for the first time.  I also sneaked back up to Ohio in late September to say “HEY” to former coworkers and family as well as pick up “Buckeye supplies”; items we crave but can’t get in North Carolina.

Jenny and I are also fully embracing our roles as grandparents for there is no role more rewarding.  Crystal will turn two on January 31^st of next year and I know Alison and Justin can’t wait to wander into the “terrific twos”!! Watching little Crystal grow and learn is pure joy in action.  Looking back at this past year in pictures of Crystal’s life, there has been such a dramatic change in appearance, abilities, and personality.  Crystal loves to analyze every little thing that goes on around her so many times, she has a very serious looking face which makes picture taking a challenge.

Crystal has a great little sense of humor, loves to try new things, and doesn’t forget anything.  Her favorite color is purple which thrills her grandma to death.  One of her favorite toys is a Minnie Mouse scooter car we got her last year.  She just loves to fly up and down the hallway on it.

One of the highlights during the Thanksgiving season was three generations working together to make pumpkin pies.  Crystal’s attention span was waning just a bit but I’m sure Grandma Wilson won’t be deterred and this will become a regular learning time.

As I bring our Christmas letter to a close, I am reminded of how divided our country is as we approach 2017.  We will have a new president at the helm and we need to lift this new administration in prayer as they attempt to unite our broken country and move forward with one identity—Americans! There are many who would love to see our nation fail and fall but I would like ALL of us to disappoint these factions and begin the healing process from the inside out.  Believe it or not folks, we are all on this same boat called the USS USA and whether you consider this a battleship, a cruise ship, a party boat, or a simple houseboat we are ALL in this together and if we don’t get this right, we will ALL go down with the ship.  What better time of year to put into practice “Peace on earth, good will toward men”.  But it starts with me…and you…2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

From Jenny, Steve and Izzy the dog