It’s the time of year when we think of our family and friends and are grateful for all that we have in this beautiful life. We pray for love and peace in the world that we may all be as one family.

My mom, Audrey, and Bill just visited us on Maui for two weeks and we had a wonderful time together. It is a very restful and rejuvenating time when they are here. They are in good health and still love traveling. My dad, Bob, and Jane are also in good health in Ohio and enjoy car travel. I expect I will visit in the spring.

We are fortunate to have Neil’s mom, Jean, and her husband Morley living in the house right next to us. They enjoy the Maui climate and we can share sunsets together.

We were able to visit both of Neil’s daughters this past year. We visited Ari in Tucson in February where she was working on her nursing degree and she and her friend Eric showed us around the area. Ari completed her degree in August and is now an RN. After a difficult job search in a competitive market (they all want someone with at least a year of experience) she took a job at a hospital in Santa Maria, California in the telemetry department. After one year there she hopes to transfer into labor and delivery which is where she really wants to be. I previously posted photos of our visit with Mailea and Greg in June.

We look forward to sharing the holidays with our local family and friends, feasting and celebrating. And we will think of all of you in your own celebrations and sharing the joy of this time of year.