Merry Christmas

Our family wishes you a most merry Christmas. We thank God for his blessings in 2024.

Ceil had a busy year. She returned to Paris in April, and visited London as well. She continues to teach art at Veritas in Alpharetta. She keeps Millie two days a week, is in a women’s Bible Study group as well as a mom’s group, and prays with friends most weeks. She’s supervised several renovation projects on our house, and has a couple more to go. In September Ceil arranged flowers for her niece’s large wedding. I counted almost 40 bouquets that the wedding party carried or wore – including a collar of flowers worn by the bride’s dog.

Dave had a busy year at work, but still found time to toil at golf, lunch with friends, write, and listen to audiobooks. He rejoined his small group. We spent a week in Pawley’s Island, and took several trips back to Jefferson. 

Will and Mary-Clayton took several trips this year: to both Washington state and Canada for weddings and hiking, Hilton Head, Washington DC, and a magical week at Disney World. Shivonne (3) started at a nearby Montasori. Melina is 1-1/2. She started walking, and is talking more and more. Will still works in the ER at Northside, and Mary-Clayton coordinates special events for the national 4-H office.

Anna and Cal-Heb celebrated their first anniversary with a trip to Austria and Germany, and stayed on the go back here in the states as well. Anna continued her marketing work at the High Country Outfitters home office, helping design their first printed Christmas catalog. Caleb now travels from Atlanta east to Athens, calling on customers for his construction equipment company.

Matthew is now a pastry chef at Kimball House, the nice restaurant in downtown Decatur. He moved from Vine City to Dekalb County to be closer to work. He took up the game of golf, and traveled with friends to New York City, Delaware, and Philadelphia. In June Matthew and Dave attended their first Rolling Stones concert.

Anna’s dog Goose loves spending time with her canine cousins. Will’s wise old Okie tolerates play time with her and our Winnie. When around Goose and Okie, Winnie really shows her jealous side. After a get together it takes Winnie a full day to nap and recuperate, before resuming her duties guarding our home from pesky squirrels, deer, and neighborhood moms with baby strollers. Matthew’s loyal cat Pluto had enjoyed making new feline friends in Vine City, but sadly old age finally caught up with him in December.

We pray that 2025 will be a great new year for all of us. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!