Weekend Update

It was a busy week for me last week. I preached on Roi Wednesday night, at the Chapel Thursday night and then a separate sermon on Sunday morning. We spent Thanksgiving dinner at the REB (religious education building) which is where we hold Sunday School and other community related activities. The Christian Women's Fellowship sponsors the event by providing the turkey and one of the women and her family cook the turkey and set up all the tables. It was a very nice event with around thirty people attending.

The following night we celebrate Santa's arrival and tree lighting ceremony. Yes, we light a palm tree. The event has various people performing music and or dance acts and a greeting by the commander. This year Sophie was part of a K-2 girls dance group that participated and they did great. Sophie also received an award for her artwork on Christmas card that was sent to the troops who are in combat zones. Each year the art teacher selects on card from a child in each grade as the "winning card" and the local VFW prints those cards and has them sent from the school children. We were delighted her card was chosen this year.

In addition to being a fun weekend it was a hard weekend with feeling homesick. Thanksgiving weekend has traditions for Kim that have gone back over 25 years and we have often been in Seattle for this weekend even when we lived in Minnesota and Oregon. Being away from family and friends this weekend has been hard and the kids seemed to have really felt it. My parents are coming in a few weeks and that will be great for the kids and really help them through the holidays.

Below are a few photos from the weekend.

Sophie and her American Girl doll.

Emon beach where we swim, about a 5 minute bike ride from the house.

Gavin in his elf hat at the parade.

Sophie in in her dance dress with some of the other girls.

Santa coming in the Small Boat Marina