January 2nd Bill Wrote

.Hi All

It's hard to believe that it is now 25 yrs since I asked Kathy to marry me; that was the best and smartest thing I ever did. She Is one wonderful women .

It has been nice having the kids all home again for the holidays. Alana and Derek will be leaving again the beginning of the week. It could seem a little more lonely on the evenings that Kathy works again.

I decided to have the kids write about themselves this time rather then me braging about them, I hope you don't mind.

Derek-
Dad says each of us kids are supposed to write a little something for his update this week. (He is getting a little lazy in his old age!) So here we go. I've had a great time this semester at Messiah, taking on my position as an RA and chilling with the guys in the hall, and.. you know... studying. Actually, I've been doing crazy amounts of studying this semester with Organic Chemistry and Calculus, but praise the Lord that schedule is over. Now I'm preparing to go to Southern California, Mexico, and New Mexico for a Desert Ecology trip for January Semester. The class has 23 students and 2 professors and we will be driving down in Messiah vans, and since I got my Messiah van licence this summer I'm ganna be one of the lucky students who gets to drive a staight 2 days from Harrisburg to the southwest, then we will be able to have a good rest sleeping on the hard ground in tents in the desert. Good times. I'm excited. Praise the Lord for the oppertunities that I have been blessed with.

Alana-
well there really isn't anything new in my life that my dad hasn't already talked about in previous newsletters, so I'm not really sure what to write.

I just spent the past 2 days w/ Brad for new years and had a great time. I got to enjoy good old fashioned pigs stomach w/ the rest of his family New Year's evening. I only ate a little bit since I'm not a big fan of cabbage, but it wasn't bad. It's great to be dating someone else who has PA Dutch background and appreciates it.

On sunday i'm heading back to school. I'm going back a week early because I'm going on a service trip to Garrison, NY for 4 days. While I'm there I will be helping in soup kitchens and shelters and helping to paint a house. It should be interesting. Then I'm going to take my Praxis test on Saturday in order to get into the education program for grad school. So if anyone else is up at 7:30 next Saturday say a short prayer for me.

Melissa-
I dont really have much time to write anything...dad keeps telling me to write something. I dont know why he can't do it himself, I think he's been doing a pretty good job himself. Anyway, Christmas vacation is over and now I have to go back to school. I'm ready for my senior year to be over, and to explore the adventures of college. I've started my collection of college "things". I've been waitressing at Trivet Family Restaurant in Emmaus and I love it. I'm making good money and saving it all for college.

Hope you all have a grand and wonderful New Year and may God bless each and every one of You.
Love
Bill Kathy &Family
GODISGOODGODISGOODGODISGOODGODISGOODGODISGOODGODISGOOD