Christmas Letter
King Family News 2005
2005 Christmas News
Warm greeting from our house to yours! Newsworthy events from Art & Ronda King and children this year:
Feb: We trek over snowy passes to Bozeman, Montana to join a big celebration for Grandpa Frank’s 90th birthday. The party and playing in the snow are great fun for all.
Mar: Sierra and Hannah’s basketball team goes undefeated for the season and wins an exciting come-from-behind championship game.
Apr: Art enjoys his 30-year high-school class reunion at Mt. Ellis Academy. A few weeks later Ronda has a similar good time at her 30-year reunion at Upper Columbia Academy.
July: We camp at Lost Lake on Mt. Hood. Bethani, Sierra, Hannah and Caleb ride their unicycles everywhere around camp, even on the steep gravel trails down to the lake.
Aug: Four fun families join us for a long weekend of house boating on Lake Billy Chinook. The floating trampoline is the star attraction. Theron and Willa splash till they drop exhausted into bed.
Sep: School starts: Elissa Majoring in Accounting at WWC, David doing pre-dental at WWC, Brenden in 12th grade at MEA, Bethani in 12th grade at UCA, Sierra in 9th grade and Hannah in 7th grade at TVJA. Taylor, Caleb, Theron and Willa in home school. Rylee savors her freedom. David Green is diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis - we cry. David and Elissa, in good humor, start learning how to live with it. After years of pestering, we give in and start Caleb in violin lessons.
Oct: Ronda and Art take a little evening date. The children play the ever popular "dark game" which involves turning out all the lights in the house and playing tag in the inky blackness. Parents arrive home to a pitch dark house with this note taped to the door: “If you want your children back, send 10 million dollars to the Astralien government and pick them up in Honolulu next month. If you're late we'll keep them - they're actually kinda cute." Children are found hiding under a bed in a far corner of the house.
Nov: Thanksgiving brings all the children home for a warm, fun break filled with basketball games, pie eating and laughter.
Dec: Preparations are underway for the Rose Family reunion over the Christmas holidays. Ronda’s parents and all of her siblings and their families will be here - 32 people all together in our house!
Wrap-up: Christmas is a time for counting blessings. Our children bring us both joy and heartache, but more of the former than we deserve, and less of the latter our allotment. Our wish for you is a quiet pause to reflect on the Gift Christ brought.
Merry Christmas!
With Love from all of us: Art & Ronda, David & Elissa, Brenden (18), Bethani (18), Sierra (15), Hannah (13), Taylor (11), Caleb (9), Theron (8), Willa (6), Rylee 23m
Favorite Books of 2005
- Children’s Read-aloud: Narnia series by Lewis
Old Mother Westwind by Burgess - Rylee: Going on a Bear Hunt by Oxenbury
- Art: Sahara Unveiled by Langewiesche
The Future and its Enemies by Postrel - Ronda: Giants In the Earth by Rolvaag
Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Schlessinger - Bethani: The Problem of Pain by Lewis
- Sierra: First Impressions by Smith
- Hannah: The Spy Wore Red by Aline
- Taylor: Starwars Jedi Quest by Lucas
- Caleb: Boxcar Children series by Warner
