2007 Christmas Letter
Posted on 04. Jan, 2008 by Shanna Gons in Christmas, Family
Merry Christmas, Family and Friends!
We hope you are well and have had a wonderful year! As we look back on 2007, we can truly say that the Lord is “kind in all His works” (Ps 145:17).
We enjoyed several opportunities to spend time with our families over this past year. In May Shanna spent a week in MN. Phil wasn’t able to take off, so he stayed in Greenville. Shanna’s dad and Ryan met her at the airport in Minneapolis. She spent the first night with her dad and Kathy. Ryan and Erin came up from Kansas City, so Shanna enjoyed a nice brunch with the four of them. For the next few days, Shanna spent time with Curt and her mom; Ryan and Erin; and Chad, Sara, and their four (soon to be five) children. She also had some extra special time with her Grandma McShane, who had an appointment for an angioplasty at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester during Shanna’s visit. Shanna took advantage of the opportunity and went with her. They had a very nice time together. We’re thankful that she was able to come home that night and is doing well.
At the end of June, Dad and Mom Gons drove down to Greenville for a wedding—and to spend some time with us and Valerie and Jon. We had a very nice time and enjoyed having them stay with us again. At the end of July, we traveled up to Findlay, OH for Valerie and Jon’s wedding. It was a very short weekend with two full days of driving, but it was great to see everyone. In October we headed up to Winston-Salem, NC—where Jon and Valerie live—for a short weekend with them; Dad and Mom Gons; and Mark, Amy, and their two (soon to be three) children. Since we knew we wouldn’t be able to make it up for our scheduled Thanksgiving trip, we were glad that we could all get together.
The remainder of the year has been a whirlwind. We experienced our first major transition as a couple—leaving our home in Greenville, SC and driving across the country to settle in Bellingham, WA. Phil took a job with Logos Research Systems, Inc., the makers of Logos Bible Software (which he has loved using for the past few years). He is enjoying his new job.
Shanna had been working for Jackie for a little over three years and had grown close to her, Victoria, and Ruby (Jackie’s paralegal), so she was sad to leave them and her other great coworkers. She is really thankful that the Lord allowed their paths to cross. Shanna gained a variety of work experience as she assisted Jackie in the office in addition to her work as a nanny. Shanna has not found a new job yet, but she has a couple prospects that look promising—one with Windermere Real Estate as a receptionist and the other with Logos.
This year we spent Thanksgiving here instead of OH. We will be staying here for Christmas as well since Phil doesn’t have any vacation time yet. Even though we’re missing spending time with our families over the holidays, we are thankful that we had a couple of occasions to see Phil’s family and that Shanna was able to spend a week in MN. We were also glad to see some of Shanna’s family on our trip out here. We spent a day with Ryan, Erin, and their new baby, Olivia, in Kansas City; and the following day we met Shanna’s mom and Curt for lunch in South Dakota. Though they were brief stops, we were thankful for these opportunities.
We are full of gratitude for God’s bountiful blessings to us every step of the way this year, but we are especially grateful this Christmas as we reflect upon the “immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7).
Love,
Phil & Shanna
