MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

MAY ALL THE JOY AND BLESSINGS

OF THIS GLORIOUS SEASON

BE UPON YOU ALL

This past year has been an exciting one for us. While we have experienced a few medical events, we have been blessed with being able to take a 21-day train trip in February and to make two major trailer trips – a 45 night trailer trip through the Gaspe and Maine along with a 10 night run to Saskatchewan. Further, our 14 year old grandson, Jesse, visited for 3 weeks between the two trips and we were thrilled to have Larry's sister, Joanne, visit from Ottawa over the Thanksgiving weekend – all too short a time but really fun. All in all it has been one great year!

With Judy now retired we are able to simply take-off as the Spirit moves us. And, generally, we have no deadlines or schedules to keep. This is a great thrill for both of us! With Judy's 40 year nursing career and Larry's 47 year work as a Minister (parallel with a 14 year career in the computer business) and Priest it has been very difficult for us to take really significant time off save for some hastily scheduled vacations as our schedules were so divergent. But now things are very different.

In February we travelled by train to Kingston and spent several days with our son Mike and his lovely wife Karen in Lansdowne, Ontario visiting our newest Grandchild Daniel. It was difficult to get him out of Grandma's arms the whole time we were there! While there we went to Brockville to meet with Dave and Lynne McComb and Russ and Ruth Darling – Dave and Russ were good friends of Larry's in their teenage years and the friendship has been re-established. We then took the train to Ottawa to visit Joanne and Keith for 4 fun filled days and nights. They went overboard in showing us a great time with wonderful company! The next leg of our trip was taking the train to Montreal where we stayed on the edge of Old Montreal. During that short time there we walked through snow covered Old Montreal and around the down town area of Montreal. This was all a completely new experience for Judy and days of reminiscence for Larry. We enjoyed super restaurants and Judy was even able to experience Montreal snow (20cm fell on our first night there) as compared to Western Canada snow. We followed this up by taking the train back to Kingston to spend another few days with Mike, Karen, and, of course, DANIEL! Finally we travelled home by train where Mike and Liz Lowery, our good friends from Brandon, met us with our truck.

At the end of May we left for points east with our Travel Trailer. We travelled through Northern Michigan and Sault Ste. |Marie on our way to Barrie, Ontario where we spent a day with our friends Bob and Irma Kelsey. From there we went to the Oshawa area to spend an evening with Judy's sister Kathy and nephew Robert, and then on to Mallorytown KOA for a six night stop to spend time with, you guessed it, Mike, Karen, and DANIEL! We also took the opportunity to again meet with Dave and Lynn McComb for a nice brunch in Brockville and had a great time just talking and enjoying each other's company (unfortunately for us Russ and Ruth were away that weekend). We travelled to the West Montreal KOA at Coteau du Lac where we camped. Larry took Judy for a drive into Lachine where we saw the Old Homestead on 45^th Avenue. When Larry saw a lady peeking out the front door to see who was taking pictures he went and explained why he was there. Then Adele and Paul Arts, the current owners since 1978, invited Judy and Larry in. Their hospitality was fantastic as they entertained us and gave us a tour of the house – what a time of utter nostalgia! Our trip then took us along the south shore of the St. Lawrence on Hwy 132 through such magnificent places as St. Jean Port Joli (a wood carver's Mecca) as we travelled to Gaspe and Perce (where we were fogbound for four days). We stopped at Bonaventure where we camped right beside the Bay of Chaleur and played golf on a magnificent course with unparalleled waterfront and inland views. Crossing New Brunswick we headed to a camp ground in Trenton, Maine and spent several days touring the Bar Harbor area before heading south to Old Orchard Beach and then turning homeward. We travelled back through New Hampshire, Vermont, Upper New York, Ontario (stopping at St. Jacobs for a few nights), Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. It was a trip of a lifetime and we arrived home tired but ecstatic.

It was a fantastic experience for both of us and we were able to enjoy the ability to simply enjoy our trip without being concerned about time. On the other hand, once we turned toward home we experienced the desire to get back to our Sandy Lake, Manitoba home.

Jesse came near the end of July for a three week stint with us. He was out to beat Grandpa on the golf course – and managed it on one 18-hole round and came close a couple of other times! We also fished – Jesse creamed Grandpa here! And we worked on the model railway where Jesse proved invaluable as not only a helper but an idea guy! We had a great time - and Grandpa was pooped!

We took Jesse with us in August to Churchbridge, Saskatchewan, where we camped while Larry led worship at the Lutheran Churches in Churchbridge and Langenburg. Then we travelled to Moose Jaw where Rob, Carol, Josiah, and Jeremiah met us for supper and then took Jesse back home. We travelled back through the Manitou Beach area where we enjoyed the dense mineral waters of the local spa before returning home via Churchbridge where Larry again led worship at the two points and then home to Sandy Lake.

The fall has been characterised by Larry's having a minor operation and then having a cataract removed and Larry and Judy both undergoing some medical tests. So we did not get out in our trailer again as we had hoped.

But, the fall was completed when Joanne called and said she was coming for a short visit over the Thanksgiving weekend. Unfortunately, Keith could not make it. But we had a great time and it was wonderful to see Joanne, as hers and Keith's intended visit to the camp ground at Mallorytown in the early summer had been inhibited by Keith's injuring his ankle and not being able to put any weight on it for a while let alone drive his car. We had a great time with many laughs and simply enjoying her company. We only wish we lived closer so that we could see more of Jo and Keith!

When Joanne arrived we also had an opportunity to see our son John who was trucking between Edmonton and Winnipeg. We met over breakfast and had a great time seeing him again. It has been too long between visits with John – for Joanne it had been 25 years!

After Thanksgiving Judy met Kathy in Winnipeg and then went to Stratton, Ontario to visit their mother for her 81^st birthday. Judy was also able to take her mother shopping and to some medical appointments while she was there.

Again, life has been great in retirement and we are looking forward to many more years of blissful joy and happiness together without the constraints of schedules and deadlines. We can hardly wait to see what 2009 will bring!

At this time we wish to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and all the joys and blessings of the upcoming New Year.

Larry +, Judy, and Skip Winslow

Christmas 2008

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