In this blog post, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas with your family and friends, plus this will be my annual what we did over the summer letter. Yes, I am back to writing a Christmas letter. In addition, we would like to think about the true meaning of this holiday. To begin with, let’s go back to the warm days of summer:
Our Daughter is Expecting!
This was the highlight of our year when our daughter Audrey and her husband Brandon told us they were expecting! Her due date is coming up within a week (mid-December), and we are very excited to welcome our first grandchild, a boy, Oliver!
Pat has been busy buying baby accessories, clothes, and diapers. Audrey also had a baby shower a couple of months ago with many family and friends attending. We may also delay our migration to warmer weather as we want to experience the joy with this new young family.
Little Family Reunion
While it was not very little, we and 60+ guests descended upon a group of cabins in French Lick Indiana. This is Pat’s side of the family and in attendance were her five brothers, her sister, plus all spouses, their kids, and grandchildren. One large group!
It was great to see and chat with everyone and to enjoy the mid-90’s temps and humid Indiana summer environment. French Lick is a very popular vacation spot in southern Indiana and is of course the hometown of Larry “the Legend” Bird. While there we took a scenic train ride, visited the resort that dates back to 1845, and walked through the casino.
The entire gang above.
Short RV Trips
We are planning a long RV trip for next summer, but this year it was just two short trips to local destinations. The first was about an hour away to a mountain top RV park at Fancy Gap Virginia. We stayed at a KOA park tucked into the mountains. A beautiful place but a little tricky to get the 41-foot trailer around the steep hills and dense trees.
While staying in this park we ventured out to some local towns to explore. They included Hillsville, Galax, and Mt Airy. All quite small but interesting towns. While we were there, Galax had their annual Old Fiddler’s Convention going on.
The other RV trip was to our local state park, Claytor Lake. Lots of hiking, fishing, cooking out, and a ham radio event called Parks on the Air.
Jet Ski Races
Every year we attend this race to watch our son compete with other racers from all over a wide region. This year, he finished 1st and 2nd in another race bringing home some nice trophies.
He practices all summer at the local lake with his other jet ski buddy’s. They race the stand-up skis and not the “sit-down” models. A huge difference from a rider’s standpoint.
A Kansas City Wedding
My brother’s only daughter, Maddi, was married to a great young man, David over the Labor Day weekend. We flew out for three days and got to see some of the tourist sights and had some good KC barbeque! Maddi and David are both professional musicians playing for the Kansas City Symphony as well as Little Rock and other locations.
Europe Trip
The summer ended as we packed up for an almost two-month trip with destinations in Portugal, Spain, a long cruise back, Sanford Florida, and then Williamsburg, VA. I plan to write a few blog posts about this incredible trip.
Wrap Up
This Christmas, we celebrate the greatest gift ever given—not something we earned, but something freely offered: Jesus Christ, our Savior. The good news of the gospel is not about what we do, but about what God has done for us in Christ. Scripture reminds us:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)
Christmas is the story of God stepping into our world, taking on flesh, and fulfilling every promise—not because we were righteous, but because we needed redemption. Our hope rests not in our efforts, but in His finished work on the cross and His resurrection. Faith alone receives this gift; works do not earn it.
So as we gather and rejoice, let us remember:
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Our peace and joy come from His perfect obedience, not ours.
Christmas is not a call to strive harder, but to trust deeper in the One who came to save.
May this season strengthen your faith and fill your heart with gratitude for the gift that cannot be bought—eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Amen