Merry 8th Day of Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here it is the 4th Day of Christmas and I am just now sitting down to write this letter; late for the 2nd year in a row.  I am thinking this is looking more like a trend than a fluke.  ;)  Last year we truly reveled in the celebration of all 12 Days of Christmas and look forward to the same opportunity again this year, as visiting family will be with us for all 12 days.  We had everyone except James here for Christmas Day, and plan to have a video chat with him this evening.  We are very excited to have Stephen’s parents, Hal and Beverly, coming to join us for New Years, and Jennifer arriving soon after that.  How we wish there was snow in the forecast.  I can’t believe that we are having temperatures in the 40’s and even 50’s at Christmas-time!  It hardly seems right.  We long for sledding and sleigh riding weather.  Ah well... 

We have enjoyed a lot of traveling as well as visitors this year.  Jonathan, however, did point out that perhaps we have spent too much time on the road when he lamented to me, “It seems like we leave on a Wednesday, get home on a Tuesday, go the bathroom, do a load of laundry and then do it all over again!”  So much for ‘enriching his childhood’ with travel.  I think he would rather stay home and play with his dog.  :)

The big trip of 2011 was an extended family trip to the southwest.  All of us (Julie’s family, Kerry’s family, my family and Mom and Daddy) met up in Mesa to spend a few days together.  We were thrilled that James was able to come over from his Marine base in Yuma to join us.  For one night we had all 15 of us together!  Coming home we visited Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park, Monument Valley/Four Corners area, and Mesa Verde.  For much of that time we traveled with the Oklahoma crew and Anna which made visiting those remarkable national parks even more special.  Highlights for each of us included Marvin visiting Monument Valley, the backdrop to so many of his favorite westerns and Jackson taking the sunset hike up to Delicate Arch (where he shot the photo pictured in the frame).  For Jonathan, it was the hike down to Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde and for me, it was simply spending so much time with family in the midst of such great natural beauty.  What a treasured gift!  

Marvin at Monument Valley

Jackson's photo of Delicate Arch - from the sunset hike

Jackson and Jonathan at Bryce Canyon

Jonathan's photo of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde

We enjoyed visiting Silver Dollar City for three of their festivals this year - World Fest, Harvest Fest and Christmas Fest - with Kerry, Candace and Susanna joining us for the latter.  We just love the festivals at SDC and hope to add in the Bluegrass and BBQ Fest next year.  :)  If you haven’t been (or haven’t been in awhile) I highly recommend visiting SDC.  You can count on them to provide high quality entertainment that everyone in your family will enjoy.  

Little did we know that the Oct. trip to SDC/Table Rock Lake would be the last in our little travel trailer... just a few weeks later we, along with Mom and Dad, went together to order a new fifth wheel that we will share.  We finally got it home last week and it is beautiful!  We all wish we had somewhere to go right away!  We will look forward to spending time in it at locations throughout Missouri next year, while Mom and Dad plan to take it to New England next fall.

In August we made our annual trek to the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.  This year each boy invited a friend to go with them for a few days and we all enjoyed introducing new folks to the joy of the fair.  We had a little excitement, however, when two nights in a row we were evacuated from the campground due to powerful storms heading our way.  Sedalia and the fairgrounds were hit pretty hard on one of those nights, with many areas sustaining damage and the fair unable to open until late the next day.  However, I was so impressed with the way in which the fair managed the situation, caring for everyones safety (including the animals) and getting the fair back up and running in spite of damage to some of their performance tents and no electricity.   

Mama and Daddy at the State Fair

Back Row - Jackson and Adrian
Front Row - Zack and Jonathan

Guys weekend at the Wood homeplace in Shelbina continues to be a much anticipated event for the fellas in the family.  They fill 2 weekends a year with horse riding, cooking (and eating) and lots of visiting.  Many memories are made during those special times with the men across the generations.  This fall Jonathan, now 12, was able to join in for the first time, to his great joy.  Kerry also was able to drive up to attend the September weekend.

Jonathan, Marvin, Kerry, Jackson and Daddy

Mitch, Kerry, Daddy, Charles, Jonathan and Marvin (Jackson took the photo)

Kerry and Daddy

The Magruder family reunion was held in Marion, IA and hosted by Aunt Carolyn and her grandchildren.  We so enjoyed their hospitality and the time together as family, culminating with family worship and hymn singing on Sunday morning at Aunt Carolyn’s house.  

In August we traveled to TN to attend Marvin’s family reunion, the first in several years.  We had such a wonderful time catching up with everyone, then spent the afternoon learning family history and tracing genealogy, including visits to area family cemeteries and even the old homeplace of Marvin’s Mom and siblings.  We were amazed when the current owners invited all of us inside to tour their home!  What a memorable and meaningful time that we will always cherish.

Back Row - Morris, Marvin, Steve
Front Row - Christine, Vicky, Carolyn, Cleo

Daddy officially announced his retirement from ATSU, which will come no later than June 30, 2012.   We are looking forward to having more time with Mom and Daddy and they are planning trips in that new fifth wheel.   :)  A significant development for ATSU and our entire community came last winter when it was announced that ATSU will be building a new dental school here in Kirksville.  We look forward to attending the groundbreaking this spring.

Anna graduated from high school in May.  We were so happy that James was able to fly up for the weekend to help her celebrate.  She is now a freshman at Truman in the nursing program.  She also works as a personal care assistant at Chariton Valley Association.  We enjoyed another visit with James this fall when he took advantage of a 6 week leave between assignments.  It was a joy to have him home for such a long visit.  He is now settled in to his new home in North Carolina where he will soon begin Special Operations School at Camp Lejeune.    

Matthew, Mom, James, Anna, Daddy, Julie

Anna with Mom and Daddy's capstones

James and Julie

Mom, James and Daddy

Jackson will be 16 in January and is looking forward to getting his driver’s license.  He continues to pursue photography as a career goal and works hard to hone his craft.  He enjoys playing guitar and, after having taken a short break from Taekwon-do, is looking forward to returning full time to his black belt class in 2012.  

Jackson driving home from getting his learner's permit

Jackson taking photos at Arches National Park

Jackson with his horse, Shadow (wearing Jackson's ball cap...)   :)

Jonathan is 12 and enjoys history studies (with special interest in the Civil War). He has taken up archery this year and found a true friend and mentor in this sport with whom he enjoys spending time whenever possible.  Jonathan was especially excited when Stephen, following his Masters graduation from OU, had time to come up and help him build a pedal car.  It was quite an extensive job (we so appreciated all of Stephen’s hard work) and the final result was well worth it.   

Jonathan with a bullseye

Jonathan with Governor, his horse

Jonathan and Stephen with the finished pedal car

I have lost 30 pounds since late summer and am feeling better than I have in years!  I still have about 30 more to go, but plan to be at my goal by June 1, 2012.  Marvin keeps busy with the horses and helping all of us out here at Willis Creek Ranch - we seem to be a full time job!  :)  Which is why we were extra happy to be able to pull off a surprise birthday party for him in November.  Truly, it was a perfect evening!  Carolyn, Marsha and Magge were able to drive up from TN to join in on the surprise, along with about 40 others who met at Kemps Restaurant in Clarence to celebrate Marvin.  He had absolutely NO idea it was coming and was shocked and amazed at the turnout.  It was a beautiful night.  

Marsha was the first one in to surprise Marvin

Marvin greeting his guests at his surprise birthday party

And now here we are in the midst of my favorite holiday season.  I truly enjoy the entire celebration from Thanksgiving right into the new year.  Some years our focus has been more on Advent... on the waiting and preparing.  This year we seem to be looking forward to Epiphany - the arrival of the kings to see the King.  With their long journey over, the celebration can begin.  Perhaps our view this year comes partially from the losses we have felt over the past year.  We have indeed lost dear friends and continue to feel the void with them gone.  Perhaps we must cast our hearts and minds forward to the journeys’ end at the feet of our King.

The thing that keeps coming to me when I think of this past year is that I believe we are ‘called to love’.  And I feel so blessed to be a part of a family that practices love.  How my life has been shaped by this one thing is so significant.  I know that the friends we have lost this past year also understood that call and practiced it.  They knew how to love others well.  And all of our lives are much better for it.  I can only hope to honor their memories by striving to also love others well.

We have enjoyed the riches of love and family time in great abundance this year.  For me, that is the greatest gift that I can think of - spending time with loved ones.  As we celebrate this season of hope and joy with family and friends we are so grateful for the many ways that you have added to our blessings and have been examples to us through your love, whether during this past year or years past.  We wish you all the blessings of joy and peace in the coming year.      

Merry Christmas,                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Marvin, Laura, Jackson and Jonathan Mann

We would love to hear from you!

Email - Lmjmann@me.com

Life at Willis Creek Ranch (Family blog) - http://lifeatwilliscreekranch.blogspot.com/

Willis Creek Photography (Jackson’s blog) - http://williscreekphotography.blogspot.com/

“Love one another deeply, from the heart.”  1 Peter 1:22

All 15 of us together in Mesa

All 8 cousins together in Mesa - Susanna, Jonathan, Jackson, James, Anna, Hannah, Rachel and Stephen

Jonathan on Governor, Jackson on Shadow, Marvin on Annie

Christmas Eve 

Showing Stephen's parents around Truman State University
Stephen, Beverly, Rachel, Kerry, Hannah, Candace, Hal, Mama, Daddy, Marvin