February 2010 Update

February 2010

Dear friends and family:

Happy Valentine's Day/Weekend! We are going to go out to dinner at a nice place here in Jax called the Chart House and I'm really looking forward to it. It has beautiful, sweeping views of the St. John River.

We are doing great and hope you guys are too. I was able to visit my parents in early January and it was really cold in Amarillo! In fact, it's been really cold in all the places where we have friends and family....and even cool here in Florida with lots of rain. So I know all of us are looking forward to warmer temps!

We have a busy Spring planned. We are going to take a short trip to see friends that will be speaking at a conference in Savannah. Then in March, I am going to see Amy in NC and later in the month, Mark and I both will go to DC to see Neal. They are hanging in there living apart while Amy finishes her term. She should be able to be out of the Marines in July and we are all excited for that final day for her! London is growing and gets into everything....he loves to be inquisitive and adventurous! Amy is busy as ever with her work and London. Neal is working his new position and going to college. They both love Washington DC and can't wait to be together so their family can be under one roof for awhile!

In May, Ryan and his family will come to spend some time with us in Florida so we are very excited about their visit. We went to Kansas City for Christmas and had a great time with them and celebrating our 32nd anniversary with friends. Kennedy is so smart and we love talking to her on the phone -- she could talk for hours, something we think she got from my mom! Farrell is two now and if he can get the phone from his sister, he talks with us too...he's so cute and his first sentence is always "I love trains" and he talks all about his Thomas the Train. Boys!!! They are growing up fast but we've been blessed to see all of our grandkids/kids at least every 6 months if not before. Ryan is finishing his masters course and Megan graduated from her internship and is now officially a Registered Dietitian. She completed her studies even though she had broken her neck earlier in the year! Incredible.

Mark and I continue to just love Florida and our life here. The church is doing well and we are beginning to start our small group ministry. This summer, we will take a couple of mission trips and we are excited to get back into a little traveling overseas. We work hard but we play hard too....we can't wait until it is warm enough to get out on the water. The fishing has been good and our fruit trees have even produced fruit the first year. I had 26 oranges and 33 lemons! A friend started a pineapple plant for me so in about one more year, I'll have grown a pineapple too!! You can dig a hole anywhere down here, plant something and it will grow...I love that.

Hope you are having a good year. We feel like we are growing all the time in our journey...experiencing life's highs and lows teaches us how to be better people and friends though it isn't always easy. We are excited about 2010 and hope we get to see some, all or at least most of you during this year. But if not, know that you are always in our thoughts and prayers when we do think of you.

Love from sunny Florida,

Cathy and Mark