Merry Christmas 2012 from the Howards!
Its’ hard to believe that its’ that time of year
again when I sit down, Christmas music playing in the background, coffee in
near proximity, for me to write—what has become an annual Christmas
letter. Merry Christmas from Mike,
Linda, and of course, our beloved companion, Meghan! 2012 brought significant loss to our lives,
but also brought wonderful times spent with family, friends, and opportunities
for “growth experiences.”
Shortly into the New Year on January 17, we lost
Mike’s mom after her courageous battle with cancer. It was an incredible loss for us. Not only was she Mike’s mom, but she had
become a mother to me who loved me unconditionally in the absence of my own mother. We shared a very special bond that I will
cherish the remainder of my days. Most
recently, as the year comes to a close, we also lost one of our dearest
friends, Kathy Stokes. She and her
husband have been personal friends of ours for over 25 years. Kathy also fought a courageous battle against
cancer and somehow, for whatever reason, God chose to take Kathy, at the age of
48, on December 4. Both Mike’s mom and
Kathy will leave a significant void in our lives. In the midst of our sadness, we take great
comfort in knowing that both are now pain-free and are rejoicing with the
angels in Heaven.
Despite those significant losses, we’re thankful to
say that between January and December, we had several opportunities to
celebrate and allow our spirits to be refreshed by the presence of family,
friends, and time spent with just Mike and I.
In February, we ventured off with 16 of our new SCUBA friends and spent
time in Utila, Honduras. We both enjoyed
the underwater adventures as Mike SCUBA’d and I snorkeled. After the recent loss of Mike’s mom, the warm
sunshine and the wonderful opportunity for much needed rest and relaxation was
exactly what we needed as our souls were refreshed.
In July, my brother Tom and his wife, Carolyn rented
an RV and joined us for a camping and boating adventure at Willow Bay. My two additional siblings, Laura and Gary,
as well as “Mahon” cousins and old family friends, were also able to join us at
various times throughout the week. It
was such a fun time! Some of Mike’s and
my fondest memories and times of refreshing are spent in our RV or tucked away
in some cove in our boat along the Kinzua Reservoir.
August brought significant changes in our life as
well. Mike was offered a new position
with a different company. We stepped out
in faith and Mike accepted the position.
He continues to work many, long hours away from home in the oil and
natural gas industry, but we feel that he is where God wants him to be. He’s learning new skills that will compliment
his extensive experience as a driller and look forward to what God has for him
(and us) in the future. Me, I celebrated
my16th anniversary at Bradford Ecumenical Home, Inc. and continue
to teach for the SUNY network. I love
both positions tremendously and feel blessed every day that God has provided
such great opportunities and experiences for me. As I told you a couple of years ago in our
Christmas letter, the book of Matthew tells us, “you have been faithful with a
few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s
happiness.” We are still convinced that
God has shown favor on us as we have tried to honor Him in our professional
lives. Speaking of professional lives,
after four years of taking one or two classes at a time, I will be graduating
from Alfred State University this month.
I have done well and will be graduating with honors. With my required schooling behind me and after the new year, I will be applying
to sit for a National exam in Registered Health Information Technology. Upon passing, this will allow me to carry additional
credentials. My heart overflows with gratitude to God for
His faithfulness and the strength that He has provided to keep me going
semester after semester.
For us, it seemed that the summer flew by (with a
huge home improvement project behind us!) and before you knew it, we were
entering into September. Would you
believe that on September 26, Mike and I celebrated our 20th wedding
anniversary? This accomplishment, in
itself, was definitely worth celebrating!
I am so happy to say that, through better or worse, richer or poorer,
and in sickness and health, Mike and I are the happiest that we have ever been
in our married life. Over the years we
have matured, placed God first in our relationship, and look forward to many
more years to come. And yes, we snuck
away for a few days and headed to Hershey, PA (which happens to be one of my
favorite places in PA!) and attended the “America’s Largest RV Show.” We had a blast and can’t wait to hopefully
go again next year!
Can’t put out a Christmas letter and not mention the
nieces and nephews! They are our pride
and joy and its’ so much fun for us to watch them grow, excel, and now have
children of their own. A few highlights
(oldest to youngest)—Keith continues to work in the Oil and Gas Industry and
does very well. He & Uncle Mike
often share dinner while away from home.
Ashly continues to climb the corporate ladder and can proudly boast of
the highest retail sales in her region. Kevin,
who serves in the U.S. Army, was promoted to Staff Sergeant (E-6) and became an
“official” Drill Sergeant in August. He
and his wife, Kelli, were then assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia. Ryan and his wife, Joy, will be expecting
their second child in the Spring. His
daughter (my great-niece!), Sydney, just turned 3. Phil proposed to his sweet girlfriend,
Courtney, and we will be celebrating a June 2013 wedding! Our California boys, Peter, Will, Vince, and
Michael continue to do well in college/high school and excel on the athletic field. Zach is pursuing Jr. Fireman and EMT training
and really enjoys it. He’s thinking
about following in his Uncle Mike’s footsteps by pursuing a degree in Petroleum
Engineering and heading into the Oil and Gas Industry as well. Again, we are so proud of each of them and
continue to pray God’s blessings over each of their lives.
We would also be remorseful if we didn’t include how
much our Sawyer Evangelical Church family means to us. They provide encouragement, prayer power, and
friendship that is such a blessing to us.
I continue to teach one of the many Sunday School classes, the ladies
“Care & Share.” I enjoy this group
of ladies immensely and am excited to see where God takes our class in
2013!
As we look to Christmas, we celebrate the “reason
for the season” as we anticipate Jesus’ birth.
It is to Him, that we say “thank you” for another year of His
faithfulness—in the good times and the bad.
We look forward to and wait with expectancy to what God has in store for
us as we approach 2013. We pray that
you can also rejoice in God’s faithfulness and we wish you and yours a very
Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous “banner” New Year!
Love,
