Monday, December 3, 2018

2018 Albertson Family Christmas Letter


                                                                                                December 1, 2018
Hello to all our friends and family!  Hasn’t this year flown by?  I have been negligent about writing letters as often as I intended to, especially to all of our Colorado friends.

2018 so far has been busy with lots of visitors.  We never had this many visitors when we lived in Colorado!  We are so blessed to have had 56 overnight guests, 129 different Sunday meal guests,31 different weekday meal guests and 16 who stopped by, but not at a meal time.  On 42 Sundays from January through November, we had guests.

God has helped us with several improvements to our property this year.  We are thankful to get our shed constructed, our master bath remodeled and new flooring, the guest room and bathroom painted, our trees trimmed and two removed, our driveway enlarged, and new flooring in the kitchen, dining room, half bath, entryway and hallway.  Our sons helped in the master bath shower remodel at Christmas last year, and Jeffrey and Lesa came in June to do the floor tiling, new cabinet, lighting and wiring.  Then they came again in November to do the main level flooring project.  We hired the driveway expansion and tree trimming.  All of these are great improvements and we are so thankful to have them done!

We are thankful for Rowen’s job with Budget Blinds and Tailored Living.  He has installed countless blinds, shutters, and closet systems.  Janet has been thankful to take care of a dear elderly friend for almost two years, but that job is ending with this year.  We are trusting God will provide the work He wants her to do next and hopefully nearer to home, so the gasoline is not such a big item in our budget.

Emily and Elizabeth have worked at Chick-fil-A this year—Emily full-time until August when she had a missions trip to Detroit, then started full-time freshman year of college at God’s Bible School and College in Cincinnati.  Since then, she only works Saturdays, and continues to be the “opener” that day.  Elizabeth works one day a week to fit around her college schedule at GBSC, but worked more during part of the summer until she did a 6 week internship (2 weeks with Gospel Publishing Mission in Hobe Sound, Florida and 4 weeks in Taiwan).  Elizabeth plans to graduate in May 2019 with a BA in Integrative Studies with Cognates in Intercultural Studies & World Missions and Children’s Ministry.

Rowen and Janet celebrated 35 years of marriage this October with a trip to Paducah, Kentucky in September.  In October we all traveled to Missouri for Janet’s sister’s wedding and got to see almost all of our primary family, and extended family on Janet’s side.  In July, Janet traveled to Joplin, Missouri to visit her parents and our son and his family.

In 2018, Janet completed four quilts which were scattered to South Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, and Kentucky.

Yet to happen this year:  Janet right cataract removal, Rowen new glasses, Elizabeth and Emily participation in GBSC Christmas performance—Elizabeth in the Christmas choir and Emily in the Christmas orchestra in conjunction with the drama.  We were privileged to have Jeffrey and Lesa here for two weeks in November, so they won’t be coming for Christmas. We are grateful to live close enough to Jason and Karen to expect to see them sometime over the holidays. As far as we know, Randy’s and Tim’s families won’t be able to come.  It will be different not having all our kids together for Christmas.

We are thankful to be as healthy as we are.  Rowen is blessed to have an endocrinologist who gives him free samples of insulin, so we have not had to buy insulin since the first time he saw this doctor in March of 2017!  That is an amazing example of God’s care and provision for us!  We are thankful for the many, many miles we have driven safely.  Both Rowen and Janet have traveled a distance to work and God has been so good to us.  We are thankful for the ways God has helped Elizabeth and Emily in work situations, college stresses, and missions experiences that stretched them and grew their faith and trust in God.  We are thankful for our wonderful church family and the many GBS students we have been able to get acquainted with, and the many friends and family who visited us this year.  We are thankful that our children are all on the right track and serving Jesus.  We are most thankful for Jesus and the salvation He provided for us!

Our prayer for all of our friends and family is that Jesus will be real and near to each one as we face a new year.  May the Christ of Christmas live in our hearts so that every day others will see Jesus in us!

Have a blessed Christmas,
Rowen, Janet, Elizabeth, and Emily Albertson



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