Merry Christmas from the Viks

(This is a portion of our family's Christmas letter. Keith, Erica, Andrew, and I take turns writing this)

Christmas Greetings,

Technically it’s Andrew’s turn to write the Christmas letter, but Keith nixed that since our one son is no longer living with us anymore. So being the head of the home and all, Keith decreed that it’s my turn. So there you have it and here I am.

We’ve been Wisconsinites for a year now. We like the area, our house, our church, our new friends, Lake Superior, fall colors, the absence of severe thunderstorms, and cheese curds.

When in Wisconsin, do as the Wisconsinites do. Last winter the girls took ten weeks of ski lessons which they loved. Except for Anna skiing into a tree, they caught on and we enjoyed seeing them gain skill and confidence.

This summer Keith and I hit a major milestone. 25 years ago a serious responsible shy Midwest Scandinavian ex-Marine married a scattered, friendly, usually late, sometimes goofy outdoor girl from Northern California. We celebrated our anniversary with family, friends, Root Beer Floats, Doritos, and Dipped Oreos.

So I turned 50 this year, along with Alaska, Hawaii, Barbie, the movie Sleeping Beauty, and the 64 count box of Crayons. Barbie aged better than I did. For the most part, I have no complaints, although my bad memory makes Keith nervous.

Amy (13) and Lani (11) adjusted well to the move and have made many friends. They jump in Lake Superior in the summer without hesitation despite the COLD water. They love to play games, read, skate, swim, and talk on the phone.

Anna (15) is my personal assistant. “Mom, it’s time to wake up. What time should we have breakfast? We need to go grocery shopping. There’s nothing to eat. Here’s a shopping list. We need more laundry soap. Want me to start dinner?” She can’t ever leave home.

Erica (17) and Anna both enjoy Facebook, reading, and cooking. They helped at a Homeschool horsemanship last spring. Kiah, Erica, and Anna spent five weeks this summer working at camps. Five weeks with only Amy and Lani home took some getting used to. Erica enjoys photography and bought a nice camera. so our life is well photodocumented. She graduates from High School this year.

Kiah (20) lives in Ellsworth, Minnesota and works all the time. She’s full-time at one nursing home, part-time at another, and baby-sits on her day off. She’s had a hard fall but we’ve seen so much growth in her. Though we’d never wish hard times on our children, we’re thankful for the good fruit.

Hurricane Christina touched down in our home this summer for a month. Messy room. Late nights. Constant music. Always busy. She left in September for a week in Ireland, then a week in Germany, and had a semester in Malaga on the southern coast of Spain. She is in England with a friend for the holidays and then will study next semester in Grenada. Christina (24) graduates from college next spring, and then plans to live with us while she contemplates her next step.

Andrew (22) is doing well and still works at Village Creek Bible Camp. He plans to marry Rachel Schwerdtfeger on May 22, 2010. We really like Rachel and are blessed and grateful that God brought someone so nice into his life. So come next spring, we’ll add another girl to our family.

After nine catless months we welcomed two cute black kittens named Stubby and Chubby into our home. Stubby doesn’t have a tail, hence the name. They are still in the playful, wrestling, curtain climbing, ankle biting stage but we’ve really enjoyed them. I love purring cats.

If you’re in the market for a new vacation destination, may we suggest Ashland? This is a pretty area and we love to have visitors.

Though we don’t know what next year holds, we know the One who does. We cling to God’s promises and trust Him for what lies ahead.

Blessings on the new year.

Angie, for the family