Christmas 2007 News

Merry Christmas!

I feel like we've already written an unbelievably long Christmas letter in the form of our two blogs (this one and www.abbylinam.com), and those of you who have kept up with your reading know that we've had a full year--full of baseball and dogs and horses and volleyball and basketball and 4-H and academic contests and traveling and much, much healing. We are so very glad to have been granted this full life and full family once again.

For those of you who haven't kept up and want the condensed version...After spending much of the spring continuing outpatient rehabilitation therapy, Abby returned to school full-time this fall. She's back in 8th grade playing sports, running her dog Arby in agility contests, and continuing to ride horses at a local riding therapy center (where she also volunteers). Some activities take a little more time and effort, but she is doing very, very well. Frank has chosen to homeschool once again, and I'm enjoying having him here while I work from home. Homeschooling suits him very well, as he's a conscientious worker and then enjoys having time left to play sports and take some after-school classes in art and music. He had a very successful baseball pitching season in the spring and summer, but is really looking forward to the start of basketball season (his favorite sport). Gordon and I continue to stay busy with our work at Texas Parks and Wildlife, with church activities, and with our kids' 4-H and sports. We had a 20-year-reunion with our German friends, Uli and Birgit, this fall, and our summer vacation to the canyon country of Arizona and Utah is described below!

Finally, we need to introduce you to the newest member of our family, "Blanco River Aggie" or just "Aggie" for short. She's a cute, cute golden retriever whose mission seems to bring new life and enthusiasm to all of us (Arby and Amigo included)! It's great to be around someone who is always happy!

May this Christmas season bring much happiness to you. We keep you close in prayer--knowing that each year may bring new challenges to each us, and yet knowing that Christmas itself brought to us the hope and strength that can carry us through. Though I said I was finished with Abby's blog on October 3, I added one more post this month, featuring lyrics from some songs that seem to tell our story. We pray that, if you face hard times this year, you may also find the strength and hope that these songs reveal and that you will let us walk together with you as friends.

Love,
-the Linams