The Nine Family - Christmas 2010 - Volume 21
Season’s Greetings! We hope your year has been a good one and that you are all doing well! Our family has carried on and has felt the Lord’s continued blessings in our lives. Our quick update on each of us:
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| Emily - 3rd Grade |
Emily Claire (9) - is now in 3rd grade. Where has the time gone? She is active with her Activity Day girls at Church as well as our homeschool support group and enjoying her Geology class and History Heroes class there a great deal. This year she also joined Future Generation Chorus, a premier “feeder” chorus for Younger Generation Chorus of Plano (the one Jessica used to be a member of.) She is learning to sing and perform in front of people (quite a feat for her!) and is doing a great job of it. She is taking piano lessons as well as art lessons this year and really loves them. She has quick wit, deep logic, and notices everything around her. She is also our homemaker, our worrier, and continues to be so obedient (we’re STILL not used to that! But we LIKE IT!) She is a fantastic girl!
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| Jonathan - 11th Grade |
Jonathan Wagner (16) - is now in 11th grade. We can hardly believe he’s almost done with high school! He stays active with his Scouting and Young Men’s activities, friends, our homeschool support group where he takes a German Music class, The Making of America class, a Preach my Gospel class, a New Americans Writing/Interviewing/Research class on immigration, and is also involved with The Statesmanship Club of North Texas. He also joined Rising Generation, the “high school” chorus after Younger Generation (all three choruses are under the Younger Generation umbrella.) He is really developing his love of music and his great voice and range, and he loves it! However, I think the pretty girls in the chorus make it hard to tell whether he likes the music most or the girls. He is our “Mr. Fix It” man that Bob has trained well and we rely on him a great deal when Bob is not around. He has really matured this past year, is inspired by serving others, and is developing his leader qualities. He continues to play basketball and he was also excited to go to Philmont Scout Ranch this year and climb Mount Baldy with his troop and his dad! An unforgettable experience. He has a huge sense of humor and loves to laugh, but is a deep thinker and ponderer, and really takes things seriously when appropriate. He’s a good, wonderful young man!
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| Jessica - College |
Jessica Marie (20) - is now living at home again (not a big surprise for us) and discovered for herself the value of a college education, hence she is back in college and doing much better this time! It’s amazing what happens when you actually attend class and do the work! She works full time and attends school part time and is hoping to buy a car this coming year. Her sights are set on a Major in Music Production, though she still has hopes of attending her Horse Whisperer School once the degree is under her belt. Time will tell. She’s full of life and positive attitudes! She is still our social butterfly and loves anything to do with being around people, shopping, music, dancing, singing, being “random,” going out, and just being around more people and trying everything! She is maturing and learning to take on more responsibility and learning about the deeper, more serious things in life. She is a wonderful woman!
Teri Sue - continues to stay busy with homeschooling the kids, serving as the Primary Pianist at church, the Secretary for our homeschool group (a non-profit organization that she helped to start the past two years), teaching The Making of America class for the teens of the group, keeping up with the kids, the chores, the errands, and Bob. I must say though, it is NICE to have a trustworthy son that can help drive the younger child to/from classes and activities or run errands for you! I continue to be politically active and try to stay on top of current events, as well as news and information on education, natural health, and religion. She is still the meanest Mama in the world. :)
Bob - was promoted to Assistant VP of Technology at Concentra Inc., and continues to love his job. He is blessed with a wonderful company and great peers that he works with and who honor integrity, family, and hard work. He has traveled quite a bit the past 6 months (GA, FL, RI, NJ, MA) for his job, but they are mostly small trips. We miss him when he’s gone. Bob has been called to be the Scout Master for our Troop, and he has put his whole heart into it. He loves it! It’s his “hobby.” He loves working with the boys and helping them on their trail to Eagle. He takes them on monthly campouts, and they have all sorts of activities the rest of the month. It takes quite a bit of time, but it’s worth the sacrifice when you see the impact it has on these boys. He has participated in Daddy/Daughter Dinner/Walz/Activities with Emily, went to Philmont Scout Ranch with Jonathan and the troop, climbed Mount Baldy, (lost 75 lbs in preparation for it all!,) has continued with his on-the-side job as photographer (something he enjoys doing!,) and continues to be the greatest husband and father we could ever ask for. He leads our family by example first, has never complained, fixes everything in our lives (homes, cars, computers, tears, hearts…) and keeps the humor going! He is definitely our hero!
Teri Sue - continues to stay busy with homeschooling the kids, serving as the Primary Pianist at church, the Secretary for our homeschool group (a non-profit organization that she helped to start the past two years), teaching The Making of America class for the teens of the group, keeping up with the kids, the chores, the errands, and Bob. I must say though, it is NICE to have a trustworthy son that can help drive the younger child to/from classes and activities or run errands for you! I continue to be politically active and try to stay on top of current events, as well as news and information on education, natural health, and religion. She is still the meanest Mama in the world. :)
Bob - was promoted to Assistant VP of Technology at Concentra Inc., and continues to love his job. He is blessed with a wonderful company and great peers that he works with and who honor integrity, family, and hard work. He has traveled quite a bit the past 6 months (GA, FL, RI, NJ, MA) for his job, but they are mostly small trips. We miss him when he’s gone. Bob has been called to be the Scout Master for our Troop, and he has put his whole heart into it. He loves it! It’s his “hobby.” He loves working with the boys and helping them on their trail to Eagle. He takes them on monthly campouts, and they have all sorts of activities the rest of the month. It takes quite a bit of time, but it’s worth the sacrifice when you see the impact it has on these boys. He has participated in Daddy/Daughter Dinner/Walz/Activities with Emily, went to Philmont Scout Ranch with Jonathan and the troop, climbed Mount Baldy, (lost 75 lbs in preparation for it all!,) has continued with his on-the-side job as photographer (something he enjoys doing!,) and continues to be the greatest husband and father we could ever ask for. He leads our family by example first, has never complained, fixes everything in our lives (homes, cars, computers, tears, hearts…) and keeps the humor going! He is definitely our hero!
This year we actually had company! Nana (Bob’s Mother) and Uncle Howard (her brother) drove down to visit us! We had a wonderful time being together, Nana teaching Emily how to crochet, talking genealogy, eating out, catching up on each other’s news, and showing them a bit about our lives here in Plano. We were sad to see them go, but Emily was the most sad! She misses having grandparents around.
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| Bob, Teri, Nana, and Uncle Howard |
At this favorite time of year, we pause to reflect on the birth of Him who has made all things possible for each of us, even Jesus Christ. We pray that He will shower you with His tender mercies and blessings throughout the New Year and that we will all be able to recognize His hand in our lives. What a glorious day that must have been for those shepherds to stand at his cradle and welcome Him to the world. As we strive to remember that day, we send you our love and wish you each a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and blessed New Year!
Let us never forget the Reason for this Season...
