2000 Christmas Letter from Art and Ronda
King
Greetings to our friends! Newsworthy events from our family can be found
here:
New Years We trek to a rented house at Sun River, Oregon for our
new year’s celebration and skiing. Art wakes up the five oldest children
at 11:30PM and takes them out by the river to welcome the New Millennium.
The Hour turns with sparkling snow and brilliant stars.
Feb Art joins his brother Ray skiing on Mt. Bailey in southern
Oregon. One morning Theron slips out of the house and disappears. 45
minutes of frantic searching later Theron and the dog are found exploring the
woods.
March Brenden’s leg lengthening brace comes off. It was a
long haul, but very successful and his formerly short leg is 3 inches longer.
After 7 years of promises, Art finally puts up a zip line. With 380 feet
of steel cable, it stretches down the hill behind our house. Riding the
zip line brings many hours of fun.
April Ronda and Art each attend their 25-year high-school class
reunions. Art takes Bethani with him to Montana to celebrate his Mother’s
80th birthday. Bethani brings home honors at a piano competition.
May Ever since Brenden came home 12 years ago, Art has been
promising him a trip back to his birthplace. Brenden and Art spend two
weeks in Pusan, South Korea. We explore the city on foot, in the subway,
on buses and by taxi. We trust to the goodwill of the restaurant waiters.
We hike to mountain Buddhist temples. We read books together. A
better father-son trip could not be imagined.
June Tears accompany Elissa’s final concert in the Ring of Fire
bell choir and her graduation from TVJA. She gets a summer job at a nearby
ice cream shop. Taylor turns 6 and fills his summer with non-stop little-boy
fun.
July Caleb pushes his finger through a small hole in a
cast-aluminum step on the playground slide. The finger won’t come out.
Dad is summoned home from work to take boy and slide step to the emergency room.
August The family spends a wonderful week at a beach house at
Tierra Del Mar on the Oregon coast.
Sep Elissa leaves home to attend 11th grade at Milo Academy in
southern Oregon. We miss her muchly. Ronda launches homeschool with
Brenden, Bethani, Sierra and Hannah. Sierra eagerly responds to high
expectations from her new piano teacher. Hannah and Sierra shoot baskets
every day, rain or shine.
Oct Willa learns to walk and discovers new vistas for mischief .
Hannah turns a sparkling 8 years old.
Nov On Thanksgiving morning in a rainstorm, Art treks his four boys to
the zoo.
Dec Bethani performs in many concerts as part of the Ring of Fire
bell choir. The tree goes up and Christmas music traditions are renewed.
We look forward to a visit from Grandpa Frank and Grandma Lauretta.
Wrap Up A Christmas-time house-full of joyful noise reminds us of
just how blessed we are. We thank God for so many good gifts to us
this year. Our sincere wishes for the best of Christmas joy to you!
Art, Ronda, Elissa (17), Brenden (13), Bethani (13), Sierra (10), Hannah (8),
Taylor (6), Caleb (4), Theron (3) and Willa (1) all join in to wish you a
very…
Merry Christmas!
Favorite Books of 2000
Read-aloud with the children: Sheep in a Jeep by Shaw, Huck Finn by
Twain, Moonfleet by Falkner
Art: The Future and Its Enemies by Postrel, Aubrey-Maturin series by
O‘Brian, Utopias Elsewhere by Daniels
Ronda: Good Families Don’t Just Happen by Musco, Sowing Seeds in Danny,
Second Chance and Purple Springs by McClung
Elissa: Taliesin by Lawhead, Sweetness to the Soul by Kirkpatrick,
The Spy Wore Red (series) by Aline
Brenden: Henry Reed, Inc by Robertson
Bethani: Patriot Games by Clancy, Alicia, My Story by Jurman
Sierra: Incident at Hawk Hill by Eckert, The Wheel on the School by
DeJong
Hannah: Home from Afar by Little