Saturday, December 6th

It's a fun time to be an alumnus of the University of Florida. My alma mater won the SEC Football Championship today by downing previously-undefeated & #1 ranked Alabama 31-20... the really special part for me is that the team leader is one of the most dynamic young men in America; as much is made in the media about Tim Tebow's Christian faith as the fact that he is the best college football player in the country. He sees his success on the playing field as giving him a platform for sharing his faith with a bigger audience... may God continue to bless him for his faithfulness, and Go Gators!

Friday, December 5th

My first attempt at quiche was a moderate success... I ended up using a recipe available on-line through the Blue Moon B&B in Homosassa, FL (on the gulf between Cedar Key and Tampa). I added bacon to two of the three, because we have at least one administrator that has to have meat. I plan to make nine for Wednesday's breakfast.

Our indoor team had two games tonight. We won the first 12-3, and battled back from a 5-2 deficit with two minutes left in the second to tie the game at five on a gorgeous strike from Tim.

Thursday, December 4th

Everyone seems to enjoy these old pictures... here's one of Tim's U-10 soccer team coached by his NCA P.E. teacher, Edgard Fajardo. Tim is next to coach; some of you Ashevillians will also recognize Chris Vargas (front row, second from right). His family lived in one of the mission houses at Arden Presbyterian, while his mother was being treated for breast cancer in Asheville; Judy went to Heaven exactly one week after Lana.

I have invited the entire senior class and their advisors (45 people) to breakfast at my house next Wednesday, promising them quiche as the main dish. I've never made one, so I've been poring over recipes, and intend to try one out tomorrow morning; it's my turn to bring food to the 6:45 a.m. administrators' meeting... we'll see how that goes!

Wednesday, December 3rd

Tim asked me to get him home right after school... he has been in bed four hours already. He has never been one to complain about his health... nor about anything else, for that matter. It just made me think about the concerns Lana and I initially had about taking our kids (aged 9 and 5 at the time) to live in a "third-world country", and how soon thereafter we gave testimony of how blessed we felt to be there!

The picture was taken in December of our first year in Nicaragua (1996); it's easy to remember, because the Pfeiffers (in the back of the truck with Lana & the kids) spent that Christmas with us. (L2R) Kara, Julianne, Lana, Tim, Katie & Desi.

Tuesday, December 2nd

I have a meeting with the middle and upper school faculties on alternating Tuesdays... This is the middle school cast as we wrapped up today's session. They are an exceptionally gifted, hard-working and cooperative group and I feel blessed to be a part of the team God assembled to work with our 6th-8th graders!
(L2R) Linda, Becky, Jill, Laura, Erin, Linda, Fred, Scott, Kelley,
Mary Alice, Tim & Peter.

Monday, December 1st

Today is my sister, Susie's 25th anniversary... she and her husband, Jay, have two (dark haired) children: Jennifer (married November 24th to Leif... the man in the cap), and Jason (shown with his high school sweetheart, Lauren). It is also Jason's 22nd birthday... he is a senior at the University of Florida.
Here's wishing all of them many more occasions to celebrate!

Sunday, November 30th

One last hug for the road.
Tim and I have thoroughly enjoyed having Kara home the last four days; the past couple, it seems, we've spent remembering the fun and crazy times of the first few years we were in Nicaragua... such a wealth of happy memories!

In this picture, I am wearing a sweatshirt from the University of Salamanca that Kara brought back from her trip... we invite you all to pray for her as she seeks clear direction concerning that ministry opportunity for next fall.