2008 Christmas Newsletter

December, 2008

Dear family & friends,

My, how time flies. 2008 has been interesting for us and at times a little nutty, but again God has been good and faithful to us through it all.

In January, we added a new member to our family. Meet Mr. Fenway, our new baby. He’s a Boston Terror…. I mean Terrier. No, Trish is NOT a Red Sox fan – she is a die-hard Yankee fan. But what else do you name something from Boston? You can’t (or shouldn’t) call him Jeter, right? He loves to travel and play with others (he doesn’t get intimidated by other dogs - thinks he’s a Rottie). He can’t wait to meet you.

This past summer; we had the privilege to spend a week with Ryan, Jen and our grandson Nathan. We saw their new home and had a great time bonding with them. Nathan is absolutely adorable. Fenway had a ball as well, playing with Rambo, a 2 year old Boxer, and Scooby, a 9 year old grumpy husky. Fenway didn’t care he was much smaller than them, he played long and hard all day long.

	Tommy is doing fantastic. He loves his job as a New Jersey Trooper. He bought a home this past summer; and also has a wonderful new girlfriend in his life (sorry women, but he’s no longer available.) We are so very proud of him.

Vinnie is still working as a mechanic for Salerno Duane in Newton, NJ. He and his girlfriend Ashley are doing great. Vinnie bought a Harley this past year (and yes, Ron is very jealous.) And Vinnie has acquired a new hobby – darts. He is #2 in his division.

Trish’s mom, Angela, is doing very well. She still lives in Florida. She came up to visit with us this past summer.

Ron’s mom, June, is still living in Ocala, FL. She is still trying to get back to her ministry work. This past Thanksgiving, Ryan and Jen flew her out to Kansas to visit them and to finally meet her great-grandson. All had a wonderful time.

On a sad note, the boys had two losses since the last newsletter, their Grandfather Roy Van Tassel, aka as “Chief”, passed away Easter Sunday; he was 88. Also, the kid’s beloved basset hound Ezra, who just turned 12, had to be put down due to diabetes.

Guess who turned “50” this year? Ron! And against his wishes, Trish threw a surprise party for him! A small group of close friends came to celebrate, and best of all – Ron didn’t suspect a thing!

Laurie also took a big step. As you recall, she’s been living with us since Jan 07. This past October, she started a new job with ADP; and has her own apartment. She even hosted Thanksgiving for us at her place, where we ate, and ate, and ate…. Just look at the feast she created. She’s on her way to achieving her independence, and we are very proud. Looks like she’s making the Lehigh Valley home.

Trish and I have had the opportunity to do some traveling this year. We’ve been to Pittsburgh (very nice city); Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno and even spent some time in Utah, where Trish got to see what “God’s Country” really is. As expected, Trish loved Utah. Trish tried to convince me to find Donny Osmond’s house in Provo but that didn’t happen. Still the mountains (and yes they are mountains, not like the little hills in PA) mesmerized her. Now if Avaya will just relocate us there…..

Speaking about Avaya, Ron is still the SMB Product Manager with them; and has been there for nearly 30 years now.

Also, we were recently promoted to District Leaders with Primerica Financial Services, where we are providing “Financial Strategy Planning” for families. What does that mean? We educate and help people get their finances in order; get out of debt; plan for retirement; and help them save for their future as well as their children’s future. Sound intriguing? Don’t have your plan created? Then call and talk with us about this.

God has truly blessed us as always and we are thankful to have all of you in our life. Our children and grandchild mean the world to us, as well as you - our extended family and our friends. We pray all is well with you and your family.

May God prosper you and bring joy into your life as well as your families. May He guide you in the coming year and give you peace.

We wish all of you a great Christmas and a blessed 2009.

Blessings,

Ron & Trish

PS – Please note our NEW e-mail addresses and website:

Ron – ron@ron-trish.com Trish – trish@ron-trish.com

Website: www.ron-trish.com