2024 Christmas Letter
Merry Christmas everyone! While reading some of our old blogposts from days gone by, I came to a realization. We’ve lived a beautiful life and it’s difficult to retain memories of all the joy-filled moments. It gives me an appreciation for having caught some of those stories through our blog, so we continue the memory capturing today. Thanks for joining us on the journey.
The moments are different these days living away from Camp Gray. “Different” may be translated to mean many things depending on who you ask in this little family of ours. Like all change, it has not always been easy but in keeping with tradition we’ve managed to fit in some pretty awesome living in the midst of it all.
Through it all, we continue to focus on what we believe matters, good quality time together, away from devices and outside in the midst of God’s beautiful creation.
After leaving camp in May of ‘23 we lived a nomadic life for 6 months. We stayed in 11 different dwellings and multiple different states. Sometimes, even the state of confusion.
One of the blessings to settling on Fox Hill Cir is that we have many maple trees nearby. From our yard alone, we managed to tap 21 trees last year. This is about half the taps we put in back at camp but we still came out with roughly the same amount of syrup! We love making maple syrup.
My new role, as Director of Mission Sustainability at Camp Wojtyla means that our family gets to spend summer days near Jamestown, CO, about 45 minutes NW of Boulder. John 10:10 is our bedrock bible verse, “I came that we might have life, and have it to the full.” Living life fully alive is easy to do when up at 7,800ft in a beautiful alpine meadow. We even got to see real moose!
Family time in the northwoods with the Andraska family is also a favorite of ours. One week away each August to fish, play cards, pontoon and of course, take in the snowshoe baseball game in Lake Tomahawk has become a fan favorite.
The Kentucky cousins bring much joy too. Whether meeting up in IL, WI or driving down to KY for Thanksgiving, it seems as though the laughs are endless when all 20 of them get together. Number 21 will be arriving in March when Kevin and Kelly have their third child.
Rebecca and I celebrated our 19th anniversary this year in Oct. We managed to take our homemade canoe out for a spin on our local lake.
Some other highlights of the year:
Staying at the Point Beach State Park lightkeepers house with Kevin, Kelly and Denny and Phyllis. Lots of great kite flying to be had!
Many years ago, Mo-T, a long-time CG employee, joined the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr St. George. We were able to join lots of former camp staff as she took final vows in August and we got to visit her again in November for her family visit.
I read this quote recently in an article titled,
Why should Families Travel In a world that mostly pushes individuality to the extreme, travel gives families a rare chance to genuinely work together and forge a much-needed group identity. It turns families into teams. -Jim Dalrymple II
We are blessed by the group identity that we’ve formed and we’ve been blessed by all the adventures that have formed us. Many of you have been part of that adventure at some point and for that we say, “thank you.” Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful 2025. May you too find adventure and life to the full.
The moments are different these days living away from Camp Gray. “Different” may be translated to mean many things depending on who you ask in this little family of ours. Like all change, it has not always been easy but in keeping with tradition we’ve managed to fit in some pretty awesome living in the midst of it all.
Through it all, we continue to focus on what we believe matters, good quality time together, away from devices and outside in the midst of God’s beautiful creation.
After leaving camp in May of ‘23 we lived a nomadic life for 6 months. We stayed in 11 different dwellings and multiple different states. Sometimes, even the state of confusion.
One of the blessings to settling on Fox Hill Cir is that we have many maple trees nearby. From our yard alone, we managed to tap 21 trees last year. This is about half the taps we put in back at camp but we still came out with roughly the same amount of syrup! We love making maple syrup.
My new role, as Director of Mission Sustainability at Camp Wojtyla means that our family gets to spend summer days near Jamestown, CO, about 45 minutes NW of Boulder. John 10:10 is our bedrock bible verse, “I came that we might have life, and have it to the full.” Living life fully alive is easy to do when up at 7,800ft in a beautiful alpine meadow. We even got to see real moose!
Family time in the northwoods with the Andraska family is also a favorite of ours. One week away each August to fish, play cards, pontoon and of course, take in the snowshoe baseball game in Lake Tomahawk has become a fan favorite.
Some other highlights of the year:
Staying at the Point Beach State Park lightkeepers house with Kevin, Kelly and Denny and Phyllis. Lots of great kite flying to be had!
Many years ago, Mo-T, a long-time CG employee, joined the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr St. George. We were able to join lots of former camp staff as she took final vows in August and we got to visit her again in November for her family visit.
I read this quote recently in an article titled,
Why should Families Travel In a world that mostly pushes individuality to the extreme, travel gives families a rare chance to genuinely work together and forge a much-needed group identity. It turns families into teams. -Jim Dalrymple II
We are blessed by the group identity that we’ve formed and we’ve been blessed by all the adventures that have formed us. Many of you have been part of that adventure at some point and for that we say, “thank you.” Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful 2025. May you too find adventure and life to the full.
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