Dear Family and Friends, 

We are looking forward to hearing from each of you as the Holiday season approaches. We count you among our greatest blessings. Jon's folks, Alvin and Adelaide, and niece Renee, a freshman at Wheaton College in Illinois, plan to come December 22. What are your holiday plans? How have you been? Here is our Aldrich family update/1988:

Aaron is now 7 and in second grade. He loves high-topped tennis shoes, long-legged shorts (i.e. "Jams"), and playing with his neighborhood friends.  He enjoys video games, the Cosby show, junk food, cars, money, math, recess, art, and lunch.  After spending time with Grandpa Al this summer, he acquired an interest in baseball and a Grandpa Al haircut:  the ever popular flat-top....  His permanent top teeth are now coming in, complete with the space between, as required by Tweito traditions.

Rachel at 13 (yes, an official teenager) has begun seventh grade at League City Intermediate School, a thirty minute bus ride across town.  She plays flute in the band and loves to spend time with our tow new cats, Sony and Oreo, who have been residing in our garage since may.  Her favorite subjects are speech and math.  She spends lots of time as Daddy's video assistant earning money for college and gaining a wealth of first hand experience in how to run a personal business.

This past year and a half, Jon, (alias J.C., alias Craig), has been a buyer for Amoco Oil's Texas City Refinery, a position he has found to be enjoyable and rewarding.  However, he has just been transferred to a new position in the Accounting Department.  Meanwhile, his video business (Keepsake Video) has been having its best year ever.  This has meant many extra hours on evenings and weekends to pick up and deliver film-to-video transfer orders, make contacts with prospective associates, videotape weddings and other occasions...  It has also meant added benefits to our family including the new copy machine which was used to duplicate this letter.  Rachel and Aaron love to go with Jon on "video runs" each Saturday morning.

Sharon continues to teach kindergarten in Texas City.  She has 2 classes of 21 students each, on of whom has Davy Crockett as his ancestor.  She sings in the 70 voice Grace Community Church Choir which this year performed "live" on a local Christian television station.  During their retreat at a lovely hotel in North Houston, Sharon was given a special award for having the "happiest face" in the choir.  December 9-11, they presented four Singing Christmas Tree performances at church with a floor-to-ceiling tree comprised of 90 fir trees and 3000 lights.  The singers were the "ornaments."

Some highlights of 1988:

*On Father's Day weekend, we visited Uncle Robert and Laura in San Antonio.  (Aunt Thelma was in Norway at the time...)  We enjoyed touring Sea World, being splashed by Shamu, seeing the Tower of the Americas and the Riverwalk, and "tubing" on the Comal River at New Braunfels.

*The end of July was spent in Iowa.  Aaron was ring bearer in cousin Connie's wedding.  Also home were Jon's sisters Connie (Joliet, Illinois) and Marilyn form Germany, where Aunt Charlotte is now visiting.

*We had a surprise 35th wedding anniversary for Sharon's parents combined with a "welcome home, Sandy" party in August.  (She had done an internship in interior design in San Diego, and stayed with Uncle Jim and Aunt Ann.  She is now back at Iowa State for her senior year.)

*In August, we heard from former college roommate Farzan Roohparvar and wife Homa, following the birth of their first-born son:  "Jon Abbos" in Cupertino, California.

*In September, Sharon's sister Anne and Dan had their first baby, Nicole Marie Reisen.

*"Sunday on the Slab" was celebrated in October at Grace Community's new building site in Clear Lake City.  We anticipate the new church will be finished in 1989.

*In November, James Penland, J.C.'s former college roommate, flew down from Des Moines (with Des Moines' finest La Pizza House pizzas in his carry-on) and spent a week with us.

*Sharon's niece, Vanna, had her one-year check up.  The surgery to enclose her spine healed well.  She smiles a lot, has 8 teeth, and can now sit up by herself.  Therapy continues to develop her motor skills with crawling being the next milestone to work toward.  Of course, Grandpa Nels thinks she is terrific...

*This week, our niece Signe's house burned to the ground.  Fortunately, none of her four children or husband were hurt and family and friends have been rallying around to help.

So now it's your turn....  Have you been effected by the drought this year?  Are you feeling parched in your spirit as well?  Were you dismayed by the turn of events with nationally known leaders in public scandals?  Would that we would hunger and thirst after righteousness, as the earth does for the needed rains....

"As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee."  Psalm 42:1  "Come unto me, all ye that are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest,"  Matthew 11:28.  And John 4:14, "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  "He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.  They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes,"  Revelation 8:15-17.

Take time this Holiday season for resting, reflecting, refreshing, renewing, rejoicing, and reaching out to others.  We pray for you a very special Christmas season and may you prosper in 1989.

Happy Holidays from Jon Craig, Sharon, Rachel, and Aaron

See the original letter with art work!

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