James' First Christmas

We got to watch James on his first Christmas. Velda bought some gifts for James (not all of the gifts in the picture are his) and we wanted to see his reaction.

As you can see - he was fascinated with the ribbon and bows. It was a wonderful thing to watch.

Pastor Mike's Assistant

Velda and I took James to church on Sunday (12/26). Velda brought James up for the children's service. Pastor Mike needed an assistant (he loves to use babies as a prop during this time of the year). James became his assistant.

Pastor Mike said Jesus had a brother named James. James did real well and looked up toward the stained glass depicting God in the ceiling when Pastor Mike talked about heaven and God. Pastor Mike commended James in knowing when to look up and where to look up to pray to God. Several people in church came up after service and complimented James on his timing. We were the proud grandparents!

Happy Holidays - 2010 Wrap-up

December 2010

Happy Holidays from the Schei Family!

2010 was another very busy year for the Schei family with the most significant milestone being the addition of James.

James

Velda and I became proud grandparents on April 9th, 2010 to James Thomas Pringle. We of course were at the hospital when he was born. He is a very happy, healthy, active, and growing little baby. Velda and I take every opportunity to visit and watch him grow; what proud grandparents would not say all that. At six months, Velda already has started trying to teach him Chinese; he just giggles.

Allison and Scott

Allison continued to work for Kitsap Credit Union until August when she decided to become a stay at home Mom. I think Allison is thoroughly enjoying the new experience. Scott is still at Puget Sound Naval Shipyards. Scott, Allison, and James (and their two dogs) live in the Poulsbo area. They are experiment-ing in growing flowers and vegetables which turned turned out very well.

Chris

In August, Chris completed his year-long term with Lutheran Volunteer Corps working for Habitat for Humanity in Delaware. By the end of his term, he had worked on over 20 homes and been supervising 2 townhomes by himself. He now has the ability to build a house from ground up and has even started investing and buying his own power tools. In July, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, Delaware approached him and offered him a full time job being the Volunteer Coordinator and he gladly accepted the position. Chris currently is a full fledge resident of Delaware (the 2^nd smallest state). Over the past year, Chris has been volunteering at the Delaware Center for Horticulture helping in their gardens (Velda would rather him be helping in her yard), riding his road bike all over Delaware, and he ran his first marathon in May.

In September, Velda went with Chris on his quick (5 day, 4 night) coast-to-coast drive from Redmond to Wilmington, Delaware (which was Chris’s 3^rd cross country trip). They were able make some very quick stops to see some of Chris’s friends and to Cleveland to visit Velda’s sister Mary and her husband Tom. Chris occasionally meets up with his Uncle Edwin, Aunt Lily, and family for family time in DC.

Ron

I continue to work for the Boeing Company in Everett mainly the supporting 747/767/777 product lines. Yes, Boeing has made the news and a lot of the times it was for what I consider the very wrong reasons, but the group I work in is working to improve the product lines. In August, I had my 40th high school reunion (where does the time go?).

Velda

Velda continues to be really busy working on her many gardens, volunteering at church (landscaping and in the office), finding new volunteer opportunities, and of course her new favorite activity is babysitting James. She is teaching James to learn Chinese and taking him outside to get him interested in flowers and gardening. She’s even wheeled him around in the garden in a new wheelbarrow. He’s being indoctrinated early. As a side benefit, Allison is learning more Chinese too. Scott will be picking up Chinese as well. Velda is having too much fun being a Grandma and gardener. She could definitely use more hours in a day.

In March, Velda and I took a tour to the Holy Land with some members from our church. On the way to Israel, there was a medical emergency on the plane and Velda stepped up with her blood pressure cuff and new stethoscope (which she just bought the day before we left) to use on the passenger in distress. She quickly got thrown into her nursing role, which she made clear that she hasn’t practiced in over 20 years. Fortunately, there was a doctor on board and between the two of them; they tried to stabilize the passenger until they made an emergency landing in Minneapolis due to the situation.

After arriving in Israel, we had a wonderful time visiting the many historical and religious sites, meeting the people that live in the area, worshiping at some of the old churches, and eating the wonderful food. We had a very good tour plan (which included many of the Christian religious sites, several historical sites, a Palestinian refugee camp, a Lutheran hospital, and a Lutheran training center). The weather, our tour guide and our bus driver were excellent. Velda and I kept saying to each other - we couldn’t believe we are here and seeing these sites. We thought the best part of the trip was our own little Sunday service over looking the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus gave the sermon of the Beatitudes (Matthew, Chapter 5). It was a beautiful area and it was an overwhelming experience for us to envision Jesus speaking to the crowds on the lands we were walking on. It was a very memorable trip.

In November, we celebrated my Mom’s 80th birthday. (see picture). We were sad that Chris couldn’t be in the picture because he is living all the way in Delaware.

We feel so very blessed to have our family, friends, and health despite a few blips that are now much improved. We hope you all have a very Happy Holiday and a wonderful New Year.

Ron, Velda, Allison, Scott, Chris, and now James