Lights at Naples

We spent Sunday evening with some good friends from church, Jeff and Michelle Ton.  They were married only two weeks after us and live exactly two miles down to road.  We went down to Naples and walked along the canal admiring all the Christmas lights and came back to our house for Hot Milo and Christmas Mince Pies.  Yummy!

Christmas Tea

Several years ago I, (Cindy) began a Christmas tradition with two of my best friends, Christy Slack and Heidi Herchelroath.  We spend a fantastic Saturday a the St. Regis Hotel in Monarch Bay at their Christmas Tea. 

 We spend all year looking forward to spending a whole afternoon together, getting dressed up, drooling over the yummy treats, and relaxing with a really good cup of tea.


This year was superb, as always, and we had such a special time chatting and catching up.  We've seen a lot of changes over the years of our friendship and it's fun to mark those changes by what was happening at the time of our "traditional tea."  Thank you Lord for special friends who love You and who have encouraged me to love You more over the years.  

Our First Christmas Tree

There is something so special about your first Christmas together as husband and wife.  It's a chance to set up your own family traditions, to have fun decorating and shopping, laughing and whispering secrets, and to have your best friend share in all the joy Christ's birth brings us. 

We bought our first Christmas Tree last weekend, and after spending the afternoon shopping for presents (and a quick stop at Mom and Dad Stuck's for Chowder and hot muffins) we spent the evening setting it up.  Tony made yummy hot Milo (Kiwi hot coco), and Cindy pulled out all the boxes of decorations and found the Christmas Music Channel.  


We set the tree up in the front window and were so excited we kept running outside (in 40 degree weather) to see how it looked from the sidewalk.  It was such a special evening, and the tree turned out absolutely gorgeous.  Thank you Lord for special family memories. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Despite the fact that Tony isn't used to celebrating Thanksgiving (as it is an American-only Holiday) we managed to have a fantastic time in Fallbrook this year eating load's of B-B-Q Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potato's, Cranberry Relish, Pumpkin, Peach, and Apple Pie, and of course, Dad Stuck's Creamed Corn.

Mike and Kate had just welcomed Baby Dylan into the Family only a few days before we drove down to celebrate at Kate's parents, Mike and Mary Brewer.  They invited a lovely family from their church who had recently moved from Hawaii.  Oddly enough, the mother was originally a Kiwi who just became an American citizen.   


We have so much to be thankful for this year- our marriage, the safe arrival of Baby Dylan, the special joining of the Kuypers and Stuck Family this summer, but we are most especially thankful for Norm's decision to trust in Jesus as his Lord and Saviour before he passed away.  This is our hope and prayer for all our family and friends this Holiday Season. 

Much Love,

Tony and Cindy