Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and I wish you all a very happy New Year! Christmas at the York's was as hectic as ever. There were a lot of "firsts" for us this year. Sai & I sang in the singing Christmas Tree at church. Sai was in the middle, 2nd row from the top of the near 40 foot tree!! She was not afraid at all. I was only 4 rows from the bottom, and that was plenty high enough for me!

David gave me tickets to the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker and we went to our first ballet! Wow, it was awesome. My feet cramped just watching them :) We dressed up in our finest and had a wonderful time.

Another first for Sai was not only having a real tree, but going to cut it down! She was amazed at all the trees at the tree farm. As you can see, we also included Johnny, the son of Joseph & Sai's friends. He is ten years old and has never had a real American Christmas. He helped Brian cut the tree and helped us decorate it. We had to do a little re-arranging of the ornaments, but it was good to share this with a child. It's been a while since we've had that much excitement in the house!

Joseph also brought Johnny over for the Christmas morning festivities. He was thrilled with the little toys he got, and with the traditional York Christmas breakfast of sausage balls! We also added a breakfast casserole this year. Another first :) David's parents came to share the Christmas festivities with us. They are both doing well and excited about another great grandchild. They're old hats at it though, because they already have two! As the family continues to grow, it's hard to fit it all in, but they do their best.

We went to Alabama to spend a couple of days with my parents. Dad's still recovering from his back surgery, a little slower than he would like, but still progressing. He just doesn't know how to take it slow. Hopefully he'll be able to start physical therapy in a couple of weeks and that will help. Mom is doing well, cooking way too much food as always. Tuesday, she and I spent the entire day putting together a puzzle. I think dad thought we weren't concerned about food, because he suggested we order a pizza. We did, and then continued putting together the puzzle!! It was nice spending time just playing. We don't get that luxury very often.

As the week winds down and Michael gets ready to go back to Virginia, I realize how I am blessed to have such a wonderful family. Brian will be going back to school next week, Joseph will probably be starting the police academy soon, and life will be back to normal as we know it. As my daddy prayed at Christmas dinner, "Thank you, God, that we are all here together, and have not suffered any losses or major illnesses this year. " If we can say that, what else matters? So, as the close of 2006 looms near and the beginning of 2007 draws close, my prayer for you all is that God's blessing will be richly bestowed on you and that this time next year we can all thank God that we're all together and have not suffered any losses or major illnesses. And just think, next year will also be a year of firsts -a year with a new grandbaby!!! I can't wait.

God bless you all, and please write to let me know how you are doing!

Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING WITH THE YORKS

I can't believe Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had a very busy weekend, but it was great having everyone home. We started the day with David's parents and the annual York family reunion, then went to Alabama to visit my parents. Dad had his back surgery, and after a rough start is doing well. Sai and Joseph invited their Chinese friends to the York Family Thanksgiving. It was their first time to experience an American Thanksgiving.

Sai is doing well. Joseph is a typical nervous dad to be. God is working things out for them and we are all very excited.

Brian will be home next week until the first of the year and Michael will come home for Christmas. The holidays have become so hectic, it just doesn't seem fun anymore. Did I say that? As we prepare for the holiday season, let's not get so busy that we forget the real reason we celebrate. The birth of our Savior and the great gift He gave us is the true meaning of Christmas. It should be a time of love, family and sharing. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the what of Christmas we forget the Who. Celebrate family, celebrate life, celebrate birth, celebrate Christ!

Please keep in touch and let me know how your holidays are going!

Just call me Grandma, Nana, Gamma, anything but Granny

Well, it appears we are going to be grandparents which means Joseph and Sai are going to be parents!!! They just told us last night. It should be here mid-June. There's a lot to work out between now and then, but Sai keeps saying, I know God will take care of us. Didn't my last post reflect how old I am getting? I guess God said, I'll show her LOL. We are so excited, but it really hasn't sunk in yet and I'm not sure it will until I actually hold the precious child. I remember feeling the same way when I was expecting the boys.

So, I guess we'll be on baby watch for the next several months. Stay tuned and I'll keep you posted!

Winter Break

Well, sports fans, our seasons are over :(. What's a mom to do? Michael's football team won their last game of the season today 37-0. They have scored over 30 points for the last three games, and two out of three have been shutouts! Michael is excited about his Sophomore season and is looking forward to next year, but at the same time, ready for a break. It kinda wears on him taking classes, working full time and practicing and playing football.

His work assignment currently has him working on the USS Vincent, refitting an older ship. He has to crawl in tanks that formerly held water, fuel, etc., and plug sandblast holes. Before he goes into the tank, a chemist has to come check the air quality for safety and someone is posted outside the tank to make sure he's OK. Now as a mother, this is scary, but according to him there are so many safety inspectors around, you don't have a chance to mess up. Some tanks are about the size of a refrigerator, and some are about 40 feet deep. Obviously, he doesn't go in the refrigerator size tanks :) He will be coming home for Thanksgiving, so we are looking forward to seeing him then.

Brian has finished up Fall baseball and is pleased with his initial college baseball experience. They had a homerun derby this week to culminate the season and he came in second! He received his scholarship award at the American Legion Youth Champion Banquet. He made his speech and did quite well. We were very proud! I had no idea the American Legion did so much for young people. You should check out their web site, it's really amazing. Brian will also be home for Thanksgiving, so we will have a full house. I can't wait.

Sai got her work permit and has applied for her social security card. Once she gets that, she will be able to get her driver's license. She has started her job search and I told her today that God has just the right job out there, we just have to be patient. She and I are singing in the choir and we will be doing a singing Christmas tree this year. It will be a first for both of us!

Joseph turned 24 last week!!!!!! Man, I'm getting old. I can't believe it's been that long. I can't remember not having children. What would we do without them? I certainly wouldn't be doing this blog :} Joseph is still working at the funeral home and going to seminary. His professor gave him a 100 on a paper he wrote and the next one he got a 99. He asked why the 99 when nothing was marked and was told someone has to get one :) I guess he can't give perfect grades all the time since no one is perfect. He's enjoying playing basketball for the church's men's team. He got scratched the other night while playing and Sai told him he couldn't play if he was going to get hurt. I told her to be glad it wasn't stitches under his eye or a severely sprained ankle like he's had in the past playing basketball. She'll soon learn not to get upset with scrapes and bruises. It's part of the York men's legacy.

I know you all have interesting things going on with your familes, and I'd love to hear from you and share with others. God bless and take care.

Where do I start? Alot has happened over the past two weeks. First of all, a big praise. Sai has been granted her work permit!!! This will allow her to get her social security number, driver's license and get a job. In the next few months, she should be hearing about her green card.

We are gearing up for a big holiday season as this will be her first with us. We have so many traditions that we take for granted that other countries do not know about. Joseph wants to take her to chop down a Christmas tree, so I guess we'll have a real tree this year! Last week he took her to the mountains to see the leaves. Thailand doesn't really have seasons, so this was a first for her. They panned for gold and got fresh apples. Joseph is doing well in his seminary classes and still working for the funeral home.

I guess you can see from the picture that Mom & I took our trip to see Michael. I know he's big, but I am still amazed when I see him standing next to her. They won this week 41-0 and set offensive records in rushing. The other team was ranked 13th in the nation in defense, but we crushed them. Mom really enjoyed seeing Michael play and pushing everyone around!! At one point he was pushing back two defenders at once, one with each hand. She got so tickled over that and likes telling everyone the story. We had a great time, staying with my sister, Karen in Charlotte on the way up and back. Her family is doing well, as busy as ever.

Brian is doing very well after midterms. I think they have two games left this fall and have only lost 2 of the 18 or so they've played. Saturday we go to Macon for the American Legion Banquet where he will accept his scholarship and give a speech thanking them for the scholarship. Mr. Taylor Phillips, his American Legion manager is so proud of Brian and this accomplishment, as are we. I plan on video taping the speech, and if I can figure out how to upload or link it, I will include it in my next report.

Congratulations go out to my friend from work Tami and her husband Todd on the birth of their new son, Zachary Conor, born 10-23 and weighing 9lb, 6oz and 21 inches long. He is adorable!
I also heard from my friend, Ruth Floyd. She is doing well and is praising God for answering her prayers regarding a situation with her social security. God has worked the situation out and is blessing her more than she can imagine!

Dad's back surgery is postponed again because he now has bronchitis. I told him I don't think God wants him to have this surgery, since this is the second time it has been postponed because of other new health issues. Also, he is going to Baltimore in November to accept an award for salesman of the year for his company! What an accomplishment. He sold more than anyone in the United States.

As a matter of prayer, please pray for my cousin Butch, he is having some health problems that could be serious.

Please, if anyone has anything to share, leave a comment, send me an email, or let me know and I can add you as a member and you can post your own blog. I am so excited about all that God is doing in our lives! In this world of trouble and strife, I love hearing good news! Let's spreead it around instead of keeping it to ourselves. It becomes contagious! Some people say we're just lucky when good things happen to us. Some say they don't believe in luck. Someone once told me that all lucky means is that the Lord's Using Circumstances to Keep You. So, in that regard, I am lucky!

God bless until the next time!

Update

Wow, has it been over a week since my last post? Michael's team won their game this last weekend, but he didn't play because he was in Maryland being the best man in his friend's wedding. Now this week he has to work twice as hard earning his starting spot back. He's determined, so I know he will do it.

Brian's team won 3 of their 4 games last week. The first loss came Saturday afternoon against Darton Jr. College. They have a pitcher who was throwing consistently around 90 mph. He didn't have a consistent strike zone, but Brian said "I couldn't even see it coming most of the time." Now he knows what he needs to work on.

David and his dad got back from Virginia and had a great visit with Michael.

They both enjoyed the game and seeing where Michael lives and works. Michael was excited about the visit also. He said he had to make sure his apartment was "Grandpa clean." Hopefully he'll have the same attitude next week when Mom and I visit!

Weekend update

What an eventful weekend! Brian's team played four 9 inning games against two teams Saturday and Sunday. Brian did very well and it was so good to watch him play baseball. I was in withdrawal, I hadn't seen a game in 2 months! After seeing him in green for four years, it's taking a little getting used to seeing him in blue. The weather was perfect for baseball, the crowd was into the game and they won all four games. Next weekend they play Truett McConnell and Darton at Mercer.

Michael's team lost their game Saturday, but on a high note, Michael was named the team's offensive player of the week! Way to go Michael! David will be home tomorrow night and should have some new pictures to share. Michael won't be at this week's game because he will be the best man at his friend's wedding. The coach isn't too happy, but Michael told him this summer that he had a committment for this weekend. At that time, I guess the coach didn't realize how much he would be depending on Michael.

Please if any of you want to share events, news, etc. about your families, let me know and I will add you as a member so you can post your own updates. I want to hear what's going on with you, not just share what's up with us.

Brian's Doing Well

Brian has been away at school at Gordon College in Barnesville, GA for about six weeks now. In the six weeks he’s been away, I think he’s been home four weekends. Apparently he’s having as hard a time adjusting as we are. A wise older gentleman told me, “You know what homesickness means, don’t you? It means there was a whole lot of love at home that’s being missed.” I like that! Anyway, Brian is adjusting and doing well. His grades are good and he’s getting along with his roommate. Midterms were this week, and so far he’s maintaining an A-B average! For the first time in his life, he has to study. I was talking with him the other night and he told me he had to go because he had to study! Imagine my shock to hear those words.

His baseball is going well. The coach is working him at third, outfield and pitching. I can’t believe it when I see him on the weekends, but he’s still growing. He’s definitely filling out. The coach took his 34” bat away from him and told him he couldn’t hit with it until he’s 210 lbs! He’s using a 33” bat and doing fine, but he’s also trying to reach that weight to get his 34” back. I think he has about 25 lbs to go. So far he has played 3 games. They’ve won all three. He’s playing third, outfield and pitching. He pitched in his first college game Wednesday and did really well. In his words, “My forker was freaking awesome tonight.” Let me translate for those who don’t speak baseballese:) He throws a split finger fast ball that tails off as it crosses the plate. As a batter when you see it coming, it looks like it’s right there, but by the time you swing, it has dropped off and more often than not, you look quite silly swinging at it:). In the first game of the double header, he went 2 for 4 with two doubles, two walks, 3 RBI’s and 4 runs scored. I guess the 33” bat is working for him. He also turned a double play at third. He pitched in the first part of the second game and then finished the game in the outfield making a sliding catch to save a run from scoring.

The team traveled to East Cobb Thursday, and I was excited about getting to go see him play, but because of scheduling, it was not his travel day. For the fall, they have about 40 guys on the roster. 24 are signed players and the others are trying to walk on. Those who pitched and played Wed. were scheduled off Thursday and didn’t get to travel. You can only imagine my disappointment that Brian wasn’t on the travel roster so I could see him play. But they beat East Cobb Cubs 17-6. Their record is 4-0. They play Chain Baseball Sat. 4:00 and Sun 10:00 am. Both are home games, so I will be traveling to Barnesville this weekend. I can’t wait. It will be my first opportunity to see them play. Hopefully I’ll have some pictures to post after the games.

I showed this site to Brian and he thought it was lame. I knew he would, but we’re doing it anyway. Someday the boys will look back on this chronicle and appreciate it. I know I will.

Michael

Michael is still in Newport News Virginia at the Apprentice School. His trade is welding and he's doing very well. He has been working on the George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and is now working on the newest type of aircraft carrier being built. Every task they give him, he seems to master effortlessly, so they move him on quickly to a new challenge. The last, most exciting challege was to dangle 85 feet in the air and weld the radar tower at the top of the island house on the ship. While he was up there, he was texting me on his cell phone letting me know what he was doing. I couldn't believe it! He loved every minute of it. He is working on the keel of the new ship now, not so exciting, but very important.

He is also doing well at his school work. In addition to that, he's playing football for the school. He is an offensive tackle and at 6'6" 300 lbs, he blocks the holes quite efficiently:) As you can see from the pictures, he towers above all those around him, especially mom! Even though Brian is catching up in height, he has a long way to go in girth. His team is 2-1 in the ACFC Div. III. If you want to check out his team's progress the website is www. gobuilders.com. Brian and I were at the first game the beginning of this month, David and his dad are going next weekend to visit him and watch a game. We will be going with my parents next month to see him and watch a game, also. I'll keep you updated on his progress as well as the ship building progress.

Joseph & Sai

As you all know, Joseph got married January 1, 2006. He and his wife, Sai, are living with us for now while he goes to school. So our nest isn't totally empty:) Joseph is working for a funeral home and is really doing well at it. I guess somebody has to do it, but I couldn't. He has the personality to be able to minister to people during their grief and the gory stuff doesn't seem to bother him either. The immigration process is progressing for Sai. The next step is for her to receive her work permit. All the paperwork has been submitted, so now we wait on the government to process it. Hopefully it won't take too long.

Joseph continues his volunteer work at the Lighthouse Community Center when he can and he and Sai have been doing some speaking engagements at churches sharing about their ministry. If your church needs a missions speaker, I'm sure they would love to come share. Just let them know.

I guess you can tell from the photo that Joseph is still just a big kid at heart. It's good to see your kids happy.

Not Separated Since Birth

As parents, we normally are not separated from our children from birth until they go off to college, move out on their own, or get married. In the past year, we have experienced all three events with our boys. I know many of you have the same experiences. Let's share what's going on with our kids. When they move on, we tend to lose touch with the families we have spent so much time with when they were around. Friendships were forged and I don't want to lose touch with you and your kids. My husband suggested this blog to occupy my time, give me a forum to share what's going on with the boys and invite you to do the same. So, if you have "not been separated since birth" from your kids or you're about to be, or you just want to brag on what's going on with you and your family, feel free to share. Send photos, funny stories, accomplishments, prayer needs and praises!