The Waltzer Family Blog: Happy New Year!!!

(We hope you had a) Merry Christmas!

Dear Family and Friends,

We are so blessed to have you in our lives and want to wish you all a very best season ever. With my wife being busy with all her tasks, I've pulled my big belly up to the table to write this Waltzer 2007 Christmas letter.

My favorite Christmas letters in the past have always started with illnesses or medical procedures that make everyone wince. But God has blessed us with good health (only Gabe broke a collar bone) which we didn't know until the next day (tough boy).

In this year, the biggest change for our family has been TJ going to kindergarten. On the first day of school orientation (with all students and parents present), TJ read Mrs. McFarland's syllabus to the parents from the chalkboard out loud. This started the advanced classes. I love seeing him grow and the way he thinks and shares his thoughts. It amazes me and scares me. And of course I think I'll have to go back to school to keep up.

Gabe just rocks. He's becoming our great jokester (probably watching Dad too much) and loves to joke and laugh. With his big heart great things are going to take place for him. Kindergarten and skateboard camp are on his list.

Ann Marie is working on her masters and started a new job as HR Director for Southview Acres Health Care Center. It's a nursing home in West St. Paul, just eight miles from home. For how young and beautiful she is, it amazes me how talented she is. I've stated many many times: most people would crawl into the fetal position knowing what she does in one day as a great wife, mother, her work, school and church. She's on the go.

Me, the one great change was joining a men's group at church (Every Man's Battle) which makes me more accountable to God and to honor my family through all thoughts and actions. I also took on a second job as a ramper for US Airways (I'm the guy with the wands on the runway trying not to get sucked into a jet engine). It's fun and a good stress release. My full time job is still Senior Interior Designer for Macy's. I was asked this year to work on the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) showcase house.

With all these events going on in our lives, Ann Marie came up to me at church stating she signed the family up to go on a mission trip to Mexico. In shock, I said, "Cool". God works in great and marvelous ways. I have to say it was a great blessing and a door opened for our family. We went to Monterrey, Mexico (a 36 hour bus ride) and we played, shared, worked and witnessed with our kids for the Lord to all the great people of that area.

Also in this past year the special event of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary took place, bringing the whole crew together, 26 strong (plus the dogs and a girlfriend). What a blessing we pray and hope for many more years for them so they can see me with teenagers... making true mom's constant quote of "I pray the good Lord will keep me alive to see you with teenagers"...

So anyways, God bless you, Merry Christmas, hugs and kisses to all. Sometimes we get so busy to call or stop by or visits... but know we do pray as a family for all of you and want you to know we love you.

Love,
Duane (for all of us)

A few pictures from 2007

The first morning we spent in Monterrey, on the veranda, in the sunshine and together, blessed.

We did a church service on Thanksgiving evening, sharing the meaning of the holiday to us as Americans. This is the worship team.
We did a "traditional" Thanksgiving skit, showing how all the families come over and bring green bean casserole.
This is inside the church located in the neighborhood where we did door-to-door prayer and delivery of bibles. We also did an open-air evening service with skits, music and testimony that evening. Also, we built a cement roof for the bathroom at this building another day that week.
This is Gabe posing with an RVC dad and some kids who were running races across from the YWAM base in Monterrey.