Christmas Letter 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

This is the first time I (Chiyang) am writing the Christmas letter.  Our 2010 started with a trip to Vancouver, BC, for the Winter Olympic Festivities.  We were quickly disappointed when we discovered that the Olympic Village was not for us because we could not get in.  It was one of those "duh!" moments.  Outside of it being crowded, we learned it is good to have tickets for some events.  Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to stroll around and soak up the festivities.

We are growing to enjoy living in the Pacific Northwest.  We took the family tubing at Snoqualmie Pass this winter.  It was fun for everyone.  Davy looks forward to actually going down next year.  Cody and I continue to enjoy our father-son time on our many trips crabbing and fishing.  This year we tried to catch the elusive salmon on the rivers in the summer.  Cody spotted many rollers and jumpers, but we caught no salmon.  We hope to have better luck next year.  We also added shrimping to our list of outdoor activities.  Despite her allergies to shrimp, Jean was a good sport and cooked up some “drunken prawn”.  She prefers clamming and mussel picking, which we did a couple of times in the late spring.  This resulted in large pots of clam chowder, which we happily shared with our neighbors. This year, Jean also decided to try her hand at jamming the berries she picked - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and wild blackberries.  It took a little bit for me to overcome the fear of botulism, but I have and am much happier for it.

Camping continues to be a summer event for the family.  This year we went to Larabee State Park and Deception Pass State Park with our friends the Aragons.  Our boys very much like our time together.  And we’ve found it refreshing to be so close to nature…  With that said, we have to mention that Jean has certain requirements, such as, we have to book an electric site, so that she can bring the space heater.  So we camped in RV sites.  Our little tents looked like rabbit holes next to the enormous RVs.

 Our family has also discovered a new getaway location, Wapato Point on Lake Chelan.  Lake Chelan has calm waters, ideal for fishing and has many scenic vistas for Jean to practice her photography.  It was good for the family to get away and unwind. Our first trip was such a blessing from the Lord because it was so relaxing after 2.5 years of working at the CHC. With Cody’s persistence and prayers, I caught my first Lake Trout while late night fishing with him.  We also went to our favorite Apple orchard, Cider Works, they have the best cider.  This year we pick Fuji apples and discovered how mischievous our Davy can be with it comes to apple thievery.  We enjoyed ourselves so much that we have decided to make a trip to Lake Chelan a regular event.

Regarding work, this year I finally finished my time as Clinical Director at the CHC of Snohomish County on June 30^th and started my time as a regular physician at Providence Physician Group.  The change has made a big difference in the stress level for me and the family.  My experience has given me a better understanding of management and service to the under-served.  I also was able to get some loan repayment as well.  Praise God! At PPG, I have been working in various setting from the walk-in clinic, family medicine and internal medicine.  This has been such a blessing because it has allowed me to enjoy medicine again. Jean and the boys also enjoy the change because I am home with the family more.  After floating for 5 months, I finally started in my new office at Mill Creek Commons on Nov 15^th.  Things have been a bit slow as I have to build a practice from the bottom up, but the family enjoys the fact I am only 5 min from home so I can come home for lunch. I still have not walked to work, as I have planned, but hope to do so soon regardless of the weather.

Some of you have been asking about Jean’s right eye vision.  We praise God as we report, everything is stable and her vision is clear.  Back in Feb, she suddenly developed blurred vision in her right eye.  She spent the next 6 months fading in and out of blurred vision and doctors tried to tweak her medications to try to treat the problem.  But the final reoccurrence convinced the doctors that it was time to do a vitrectomy (we’ll give you some homework and let you Wikipedia that word).  The surgery worked and she recovered pretty quickly. During that time, Jean felt Matt 18:8-9 become more meaningful to her as she experienced firsthand what it felt like to be encumbered by a malfunctioning body part.  We were also greatly blessed by friends and family who stepped in the gap to help with rides and meals.

As our family has gotten bigger, we have realized how costly it is to fly.  So this year, we decided to take road trips instead. In addition to the camping trips we did in the summer, we went up north to Canada to visit Pastor Bob (the pastor who conducted our wedding) and his family a couple of time.  Once we even timed it together with Chos, so we had a mini “Chicago friends” reunion, that was awesome!  We also had a bunch of visitors this year – Jean’s parents (twice), Chiyang’s parents and brother from Chicago, the Milligans from Phoenix, the Owen’s from San Antonio, the Onibokun’s from Phoenix, the Sun’s from Chicago, and Karen Lin en route from Taiwan.  We were so thankful and felt so blessed with each one of the visits!

 

 This summer we also got to celebrate a pirate-themed birthday party for our boys!  Unlike back in Phoenix, our summer outdoor party at the park was a blast!  Cody turned 6 and Davy turned 2.  Cody is in first grade now.  He enjoys gym class and math.  He also takes Suzuki violin and is still working on overcoming his fear of water in swim class.  He is also a very big fan of Star Wars and love constructing imaginative Lego space models.  He wants us to add that he loves to fish and is still praying for a big catch!  A highlight for Cody this year was his decision to accept Jesus into his life over Easter.  It was a decision, we, as parents, had been praying about, but when he saw him raise his hand, we were as surprised as we were excited!  Praise the Lord!

  Davy, our fearless one, has been slow to speak, but quick to swat (and freak out).  We are thinking some sort of fast-paced, full-contact, break-a-bone-while-you-are-at-it sports will probably be in his future.  We’ll keep you posted!  He also gets very excited when he hears or sees Disney Pixar Cars.  Though he doesn’t say much, he does know all the characters’ names and can watch Mater Tall Tales over and over again without tiring.  He also enjoys bowling a lot!  believe or not, the local Brunswick bowl has shoes as small as size 8!  Has has gotten a few strikes without the help of the bumpers.

 

Jean finally took the plunge this year.  Yes, she got baptized by immersion.  It was a decision that she spent a lot of time in prayer over and it wasn’t taken lightly.  We have decided to be members of the church we’ve been at for some time now, and since it’s a Baptist church, it requires baptism by immersion.  Jean was baptized as an infant (sprinkled) and later went through catechism classes to reaffirm her faith in a Presbyterian church she was raised in.  However, understanding that it is a requirement for membership, she chose to submit to the leadership of the church. 

After 2 years of letting her hair grow out, Jean decided it was long enough for Locks of Love (a charity that makes wigs for children of low income families who suffer from hair loss).  Showers suddenly became a lot shorter!  I suspect also that shampoo and conditioner will last a little longer now.

Christmas came early this year, for Chiyang’s parents came to visit earlier this December to watch Cody perform in his school’s Christmas concert.  We took the opportunity to take them out to the tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree.  To showcase the wonderful seafood of the Pacific Northwest, we made a clambake for them to feast on too!  Then, on a spur of a moment, they also hopped on the famous Washington state ferry to visit Whidbey Island.

We continue to thank the Lord for watching over us this past year.  The Lord has sustained us and blessed us through my work at the CHC. He has protected Jean’s vision through the problems with her eye and autoimmune disease.  Cody continues to do well with his spine.  I am reminded of this passage:

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” Isaiah 40:31

We hope you have a Merry Christmas as you celebrate the birth of Jesus.  May the Lord be your strength and blessing in 2011!

Love,

Chiyang, Jean, Cody and Davy

Prayer requests:

Chiyang

·         That my new practice at Providence Physician Group will grow quickly

·         That I would seek the Lord’s will in my involvement in Church

Jean

·         That the Lord will continue to watch over Jean’s health

Cody

·         That he overcome his problems with reading and writing (we think he may have Dyslexia)

·         That he would have no problems with spine and bodily functions

·         That he would catch a big fish

Davy

·         That he will speak with us better

·         That he will be less anxious and not lose it.