Christmas 2007

LOVING HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO ALL!

Dear

How very blessed we are to have each of you in our lives ! As we have now crossed into the senior citizen ranks, it seems that life experiences and relationships are re-thought from this new perspective. Each of you has touched our lives in very special ways. Who we are is in part because of those amazing connections. This year we hold you close in our thoughts & prayers. We also include each of you in year end donations to community development in Bangladesh, Haiti, and Africa.

Dale has joined the Medicare ranks; thankfully his retirement medical plan continues to cover me for another three years. He sorted through the huge pile of literature on supplemental plans and has decided . Oh if life were so simple! He has decided to accept the role of communications coordinator & facilities manager for our Congregational Community.

Nancy continues to share as Counselor to our Pastor along with being the Outreach Minister. In addition, she continues to work at Dynamic Family Services (previously Children’s Therapy Center) as Manager of Dynamic Orthotic Systems.

Rick is working part-time for the Seattle Sonics & Storm basketball teams. He is called when they need him to hand out items when the doors open before the game begins. He is still doing some volunteer work at a local nursing home.

Matt and Annie tried selling their house just as the market dropped. They have now put in a new oil tank, furnace, and a new roof because of leaking skylights. So they have decided to stay put for now. They have worked so hard at landscaping both front and back with a beautiful party deck in back that is almost the width of the house.

Jim and Stef have added a hot tub along with a palm and little orange tree as well as a long rock wall and cactus to discourage kids from playing on the fence. They currently have two new cats plus three tiny “rescue’ kittens who will go to other homes. Jim is definitely a sucker for “little lost souls” as he goes on his rounds for the Pima County Probabtion Department. We were able to head South and spend Christmas 2006 with them.

This past summer we announced that we were not going to have more exchange students, but along came a delightful young man from Dhaka, Bangladesh named Mohammed Mustasin Islam, Mustu for short, who joined our worldwide family (our 22nd son/daughter). He is a great brother to Rick and is active academically; joined the swim team; and volunteers often at the local food bank. Our Seattle weather is a little different than home. His favorite saying in the morning when heading to school is “it’s cold”.

Vale (just finished high school and taking tests for University admission) was able to meet Tanya (private English teacher) along with her mother and son on their June visit to Seattle, before returning home in Santiago, Chile. In October, Dale & Rick joined Nancy for a month long “teaching & vacation” trip to Europe where we were able to visit with Kirsten (studying for a degree as a Social Worker)& family in The Netherlands; Isabelle (studying Business Administration with a major in Human Resource Management and Organizations at the University of Technology in Dresden, Germany; Marlene (now a Pharmacist), Alex, & son Enea and her family in Switzerland; Ulrike (at home with two boys), Fabrice and their sons, Julien & Mathieu, in France. Rick & Dale took a few days, while Nancy was teaching in Mühltal, to sneak down to Neu-Ulm, Germany to see Amrei (studying at the University of Konstanz) & family. And finally we spent the last few days in Belgium with Annelies (who is the Customer Satisfaction Agent for TVH Forklift Parts in the city of Waregem. ) & her family.

Rosemundis studying at the UW Madison School of Pharmacy in Wisconsin . Ayumi & daughter Aine are doing fine in Osaka. Music has just been accepted to study Dentistry at the University in Thailand. Eve has apparently left the Seattle area, we have not been able to contact her. Mette and Frands along with son, Marcus, have moved back to Odense. She also is a Pharmacist. Ivan is a CPA, Tax Consultant, & IFRS Specialist living in Bratislava where he is starting a branch of the family business in accounting, audit, & tax consulting. Humberto is living in Barcelona, Spain >working in the field of marketing media & advertising. Karina and family are in Bolivia running their “farm”. Sanna and family are in Helsinki where she is continueing her specialization in psychiatry and working on her doctoral dissertation, which is on bipolar disorder. Sarah & family are in Cairns. We think she is studying at the University. Mila is living in Singapore. Tia is working in the office for the Finnish Defense Forces. Malin just completed her high school studies and plans to take a year break before continuing on to the University.

Dale continues to keep in touch with almost all of our exchange sons & daughters via the INTERNET & is frantically trying to keep the web pages updated (www.ayfudad.com ). Our email is ayfudad2@comcast.net If you are using MSN Messenger, his ID is ayfudad2@home.com
We made our annual trek to Maui in February. Had wonderful weather and relaxation. Sadly, our good friends, Susan & John Skoor were unable to join us as planned, as John was swept out to sea by a rogue wave in Cabo San Lucas Oct, 2006. We hope Sue can join us in the future.

May each of us consider how abundantly blessed we are and find ways to share our plenty with others who have so little. May we strive hard to avoid giving in to our excessive wants and instead have more to share with brothers & sisters around the world.

We wish you all a very wonderful holiday season. With BIG HUGS and Love Always ,


The Hylton Family



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