WARM HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO ALL!

Dear Family and Friends!

How amazing it is that the Holiday season is already upon us again! Our holiday journey to South America last December to visit Vale (studying at University) over Christmas & New Years and attend Mila’s wedding in January was wonderful and somewhat trying for Nancy who became quite ill with a kidney infection and dehydration. Chile and Brazil were incredibly beautiful! How wonderful to visit with our daughters and their families! We arrived home to a broken pipe under the kitchen faucet and $7000 repair bill that insurance paid.

In February, we were off to Maui for our annual visit to the whales and turtles with 4 days also in Kona. Our good friends, the Doanes, joined us for warm days on the beach, exploring the rain forest, snorkeling and whale watching.

Nancy was off again to teach in Germany in April and May. The summer was gorgeous, hot and dry, with Family Reunion (church camp), but went by much too quickly.

During the Fall teaching trip Dale and Rick joined to visit with Tia, husband, Kirik, and 3 week old Amos. We joined a celebration for Sanna and Pauli‘s 1 year old daughter, Saana and met extended family including, son, Pyry, 4. Nancy’s teaching in Helsinki permitted visits with good friend, Riitta and others, not seen in more than 10 years. We went north to Oulu for a wonderful visit with friends, Karl, Maria, Mikko, and Alexis. Even saw real reindeer.

The next 3 weeks were in Germany where we combined teaching with visiting by train Marlene (a pharmacist), Alex and Enea in Olten, Switzerland; Amrei (attending the University) and her mother in Konstanz, Germany; and Isabelle (conference planning) in Munich. While in the Frankfurt area we shared with good friends and parents of Ulrike. Unfortunately, her oldest son, Julien, has had a very difficult year with many months in hospital.

Teaching in Aachen permitted more adventures (including Nancy forgetting her purse (with passports) on the train) and a wonderful visit with Kirsten (Social Worker) and family in Hengelo, before flying home from Amsterdam. Rick has decided that he might not travel with us in the future; looking for ways to live independently. Our current house guest, Sachi Miskey, is attending South Seattle CC, held down the fort at home. She took a “break” this Fall quarter to spend time with her parents at home in Hawaii. She returns right after Christmas.

Jim and Stef are still happily planted in Tucson with 2 new cats. Nancy was able to visit after attending a Conference in Phoenix; Dale and Rick do their yearly Spring Training visit. This year a Seattle Girl’s Choir reunion will bring Stef home in Dec. for a few wonderful days.

Annie and Matt are busy as ever with work and friends. It is great to have them close to share Thanksgiving and other special times together.

Nancy’s mother, Anna, surprised us all with a May 16^th wedding at sister, Julie’s home, to Paul Abshier. They have bought a home in Poulsbo and are wonderfully happy newlyweds! How pleased we are for them both!

Dale continues to maintain contact with our exchange kids via e-mail and Facebook and shares the following up-dates from around the world.

Sarah, married with 3 kids, has finished another year at the University. She has been really involved with the local sustainability group in Cairns. They are in the process of negotiations to purchase a local organic health food store. She has two daughters and son born this past year.

Mette has started work again as a Pharmacist after having enjoyed maternity leave for a year. She has two children, a daughter & son, 1 and 3 years old. Ivan is still living and working & heading up the branch of the family Accounting business, he started in Bratislava.

Mila & Sandro are living in London where Sandro is doing great at his job: Keeping himself busy with producing the special effects for big Hollywood productions such as Prince of Persia and Sorcerers Apprentice. She is currently looking for work but says this isn’t be best time to locate something.

Malin is studying at University in Linköping (Sweden's 4th or 5th biggest city). She is planning to become a Management and Industrial Engineer. This year she is the President of a club for all the women in her program. Rosemond is studying in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She will graduate next May 14^th. Rick & Dale plan to attend the graduation ceremony while Nancy will be in Germany.

Music continues her study at Naresuan University near her home in Thailand to be a dentist. Annelies is working in Belgium. Word comes that she is expecting a child early next year. Tanya is keeping busy teaching English and raising her son, Gene in Moscow. We hope he might be able to spend some time here in the summer while attending some camps. Nothing is final at the moment.

Mustu is back in Bangladesh studying hard for his IGCE (International General Certificate of Education).

His goal is to be able to enter a US University sometime next winter, hopefully in the Seattle area.

Karina & family are busy in Bolivia. We haven’t heard from them since they were here a few years ago.

We have lost touch with Ayumi, Humberto and Eve again but hope to reconnect.

Dale is frantically trying to keep the web pages updated (www.ayfudad.com). Our email is ayfudad2@comcast.net.

We wish you all a very wonderful holiday season. May the Lord Jesus bless you all with Peace and Joy and Love and Hope in your lives. May the New Year 2010 find you very happy and prosperous, reaching out always in loving connections to others.

With BIG HUGS and Love Always,

Wedding Party, Bahia, Brazil Dinner together, Santiago, Chile

Fun in the park, Helsinki, Finland Visit in Espoo, Finland

Oktoberfest 2009 Stroll downtown, Konstanz, Germany

Dinner with Kirsten and Family Marlene and Family, ready to roll, Olten