Christmas 2009

This is the 1st Christmas we hosted in our house. We were going to New Harmony, but I wasn't feeling well and Paul broke his leg. So we decided to stay in Provo.

We put up a Christmas tree the very last minute because I REALLY wanted one. We (I) made popcorn and paper ring ornaments. It looked very festive! My very first Christmas tree! We had Megan, Neil, and their friends Sarah and Micheal over for breakfast Christmas morning and opened gifts! John made pumpkin waffles FROM SCRATCH! It was really yummy. John made an all-American breakfast, including eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice, etc. It was Sarah and Micheal's first American breakfast and Christmas. They just got to Provo a week ago. After breakfast, we played Apples to Apples and Blink. We had a lot of fun.

We also got to see the Mckays a couple days after Christmas. They came down from Alaska and we had a get-together at Uncle Mark's house in Provo. It's always fun to hang out with them. Don brought fresh Salmon from Alaska and baked it for us. John even loved it even though he never ate any fish.

We wish we could have spent the holiday with family. But we are grateful for a peaceful, relaxing and fun Christmas.

Christmas Newsletter 2009

Here's the newsletter we sent out this year! Merry Christmas!!!!!

Dear family and friends,

A year has come and gone. John and I have been back in the States for exactly one year by today (12/08). We miss our time in China, but we’ve also enjoyed being back in America.

John has been going to school full time since we came back. He’s graduating in April, 2010. We are very excited about that! I have been working in a couple language schools in Provo, teaching English to students from all over the world. I love my job and it’s fun adventure everyday, well most days :-)

As most of you know, John has decided to pursue a career with the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. He passed the written test in October and we are waiting for the oral interview that’ll take place in Washington, D.C early next year. If he passes the interview, we may be moving to D.C anytime in the following 24 months. We are excited for a change. We are also excited that we’ll be closer to some of the family on the east coast that we’ve always wanted to visit.

Much has happened this year. We are ever grateful for the blessings we receive every day. My brother Elder Li has been serving an LDS mission in Seattle, Washington for a year. He’s had a lot of success in his area and he’s grown into a great young man beyond all of our expectations. My cousin Megan and her boyfriend Neil both came over from China to go to school at BYU and were recently baptized. Both sets of our parents are healthy. Their love and support keep us going everyday. We’ve enjoyed seeing many of you this year on different occasions. We love all of you and are so grateful to have you in our life.

Among everything, our friend, Max Cole, who was like a father to my brother and I, passed away peacefully on a warm August afternoon. It broke my heart to find out he was gone, but I know he’s in a better place where there is only love, sunshine, and lots of farmland J I’ll miss him till I see him again!

Last but not least, John and I are expecting a BABY in August next year! We found out around Thanksgiving and couldn’t wait to share it with all of you! I’ve been feeling good until today when I had to come home from work because of nausea. But I’m still happy that the baby decided to join us J

We love all of you and wish you a Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

John and Sherry

12/08/09

Picture Courtesy of Emily Simpson :-)