The 2009 Highlights of the 4-C’s

What an amazing year 2009 has been for the O’Briens. God has poured out His blessings to overflowing!

This spring, Craig and Cheryl traveled to Israel for a “once in a lifetime” trip. It was an awe-inspiring, two week “Prophecy Seminar” with Baptists for Israel Institute. They spent a week in the northern part of Israel - the Galilee - and a week in the southern end - Judea, spending two days in Jerusalem. Their teachers opened the Scriptures in a new way and have caused the Bible to “come alive” for them.

The highlight of Cristin’s year was her summer at Spring Hill Camp as a “New Frontiers Wrangler Counselor Coach” for 6th-9th grade girls. She was overwhelmed that God would use her to impact these young women for Christ. She is now in her junior year at Charleston Southern University, working in Residence Life on an upper-class women’s residence hall, and loves her studies in Music Therapy.

In June, Chad graduated from Oxford High School with Highest Honors. He spent the summer working at Meijer and saving before embarking on his next great adventure studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The highlights of his first semester include the coolest roommates, spending fall break and Thanksgiving with the Alabama Knable Klan, a visit from Nonna & Gramps Knable, and a road-trip visit from Cristin for a long weekend during her fall break.








Cheryl is looking forward to ending 2009 by spending two full weeks together as a family, before embarking on her next “Great Adventure”, a six month contract working in the Chemistry Lab at GM with Craig. We’ve come full circle, and are enjoying life as “empty nesters”.

May you and your family find the Peace that comes from God through His son, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach.

Shalom,

Craig, Cheryl, Cristin, & Chad O’Brien

Bowling and Bargaining

Can you see the smile on my face? Well, I'll tell you it goes from ear to ear. I am having a GREAT time with my family. Today's gifts include:

267. Bowling - guys against the girls, then changing the teams to Chad and Mom vs. Dad and Cristin to even out the teams. Wouldn't you know, Cristin's game got better with her dad, and Chad's declined with Mom as his teammate. Dad was the big winner and Mom the big loser, but I felt like the champion laughing and playing with my family.

269. "LIFE IS SHORT. EAT BETTER PIZZA" - $20 JET'S for lunch, and three additional meals left over!

268. Finishing one Monopoly game, then playing another complete game...It's funny how our disposition changes with our circumstances. *raises eyebrows* Lots of laughs and digs...:-)

270. A determined, problem solving husband...disassembled my old vacuum, and with $50 in new parts, reassembled it to work like new! I got another Christmas gift - a "new" vacuum! (You should have heard me giggle and squeal as I used it for the "first" time. It works sooo well; just like new!)

The simple things in life are fun right now. They are gifts of everyday.

Enjoying Family Time

...is always a gift to me. I'm so thankful that we have had plenty of "together" time during this break.

258. A winter walk in the sunshine with my hubby.

259. A quick shopping trip to Meijer for "After Christmas Sales" with BOTH my kids.

260. Walking arm in arm singing Christmas songs with my music major daughter as we leave Meijer - not caring who hears or what they think! ;-)

261. Playing Monopoly with my kids.

262. Putting the house back in order.

263. Sitting with my family in church -well, minus Chad who was scheduled to work. :-(

264. BBQ Venison Ribs and homemade sweet potato chips for dinner

265. Watching "Lord of the Rings" with Cristin, like the "old" days.

266. Knitting for hours, and seeing progress in a project.

I am blessed!

Merry Christmas, Dear - From Craig

I will try my best at being a Poet

If it brings a tear to your eye, I will know it!

May our love be forever more

Even as we get old and sore!

I have but one gift for you to open

But my Love for you is a greater token!

As we celebrate the birth of Christ this season

May our life's focus always be the reason.

With heartfelt love I may turn this into a song!

Please don't laugh hysterically all day long!

Merry Christmas,

Your Pseudo Poet!

*We all laughed hysterically as I read it. :) Gotta LOVE that man! <3

Celebrating Christmas

243. Having a relaxed day at home with hubby, Christmas Eve.

244. Candlelight service with my church family.

245. Well-behaved, unattended children.

246. Watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with my family and parents on Christmas Eve; it's an annual tradition.

 

247. Daddy Craig making the traditional O'Brien Christmas breakfast/brunch: Omelets, hash browns, sausage, toasted English muffins, fresh pineapple, and our orange juice & Vernors.

248. Reading "Owner's Manuals" from gifts received.

249. Big family gatherings.

250. The nephews eager to show me things.

251. Couples Euchre - with sister, Julie and B-I-L,  Mike.

252. Playing games with the "teens".

253. Getting a "Mad Gab" plus 3 bonus points!

254. Washing dinner dishes with the gals, just like generations before.

255. Fond memories of family Christmas gatherings past.

256. Winding down with the family at the end of a long, fun day.

257. Knowing it's not all about "Christmas" as we've made it, today, but about Jesus, the Christ - who was born as a baby so that, eventually he could provide the way for a sinful humanity to spend eternity with their creator in Heaven. 

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

Making Memories

It is a gift to be able to make memories with my mom and dad. This may be the last year they make the trip back to Michigan for the holidays. Our lives and our children's lives are so busy. Between jobs and other important people wanting a piece of our limited time together, it gets more difficult to be able to plan time to make those memories. Simple gifts I cherish include:

237. Making a pancake breakfast for my family and having everyone around the table, to eat it.

238. Baking cookies with my mom - those time consuming, special, once a year Christmas cookies, Butter Kiffels and Pecan Tassies.

239. Cristin making a special Polynesian dish, Lumpia(?) for our lunch. She even searched and made sweet and sour sauce from scratch!

240. Listening to Gramps and Chad play ping pong.

241. Gramps and Chad going on a long walk together.

242. Receiving unexpected photo greeting cards in the mail. People are so creative!

The Secret of Christmas

Years ago, we eliminated much of our gift giving so we wouldn't be so distracted and stressed out during this very special time of the year. Just this year, while still away at college, Chad said, "Let's just get together with people and hang out." These last couple of days, I have treasured our "hang out" times.

225. Listening to my kids hanging out in each other's room, talking, laughing, and planning.

226. Cristin and Chad going on a "Brother-Sister" date.

227. The girls beating the guys in family euchre.

228. A day of "shopping" with three generations of "Knable" girls; Nonna, Cheryl & Julie, and Cristin.

229. Getting my "Christmas Letter" in the mail, finally! (Well, most of them, anyway...)

230. Our traditional "Christmas Shopping Lunch Out". Soup and Salad at Olive Garden was perfect. Loved their new Chicken and Gnocchi soup. We reminisced of lunches past at "J.L. Hudson" ...and the "Children ONLY Shop", and....

231. Conversations about college and other adult things with the nephews - they are all grown up, too.

232. Watching "Anastasia" with Cristin and listening to her sing through the soundtrack.

233. Wrapping gifts and filling stockings.

234. Giving Craig a good haircut.

235. A second evening playing cards with the family around the kitchen table. (The guys won this round.)

236. My hubby smiling, joking, and laughing...it's what drew me to him that first day I met him in the lab.