Christmas 2011

We hope this Christmas letter finds you and your family well. This time of life has been filled with joy and challenges. Ev has been retired for almost 5 years and Al has been retired for 3 years. Retirement years have been busier than we could have imagined.

Our wonderful sons, David and Ryan, and their respectively wives, Quan and Siska, continue to bring us joy. David is still with Liberty Mutual and Ryan is busy at BECU as a lawyer. Quan is an engineer at Boeings and Siska is a computer expert at ATT. David and Quan’s sons, Caden, 4, and Liam, 2, bombard us with stories, and singing songs from the Vacation Bible School they attended this summer at our church.



We asked Caden what he is into and his reply was space and world history. Liam is the encyclopedia for superheroes and transformers. Ryan and Siska’s daughters, Isabel, 4, and Audrey, 1, love music. Isabel can play some simple songs on the piano and both girls love to dance. Isabel loves classical music because it is “ballet” music. Audrey enjoys playing with Isabel’s Calico Critters.
Ryan’s family has been living with us since September while they remodel their house. This year we had our 4 grandchildren attend the Easter Egg Hunt and Harvest Festival put on by our church for the neighborhood in April and October.


At the Harvest Festival, Caden, 4, was Optimus Prime and Liam, 2, was Bumblebee.

The Transformer theme continued to our one-year old granddaughter, Audrey, who was also Optimus Prime. Ryan made the costume but Siska decided to add a silver tutu to the outfit so people would know she was a girl. It was great. Our 4 year-old granddaughter, Isabel, was a cute bumblebee.

All our grandkids love books which, as retired teachers, we are grateful for. Caden is reading books on his own and Isabel has started to read words by herself. Liam and Audrey love grabbing books off the shelf and beg to be read to.
We are not only busy babysitting grandkids but also spending time with our mothers. We continue to thank God that they are still with us.



The two big events we had this year was a two-week mission trip to Japan and a week-long trip to Kauai in October with David’s family. This August we went to Tokorozawa, a suburb of Tokyo, to help run a Vacation Bible School with Jon and Cheiko Reasoner who are SEND missionaries and to help at the Okutama Bible Camp.





In October, we went to Kauai to relax for a week. David’s family joined us in the middle of the week.

We had a great time swimming in the resort pool, exploring and eating.


Before they arrived we had our share of hiking and going on a catamaran to snorkel and see dolphins swim right up to us.



Of all the Hawaiian Islands, this was the most beautiful. We were surprised to find out that Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon were listed as the most beautiful places in the world and we had an opportunity to see them both!

Part of the Na Pali Coast

View of Waimea Canyon

This year Al also found time to coach JV tennis this spring for Lindbergh HS and work on house repairs.Lindbergh’s JV tennis team

We continue to attend Lighthouse Christian Church in Bellevue and are challenged to strengthen our walk with the Lord. Al is still working on the sound team and strike team (people who take down our church because we meet in a public school). Ev is still enjoying teaching in Children’s Ministry, and serving in the hospitality/welcome center.

We both find encouragement in our couples’ small group that meets in our home and appreciate their prayer support and fellowship.
This summer some people from our small group and from Steve and Betty Mar’s small group took off to Leavenworth to see “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” which was a lot of fun.

As this year closes and we reflect on 2011, we are grateful to God for being the constant in an inconstant world. Our prayer for 2012 is that there will be peace and hope in this world and, that in some small way, all of us would cause it to happen.


And in another place Isaiah (Old Testament prophet) said,
“The heir to David’s throne (Jesus) will come,
and he will rule over the Gentiles (people who are non-Jews).
They will place their hope on him.”
I (Apostle Paul) pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (God’s Spirit).
Romans 15:12-13

May you and your family have a Joyous Christmas! Al and Ev

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours - 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas - 2009!

This year we have decided to send out our holiday greetings through email because we want to give the money we would have used to buy cards and postage to World Vision. We have been challenged this past year to look at what we have and to do things differently. This is not for everyone, but this is where we find ourselves.

2009 has been a year of many changes, challenges, and experiences. This is the year that Al finally retired and has his evenings free from correcting homework or making lesson plans. Ev has been retired since 2007. Al finds himself busy babysitting our youngest grandchild (11 months), Liam, David and Quan’s son, and Ev finds herself busy babysitting our only granddaughter, Isabel (2 years old), Ryan and Siska’s daughter. Caden, David and Quan’s 2 3/4 year-old is thriving in daycare where we hear from his teachers his often hilarious view of the world. We enjoyed being parents and now we get to enjoy being grandparents as well.

Caden Ko (David & Quan's Son)

Liam (David & Quan's Son)

Isabel (Ryan & Siska's Daughter)

This past year also found us moving from Sammamish to Newcastle to be closer to family and to find a one level home. (Please note the change in address and phone number at the bottom of this letter) The amazing thing was that we sold our home in one day and bought our Newcastle home three days later! As we reach those golden years, stairs become more of a challenge. Living in Sammamish was great when we both worked there but now that we are retired, being closer to family seemed more important. We are definitely “closer” to our oldest son, David, and his family since they will be living with us until the middle of February. Their newly purchased home will not be available until then. So far living together has not been bad at all.

Our last “extravagance” before retiring was to take a cruise to Mexico along Baja California and another one to Alaska. Both were wonderful but nothing was as great as canoeing on Lake Mendenhall with small icebergs floating by, and getting close and personal to a glacier’s face and a bald eagle. It was beautiful.

In a canoe facing Mendenhall Glacier

Dinner on board our cruiseship

This summer we also had a first all family event. In July, our whole family, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and we rented a home in Manzanita, OR for a weekend. The weather wasn’t perfect but we still had fun on the beach, and in Seaside, Tillamook and Cannon Beach.

Ryan, Isabel & Siska at Seaside, OR

Ryan & Isabel on Manzanita beach

Quan, David, Caden & Liam in the rented house in Manzanita

Braving the wind on Manzanita's Beach

Another exciting event this year was the Santa Train Ride to Snoqualmie to the Train Museum and Depot which has been decorated for Christmas. It was great fun for young and old alike.

We still attend Lighthouse Christian Church, which meets at Phantom Lake Elementary School and continue to be encouraged and challenged there. Al still helps with the sound team, strike team (taking the church equipment down and packing it back up after service), choir, and a couples’ small group. Ev enjoys serving in children’s ministry, helping in a couple’s small group with Al, choir, and hospitality/welcome center. Our church family is wonderfully supportive and we enjoy the fellowship.

As this year closes and a new year opens with more opportunities, our prayer and wish for you and your family is to experience fullness of life, peace that passes all understanding, and a hope that never ends.

“..but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:10-14

Have a Joyous Christmas!
Al and Ev

New Address: 7626 111th Place SE, Newcastle, WA 98056
New home phone: 425-572-5677

It's almost 6 pm on Christmas eve. It snowed 4 or 5 inches today. It looks like we are going to have a very white Christmas.

We are hoping that it won't snow tonight. We are expecting family over for Christmas day. We want them to be safe as they drive to our home. I spent 3 hours today shoveling snow off the driveway. It was 2 feet deep in some places on our driveway.

Merry Christmas to your Family from Ours – 2008:

This year has been a year full of challenges, and joyous moments. We continue to thank God for seeing us through all of it.

One of the greatest joys we have had is our grandchildren, Caden, 21 months, and Isabel, 12 months. We can honestly say that taking care of grandkids is a whole lot more fun than raising your own children. We think it’s because we can relax, enjoy them, and explore the world with them without lack of sleep, worries about housework, job, etc. Caden and Isabel play pretty well together but for some reason they always seem to like to play with the same toy!

Here they are in the crib together, jumping around and laughing.

Isabel is just beginning to walk and loves to travel around the house with her walker.

Caden’s mode of travel is his truck or car, feet-powered.

Our sons and daughters-in-laws are doing well and we continue to thank God for them. We see them much more often because of the grandkids and we have decided that one of the greatest joys in life is seeing how our children grow up and become parents to their own children. It is amazingly wonderful to see our sons father with such love, fun and understanding. Needless to say, Quan and Siska are fantastic mothers and wives, and we feel blessed to have them in our family. On January 9th, David and Quan will be expecting their second son. We are very excited about a third grandchild. This year we also had the pleasure and joy of seeing Ryan graduate with his juris doctorate from the U of W Law school and also passing his bar exam in October. Siska is working hard at ATT as a computer expert, and Quan continues to be employed at Boeings as an engineer. David now works for Liberty Mutual which bought out SAFECO, David’s former employer.

We are still attending Lighthouse Christian Church and love it. Al is busy with choir, sound team, church truck driver, and couples’ small group. Ev is still teaching in Children’s Ministry, singing in choir, and helping in the couple’s small group ministry with Al. We have really been challenged to grow spiritually in our marriage through our couples’ small group. This summer we also went to Japan as missionaries in Nokendai. It was challenging with the heat, humidity, language, and lots of walking and backpacking. We were encouraged as we saw God work despite our differences in language and culture. Another challenge this year was we decided to take up ballroom dancing. We took only four lessons and had fun doing it. Al is still teaching IB Chemistry at Skyline and loves it. Ev will be officially retiring from teaching this January and become a fulltime grandmother which she loves also.

The following are some family pictures taken this year. We hope you enjoy them.

Caden’s first birthday party was loads of fun.

Isabel and her first cherry blossoms

Ryan’s graduation in June

The Ko men and their offsprings at David and Quan’s home this summer

We were in Hawaii in July with David, Quan and Caden.



Grandpa and Grandma with Isabel at her first pumpkin patch

Caden picking his pumpkin at the pumpkin patch.

Caden and Isabel with pumpkins designed by their dads

Grandma, Isabel and Caden in their Halloween costumes

2 Snow Whites and 1 knight

Isabel as spam sushi - especially designed by Daddy

She was delectable for Halloween.

Caden as “Sir Caden, the Lionhearted” with his goldfish crackers

Ryan finds out that he passed the Washington State Bar exam.

Isabel at her first visit to the Seattle Aquarium

Isabel with her first pigtails

Caden being goofy with Great-grandma’s screen door.

Caden spends the night at Grandma's and Grandpa's house.
Grandpa and Caden have a corn eating contest!

It is great fun babysitting them both.
However, Caden does not look so sure about that.


As this year ends, our hope for all of you is that this new year will be full of peace and joy.

Have a Joyous Christmas.
Al and Ev

“Don’t be afraid!” the angel said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:10-11