fun adventures in mexico and the snow!

Marcus and I went to Puerto Vallarta at the beginning of this month! We had a wonderful time playing in the ocean, snorkeling at Las Caletas, and riding zip lines that were over a 1/4 of a mile long. It was 87 degrees, and sunny the whole time that we were there!! We soaked up the sun, drank lots of "miami vices" (a delightful mix of pina colada & strawberry daiquiri) and made some wonderful memories. :) Marcus' parents, Jim & Carol, came along with us, and we enjoyed spending lots of time together on the beautiful beaches.

Since then, we have been enjoying the winter wonderland that we call home. It seems like it has been snowing non-stop since we arrived home, and we are loving it!! I drove over to see my sister, Sarah, graduate from WSU on Dec. 13th! We are super proud of her for being a supergenius, and are looking forward to her coming to live with us while she starts a new job in the Seattle area. She'll be joining us sometime at the beginning of January for a couple of months until she finds a place to settle down.

Marcus and I have season passes to Crystal Mountain and have already gone snowboarding & skiing twice. I have decided to pick up skiing after a 15 year respite, and am pretty impressed with myself so far. I only fell 4 times the whole day! :) I have almost fully retired from my job at American Eagle, so that it doesn't get in the way of our snowboarding schedule!! :) I'm down to working just one or two Saturdays a month.

At the beginning of January, I'm hoping to get started doing some substitute teaching. I'll be throwing my name into the pool at Issaquah, Renton, and Snoqualmie Valley school districts. I figure I'll get back to working with kids, and enjoy the flexibility that subbing provides...I think it will be a good fit for right now.

I am still in the midst of discerning God's call on the possibility of chaplaincy and attending seminary. I will be doing a job shadow of a chaplain at Children's Hospital on January 6th--and am looking forward to the clarity that may come after that.

Our Christmas has been wonderful!! So far, we have celebrated with the Rismiller's and the Weakley's. We're looking forward to a spring thaw and then celebrating the Johnson family Christmas too. :)

Lots of love and hugs to you all! We are so thankful for all of you! Merry Christmas!!
brelin

more fun adventures!

Hi All,
It's been a while since my last post, but nothing really has changed. I am still feeling good most days, and enjoying all kinds of adventures again!!

I was able to celebrate Thanksgiving in the Tri-Cities with Marcus, my parents, siblings, and other super fun relatives. We had a great, but short, visit with them, and made it back to Seattle in time for me to leave for a wedding, and Marcus to get to work on Friday am.

The wedding that I was in was for a college friend, Ellen. A couple of us were her bridesmaids, and made the trek to Bremerton for a fun & busy wedding weekend. I made it home exhausted from the adventures on Sunday night. The wedding was beautiful, and it was fun to celebrate God's love in the context of marriage with them... Marcus joined me for the wedding, and we were rocking out on the dance floor. It was reallllllllly fun.

I'm home for Mon & Tues, and then on Wednesday we fly out to Puerto Vallarta for the week. We are VERY excited to lay on the beach, soak up the sunshine, and have fun with Marcus' parents who are joining us for their first time in Mexico. We are pumped to share this experience with them!! And I am so thankful that I'll be allowed to frolic on the beach and in the waves...SO thankful for healing.

I think that's all for me. Love, hugs, and happy belated thanksgiving!!
brelin