A Christmas Letter From the Hopkins Family

December 2019

Loved Ones,

Responsibilities. We all have them. Grandson Henry, who will turn six on Christmas Day, is attuned to this reality. On a recent visit to the SF Zoo to see some reindeer he explained Rudolph’s red-nosed absence by saying, “It’s Christmas. He might have had other responsibilities.” It is good to be understanding of the burdens others have to bear.

Here are some of the responsibilities our family took on in the year gone by:

Aaron and Teresa – Keeping the deer from eating the roses and knocking down the fences at their new house.

Henry – Kindergarten.

Hudson – Dealing with things that “make no sense” such as his brother starting swimming lessons without him.

Kristen and David – Surviving Snowpocalypse in the Willamette Valley. No power for ten days. They have a well so this meant they had to melt snow for water.

Dashiel – Becoming a master fisherman.

Dayton – Becoming an master apple presser.

Ethan – Welcoming a new puppy, appropriately named Bubbles, into his life.

YaYa – Locking her car at night so no one rips out her rearview mirror, breaks her windshield and causes $3000 worth of damage again.

Hop Pop – Umpiring baseball for the first time since he was fourteen. “I knew I had arrived when I called my first balk.”

In the year ahead let us all take responsibility for using our gifts for the well being of others, just as the Magi took responsibility for sharing their gifts with the child and his family in the little town of Bethlehem so long ago.

Peace,

Jim and Karen

P.S. It has been a joy to share another year with each of you and we look forward to sharing the journey in the year ahead. Please join for worship on Christmas Eve. Stan’s prelude begins at 5:45 with the service itself beginning at 6:00.
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