A little general news

Well, I have had some nice feedback in the realm of e-mails, regarding this little blog. Thank you all who have commented! Our friend Jan (in France) mentioned that there was none of the promised family news...so here is a brief update to get me started, and more will follow...

Marilyn:

• Dave's mom has now been living with us for almost a year. She is active at church, volunteers at the local elementary school library and at the Sombrillo Nursing Home, and makes our house lovely with her work around here and her care for house plants and flowers. We are happy to have her!
  

Dave:

• He continues his work at Los Alamos National Laboratory (www.lanl.gov) as a chemist. He currently spends a lot of time in Nevada, helping to monitor radionuclides in the ground water at the Nevada Test Site. Summer brings pumping and gathering samples fromt the 1,000 ft. plus drill wells, and winter is running samples and data working. What you may have heard about morale at the Lab being low has probably been grossly underestimated. Dave continues some consulting work on the side as well.
• Additionally, Dave continues his service as an elder at our church, Bryce Avenue Presbyterian Church (http://www.bapca.org/). Dave teaches an adult Sunday School class which is studying the Westminster Larger Catechism, and leads an eveninghome fellowship group which is studying through the book of psalms and also working its way through Knowing God by J. I Packer.

Chris:

• Chris is in her ninth year of leading the Los Alamos Homeschool Chorus, and currently working towards a spring concert with her 85 students. Out theme is great American hymns.
  
• Additionally, Chris led the Women's Fellowship study at church on the lives of Elijah and Elisha this year. The women also have a Block-of-the-Month quilting group that has been fun to participate in.

Ben:

• Currently finishing his Junior year at Hillsdale College (www.Hillsdale.edu) as a Classics major, Ben continues to do well and begins to worry about what he will do after next year. He leaves on May 15 on a wonderful 4-week trip with the Honors group at Hillsdale. You can see his fabulous itinerary here: http://www.hillsdale.edu/AcademicAssociations/Honors/Anatolia/2005/itinerary.htm
• Ben will be working at the Lab this summer, for which his parents are grateful. And he continues to walk with the Lord, and write beautiful poetry.

Tim:

• In his sophmore year as an engineering student, Tim is enjoying his first year of track competition. God has been gracious to allow Tim to return from a stress injury following cross-country season to run well. He has set an automatic qualifying time for NCAA Division III track Nationals in the 10,000 Meter, and a provisional time in the 5,000 Meters. You can see the Performance List of thos who have qualified for Nationals here: http://www.raceberryjam.com/ncodmp05.htm#8 and more about Nationals (May 26-28) here: http://www.go-knights.net/ncaatrack/index.html
• Tim will also be home after Nationals to work at the Lab this summer.