Wishing All a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - Feliz Navidad!

---

<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">”Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.” C.S.LEWIS

1 Corinthians 1:4-<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus…

As I sit here to type my yearly Christmas letter, I smile as I look out the window and see the beautiful blue skies this crisp December day! The smile comes, not only from the beauty of this Sunday, but from so many things this past year. This deep thankfulness and appreciation of life has grown out of my walk on The Camino de Santiago. Truly the greatest blessing in 2013 – the greatest blessing because it has helped me understand and appreciate so many things in life and to develop a thankfulness the likes I have never known. The picture above is of me on that walk with four of my dearest friends. I remember the Camino every day and the walks and talks I had with God and friends and try every day to remember those lessons and those gifts – many of us vowed never to forget and continue to walk the Camino once we returned home. I don’t always achieve that but I try.



Last night we celebrated our family Christmas. It was a wonderful day. My heart rejoiced in love and thankfulness for the amazing family I have. We started the afternoon by a little R&R at the house. Once everyone arrived we all loaded up and headed to downtown Tacoma to do a little ice skating at a little rink they put up every year. It was fun and a good laugh too. We returned to the house for a great dinner and then headed to the theater for a local production of The Chronicles of Narnia. I read the Chronicles to the girls when they were young, so the stories hold a special place in our hearts! It was a great night and we all were glad to have this time together.



Hannah had just returned home from college for Christmas, and I found myself brimming with pride in the young woman she has become. Heidi (middle and very pregnant daughter) and her husband, Josh, were able to come. Matthias will be born soon. Now talk about a BLESSING! The Powless/Anstine/Landholt/Dieckhoff family will soon be adding to their numbers. I am praying that Matthias will wait until Megan and Ian return from their Christmas visit to Illinois so they can be there to welcome their new nephew into the world. Megan (always the big sister) and Ian were also with us that night. Megan inspires me every day, and I have been so lucky to have her around a lot lately as she has been going to school three nights a week at Evergreen College in Tacoma. She has been spending two of those nights at the house and it has been great to have her around even a little bit. I can’t help but mention how blessed I am to have two amazing son-in-laws who treat me girls so well and are just fine young men!



So what has been happening here….well besides Heidi and Josh celebrating one year of marriage and announcing their pregnancy, the big even for me this year was my pilgrimage across the north of Spain on the Camino de Santiago. If you didn’t follow me, check out my blog at www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Dieck/. It was a life changing experience for me, and one I will never forget. Right now there aren’t many pictures as it was extremely difficult to download pictures while I was walking. I hope to attach more pictures during winter break the next couple weeks.



Hannah is doing extremely well at Central Washington University. Hard to believe but she is now a junior! She continues with her studies in sociology and psychology and her dedication to her Air Force ROTC cadre. Hannah plans to go career Air Force upon her graduation and will enter the Air Force as an officer. I am inspired by her passion and dedication. She has indeed found her calling. Riding has taken a back seat to college and ROTC, but she hasn’t given up her passion for horses. This summer she and I will travel to France in August. She also hopes to be doing her field training earlier in the summer. If they don’t get her in to that, the Air Force is CRAZY!



Heidi has been busy crocheting, running as much as she can, and taking care of her and baby. She and Josh celebrated their first anniversary in August. Maybe they will celebrate the birth of their first child this year. I am betting for January 11^th – we shall see! They recently moved and are now settled into their new place with a room all ready for Matthias. They are surrounded by great friends. This Thanksgiving Heidi cooked her first Thanksgiving dinner for some of their friends. She did a great job! She demonstrated her skills to us when she brought us a homemade pumpkin pie for Christmas.



Megan has been busy working (still at the naval shipyards) and going to college 3 nights a week. She was planning on getting her education degree, but now is thinking about some other possibilities after experiencing the curriculum at Evergreen, which has been amazing. She did finally get her AA degree through work and will earn her BA after the next quarter at Evergreen. There is a master’s degree in there too, but it may take a bit. She and Ian are still very into Sounder’s soccer, great beer and amazing friends, food and adventures. They recently added to their family as Ian adopted their amazing dog, Brewer, while Megan was off on her yearly trip to Wakarusa Music Festival in Arkansas.







As for me – well as always work keeps me very busy. As I noted I spent 6 weeks in Spain – first trip to Europe and can’t wait to go back! I also came home and did my week of volunteering at the Doe Bay Music Festival, which was again awesome. Then I had a great visit from my first husband, whom I hadn’t seen in THIRTY YEARS! We had a great week exploring the great Pacific Northwest. Megan and I are still doing our race a month (well except when I am out of the country). Ian frequently runs with us. I am so excited as we have entered our first marathon, which Ian is going to run too! We are running on May 25 (it will be the 24^th in the USA and that is Megan’s birthday) in south Devon, England! We will run our first 26 miles on Megan’s 26^th birthday! What a way to celebrate. I also got to do a race after returning from Spain with Heidi. She did amazing for a pregnant woman! It was fun to run with her. This year I went the longest I have gone without seeing my youngest. Hannah was so busy with school that she didn’t come home until Thanksgiving and it had been almost 3 months since I had seen her. She and I always have our fun times – whether it be playing cards or hanging out with friends or curling up to watch a movie. It is nice to have her home this week. We plan to have Christmas dinner and then curl up on the couch with our favorite puppy and kitty and watch Christmas movies all afternoon. It will be AWESOME! Then she flies out for Missouri and Arkansas to visit her dad’s family – first time back in 4 years. I will head up to Seattle from the airport and visit Heidi and Josh for the day. Then I have a week to myself! Wonder what trouble I can get into???!!!!! Hope to do a bit of snowshoeing during that time if I can find someone to join me. I got snowshoes last Christmas, and I love it!



There is so much more I could share, but more than anything I want you to know if you are reading this – I love you and think of you often. Again I am so blessed with a great family, amazing friends all over the world, and a wonderful life. Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and He has blessed my life abundantly by having all of you in it!



Grace and peace this Christmas and throughout the new year,



Linda

XOXOXOX and to my Camino friends…..Buen Camino Peregrinos! Always in my heart!

---