reflections on 2015 (belated Christmas letter)

Dear Family, Friends, and Blog Readers,

How is it possible that yet another year has nearly come and gone? It seems like just yesterday we were writing last year’s Christmas letter! It’s hard to believe that five years ago we were planning our wedding…where has the time gone?

This year has been another whirlwind for us. Here are a few highlights:

Mr. Gryce celebrated his 5-year mark of being employed as a Senior Software Developer with his current company. Although his work is often challenging, he enjoys it and maintains a great relationship with his boss and co-workers. It is not too often that jobs like this are available so close to home! We are thankful for the continued growth of the company and he hopes to stay there for many years.

Mrs. Gryce had a busy year supply teaching with the local school board. She also had a full tutoring schedule for much of the summer. Since September, her teaching schedule has slowed down considerably and she is enjoying some down time. She still tutors from home 5 nights a week and occasional Saturdays. Over the summer, Mrs. Gryce was busy picking berries, making pickles, relish, and jam, as well as canning rhubarb and applesauce. Our pantry is well-stocked for the winter months!

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you will know that our big renovation project this year was the demolition of our old wood shed, and the building of a 2-storey 24’ x 24’ addition to our house. This has allowed us to have a 2-car garage with upstairs loft. We now have storage for two cars and the wood pile, plus an area for Mr. Gryce’s work bench and tools. We were very pleased with the contractor we chose for the job and hope to work with him again in the New Year as we make plans to finish the loft portion into living space.

At the end of July, we took a road trip to Michigan, where we stayed with Mrs. Gryce’s cousins for a few days. 

It was lovely to get away, and as always, the Bakkers were generous and hospitable hosts. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and spent a full day in the water park at Michigan’s Adventure. It truly was an adventure—especially for Mrs. Gryce, who is nervous about heights, water, and rides that spin. Nevertheless, we both thoroughly enjoyed our time together.

Back at home, we enjoyed several trips to the beach, including a beautiful, little-known spot near Pleasant Bay. 

We also had a great time at the Sandbanks Dunes Beach with the Broekemas. Now that our nephew and twin nieces are getting older, it has become easier to plan outings and family dinners together. 

We also spent one summer afternoon at Mr. Gryce’s dad’s house, learning about his bee-keeping business. Mr. Gryce enjoyed lending a hand in the honey-extraction process. Maybe one day, we’ll get into it ourselves!

In September we were saddened by the loss of our beloved uncle, Glenn Gryce. He had a tremendous influence in Mr. Gryce’s life during his growing-up years, and was also the inspiration for our living room design. He will be dearly missed!

This fall, we adopted a new kitten named Chester. He is a lively playmate for Charlie, and the two get along (most of the time).

 Since many of you may have thought Charlie and Chester would be our only babies, we have saved the best news for last: We are expecting a baby in June! So far, all is going well. Now in the second trimester, Mrs. Gryce’s nausea is gone and she is not as tired. We continue to pray for health and strength for both Mrs. Gryce and Baby Gryce in the coming months.

We hope this post finds you well. It is our hope that you experienced a merry Christmas with family and friends, and we wish you all God's richest blessings in 2016.                                                    

With Love,

            Mr. & Mrs. (and baby) Gryce