Friends,

It's only the first week of December and we have already been singing "Joy to the World! The Lord is come, Let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing." We who have found room in our heart for Him know the joy of our sins forgiven and assurance of everlasting life. At this Christmass time, let's make Jesus -- the reason for the season -- the center of our celebration.

The Christmas season is also a time when our thoughts turn with thanks to God for you special people God has brought into our lives. Also we look back at '94:

When we can't find something around here, we say "It's probably under Mark's bed". Sandy, tired of waiting for Ron to make three-level bunk bed for boys, built a quadrajackstand for the bunkbed and put Marks mattress on the floor. Then we were able to set up three study areas for the boys, each with a desk, bookshelf unit, computer, and dresser, and -- oh -- a joint nightstand that reaches nearly to the ceiling! (Christmas computers came early for John W. & Sandy).

Mom V. says "You didn't have enough wood to build a treehouse so you built a nest." Actually we built the treehouse on the ground when we ran out of vacation time with only the floor up in their tree. Now the folks are threatening to make our treehouse into a cat-house - they SAID house for the animals but their animals are mostly cats -- 9 of em or more!

Ron traveled to Georgia and Gettysburg, PA and Mass for DWSD and we 6 with 2 cartop carriers, camping en route, went to UP Rootbeer Falls, Locks (we went north to Canada too; in Detroit we go south to Canada), swam in Lake Superior, took a nice vesper cruise under Big Mac, camped at Mackinaw in a thunderstorm and later in a U P mosquito hatchery. Uncle Bill joined us 6 for a day on Mackinac Island. His 4 godchildren loved having him along! Sandy, who suggested we bike around the Island, now remembers how Joy kept pushing her to go FASTER on their bike for 2. The kids liked climbing Sugar Loaf on Mackinac Island and tubing at Camp Man-go-tah-see while Sandy worked at a Lutherans for Life planning meeting there.

Sandy heads PTL at Guardian Lutheran School where Paul is on the Bible Quiz team. He also led worship w/ Ron at Detroit Rescue Mission in October. Paul's 12 years old and about as tall as Dad. His two mice just had 9 more 12/5/94. Mark's a lawnmowing baron: he rents his mower to others in the family who want to mow his lawn! ...when he feels like it. John W does chins for money; he switched from trumpet to saxaphone and continues with Joy to study piano. Joy keeps giving us treasures and cuddle awards -- tho SHE must be the champ! EACH of the 4 got more A+'s (16 total!) on his report card than Ron and Sandy got thru school including college.

Rain on Halloween limited beggers here to 404. The garden enjoyed its sabbath, despite Aunt Anna's admonition that with 4 kids we need the food (If our garden produced even 1/4 of what her's produces we'd probably plant it NEXT year.)

Ron and bro Bill went to Promise-Keepers, LLL men's retreat and did somerepair on Mustache phone lines in Bill's new Cadillac. Bill shot a unicorn at the Mustache this year, his 31st buck.

Ron's sis Karen sold our Omira birthhome and she and Joe bought the Rakow family farm and got enthused and fixed the (log cabin) up there. With 2 Cadillacs (Joe's and Bill's) in the yard it never looked so rich -- and lots of kin were given apples from her heavily loaded tree. They joined the computer age last Christmas -- so they probably will write a Christmas letter too! Joe and son Michael have gone up to the farm many weekends while son Jimmy started building his fortune as busboy at My Granny's.

Niece Christine bought a new LeBaron convertible this summer, totalled it in October. When asked why she was smiling in a picture of LeBaron, she said "I walked away from it!" Nephew Little Joe bought his house from his mom and may get his big garage done yet this year; some good working weather was even better skidoing weather !

Sandy's sis Judy quit her Chicago job to go live w/ folks and work across the Wabash at Good Samaritan as medical transcriber on afternoons for less gross but more net pay -- has even found enough money to buy a satellite dish!

Sis Donna used her pickup to help move Judy's things south to Lawrenceville. John Garfield started doing contract work at Dow in June; he commutes home to Royal Oak on weekends. With recent word that he'll be there thru May, he's starting to get some furniture for his Midland apartment. Cindy graciously took our Paul to Toronto to see Phantom and worked on wallpaper at Dad's.

Ron's cousin Eddie had his larynx removed and is home; his wife Bev followed with foot surgery.

At the Kauer reunion in July, Aunt Elsie was the oldest, as 87 year old Uncle Ernest went to be with Lord March 2. At the 1st ever Schultz family reunion 7/24, it was decided to make it the 1st annual.

It's our hope that the coming year will be for you better than this last and "May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Thes 5:23 NIV

with love,

Ron, Sandy, Paul, Mark, John, Joy and all the mice