Ron and Sandy Schultz Christmas Letter 2002
Friends,
As men plan to create new life in the laboratory, let us pause in awe at the special life God put in the Womb of Mary - so special that another baby within a womb leaped when Mary's womb-load Jesus was near! -- thru whom all people on earth can have new life: Jesus, God's love manifest in flesh; Jesus, God's provision for our sin….Jesus, God with us, Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Despite its late deadline, last year's Christmas Letter missed that flowers were still blooming in Detroit when winter arrived 12/21/01. By 11/19 this year they were not. With 238 by email and 126 by snailmail, last years Christmas Letter marked a milestone in going electronic.
Life is supposed to get easier now: we no longer have 4 teens (Paul's 20th bday was in May) but still there's more activity than we can list:
Ron failed to harness boy power last summer to his chagrin. He also acknowledged his failure to establish 28" aisles. He thinks our last two kids are too interested in dances and dating.
Ron gave up gardening, tore down garden fence; Mark had best Schultz potato crop in 2 generations: 5.
Ron is driving 93 Buick to work, as drive home privilege revoked on his assigned car. Tho he couldn't get any sympathy from Sandy, Ron had to go to Finland for a DWSD Haggerty Station motor test trip; Worshiped at Church in the Rock, Helsinki, experienced August daylight 5:30 AM to 10:30PM. Came back with Euros. Ron spoke at hearing on HB5788 and Detroit News noted same.
Ron fastened a talking watch to nightstand: It says "6:14 am, Please hurry" Sandy says " I wonder how many of those things have been shot!?" So Ron got a rooster crow watch too!
Sandy and Ron went to a North Woodward Young Adults reunion 2/9, tho now the members of this 'young adult' group are talking of retirements! She still takes care of infants at MOPS. In January, she was in hospital 3 days for leg problems finally diagnosed as 'superficial blood clot'.
She set up a phone/internet schedule for home: Phone times include 7-9AM, 11-1, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9:30PM
Paul's been to Washington 5 times now including to the top of Washington Monument.
In the summer he worked with Democrats for Life in Wash. DC and -- in Empire State Bldg (highest bldg on Manhattan) -- for a representative to the UN on life issues. He was elected president … of the Harvard Wireless Club and Harvard Right to Life and became deputy business manager of the Harvard Salient Newspaper - while being published several times in the Harvard Crimson newspaper; he also created new Harvard prelaw newsletter! Give a Harvard student a kitchenette dorm and he throws a Reformation fete for his Roman Catholic roommates. He earned the title Lucifer by bringing light fixture to dorm room shared with multiple Latin students (Lucifer is light bearer in Latin). Paul joined Quincy House crew (rowing) team. Paul got a cell phone (present of Mark) to coordinate his extracurricular activities.
After practicing all summer, PCS only got 172 on LSAT (his goal, was 180, perfect). He hopes to graduate in 3 years next June with a BA in Economics.
Paul (KC8RXT) enhanced his radio career with ham radio W1AF transmissions from St. Eustatius Island in the Caribbean in March. A week later John W. traveled to St Martin Island with the Disney cruise ship, perhaps a 100 miles from St. E - and where Paul's flight changed planes going and coming. Paul competed in a couple of Ham radio contests and won HWC's Manafo cup!
Mark labored to keep the old van running well enough to get to work thru the summer at the video store; after 2 years he quit Hollywood Video to go to college. Mark's Catholic Central homeroom decorating won 1st Place in Drive competition. Mark flew to Grandma's in S. Illinois 4/1 and helped on garage repair there with Uncle John. He declined admission to University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He has already seen northern lights at MTU. He worked real hard taking pounds off and got into his Air Force ROTC uniform by October; traveled by C130 with ROTC to North Dakota.
79 people celebrated Mark and John's graduation. In May, MDS graduated less than a minute ahead of 2-year younger bro JW but - by special arrangement - Mark did graduate first! Mark went to MTU on at least 2 scholarships; JW went to U of M on 6 scholarships
JW medalled in math prize leapfrog in Feb. JW by van and plane played quizbowl 20 places. He was on state champion quiz bowl team again; good thing he graduated: he was running out of fingers to put those championship rings on. His team was also 2nd and 3rd in various national quizbowl championships. JW joined Ruselowski family for various vacations including Disney cruise. He spent a day in dental office to see if liked it for life work; he didn't quite pass out and considers it still a possibility. JW and his mom failed to get JW a summer job; it looked like a lean summer until last and best scholarship arrived in mail - giving JW a full ride at U of M the first year and ¾ full ride as long as he keeps up 3.5 HPA. He decided that he should attend classes! . Our baby boy is off to college as tallest of 3; he built his own computer for use at U of M. And JW and Drew built loft for Bursley dorm room they share.
PCS, MDS, JW, and Joy are in a movie - a Kevin Brady (friend of John) production.
Joy's been running track and cross country; Joy trimmed 30 sec off 5 km cc time each race until she was part of 5 varsity runners counted as team. Best time was 25:55 Got a letter 1st year running, Joy was in Brigadoon musical at HS; Joy and coach Sandy started in HS quizbowl at LHWL Her brothers bought her a treadmill so she could keep running thru winter.
Ron's bro Bill officially retired July 31, 2002, after being on career transition leave. Bro bill was to Paradise before MTU which MDS thinks is Paradise.
Sis KSS and hubby have a new modular house with double shower and Jacuzzi on a hill ("Swafford on the Ponds") a stone throw from their log cabin. The built-on garage is bigger than either the cabin or their previous house in Warren (now owned by son Michael)! Ron's cuz Jean's teen granddaughter Amber was killed in car accident, but not before she confirmed her faith in Jesus.
SLS's bro John's Traverse City job wrapped up after 3 years. SLS and her sis Cindy did some water aerobics last summer, and SLS's sis Judy developed a distaste for lawn mowing. Joy's cuz Carole had rough year: 5 sicknesses. Sandy's Mom spent a couple weeks in Michigan this year. In August she helped Sandy drive Mark to Michigan Tech.
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