Our Christmas Letter, 2019

It’s December again-- time to celebrate the birth of a Baby, Jesus, who came to Earth so long ago to save us all from our sins.

I was blessed to be in Wisconsin for a few days, staying with Erin and Reed, and another new baby, William (Will) Langdon Tyler, who made his appearance a little early, on December 7. He was just 18 inches long, and 4 pounds 14 ounces, when he was born, but he is strong and healthy. Erin will be able to stay home with him for the next semester and summer, while she teaches just two online courses for the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, and continues to teach piano lessons at home. Reed has some paternity leave from his job at Edgewater College, so he is able to be home, too, with Erin and the baby.

It has been a year of blessings for our whole family.

Meagan and Andy are doing a great job of raising their four kids. The three oldest are excelling with their homeschooling studies, and little Ari just enjoys life, exploring anything he can reach. Tobin, Evelyn, and Lydia take violin lessons, and Tobin plays the piano quite well already. They love to read, play games of all kinds, cook, sing, and play princesses/Star Wars/Ninjas. At my house, we read and sing together, draw and work on other art projects, bake and decorate cookies, play in the backyard, and build things in the family room.  Andy is looking ahead to second semester, when he will direct the musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” at Gering High School. Meagan continues to work part time, mostly from home, as the assistant to our pastor, mainly in charge of event planning. 

Victoria is excited to be working at Minatare Preschool, three days a week, with my former co-teacher. She also works in the church nursery twice a week. She and her boyfriend, Caleb Schank, have been together for almost four years. Caleb graduated from West Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff in May, and manages The Range, a shooting venue in downtown Gering. Victoria and Caleb are both proficient shooters. They like to go fishing together, build things, and pet-sit for various friends and relatives.

Here, Caleb and Victoria are pictured with Caleb’s dog, Blue.

It’s hard to believe that Levi is already a sophomore at Gering High School. He has adjusted quite well to a new (and newly remodeled) building, and new teachers. He likes to read, write stories and poetry, draw, play video games with his friends, play the piano, and play percussion in the high school band. Lately, he has been composing his own piano music.

At the end of September, Bill and I got to take a trip together to New Orleans, where Bill was inducted into the Cable Television Pioneers, an organization that recognizes the people who have made significant contributions to the Cable TV industry. We enjoyed staying in the French Quarter, and experiencing the sights, sounds, and food of the area.

In October, my first children’s book, Grandma, Whatcha Doing? was published by Covenant Books. It is available for purchase from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and select bookstores nationwide. If you want to, you can also check out my author website, grandmajanetk.wordpress.com, or my Facebook author page, https://www.facebook.com/GrandmaJanetK/.

Our family enjoyed camping this summer, in beautiful western Nebraska, and we have taken several trips to Wyoming, and various places throughout Nebraska, to see relatives.

We have been greatly blessed this year, but there is no greater blessing than Jesus, whose birthday we will celebrate very soon. As I snuggled with our newest grandchild in front of the Christmas tree, I couldn’t help but think back to that stable in Bethlehem, where Mary held her Baby, thanking God for all that he would do through that tiny, newborn Child. This Christmas, I pray that you, too, will know the grace, mercy, and love that God has provided for us in the form of a Baby.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to each of you, from Janet, Bill, Victoria, and Levi Bauer.