Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas from the Peabodys!

This year has been filled with the highlight of watching the new addition to the family last year blossom into a "twaddler," complete with a "Charlie Brown" grin (over exaggerated), teeny tiny pig tails, and a body almost ready to walk. She easily melts Grandpa and Lita's hearts when she reaches up and wants to be close. We are so fortunate that Amber, Elliot and Kathryn are a hop, skip and jump away.

While we have the joy of watching our newest, 2013 brings the promise of another family member. Robyn is engaged to Brad Hall. Our new son-in-law to be clearly is smitten, and loves our daughter, also melting our hearts.

We look forward to Cindy's mom coming to spend the winter...another family expansion!

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Christmas 2011

"Lita" and Grandpa - Kathryn is 6 hours old

Merry Christmas from The Peabodys

Merry Christmas! Our family is growing! This year Kathryn Faith Moore (Amber and Elliot's daughter) joined us exactly on her due date, October 30, 2011. She weighed in at 7 lb 14 oz and quickly became the center of attention for many adults around the globe! Amber and Elliot surprised Grandma (Kathryn) Hunter when visiting her last summer by announcing that they had chosen the name "Kathryn" for their baby! Of course we are excited for the two to meet mid January when Grandma comes for her Florida winter stay.

Cindy is in her 12th year at Calvary Christian High School. After being in the Front Office for 11 years, she was offered (and accepted) the position of "College Placement Advisor." In this position, she assists students with college planning, monitoring graduation requirements, and helping students learn about career planning. It has been an exciting, yet challenging transition this year.

Ron's work remains constant at FMS Purchasing, but their entire office moved! After being in a rental situation for many years, management decided to purchase a building. After some interior work and renovations, the company moved in September. He enjoys his church responsibilities which include singing in the choir, serving as a deacon, and substituting in the Television Ministry. A highlight for the year was being able to spend several days with his cousin Dan in Minnesota doing mission work with Youth Investment Ministries (work with troubled youth). Dan's mom and dad, Aunt Wanda and Uncle Ron were also at the camp, so it was a good family time as well!

Amber and Elliot made a decision to move one month before Kathryn's arrival. They are in a nice condo just a few minutes from the University of South Florida, where Amber will return to work as a grant writer in January. Robyn started a new job this year with the United Way in Toledo. She is adapting well to her new role as Aunt. Although, like the rest of us, she would like more time cuddling her niece!

The addition of this bundle to our family certainly has us thinking about a baby born some 2,000 years ago! May your Christmas be blessed! 

Ron and Cindy Peabody

2010 Merry Christmas!

We have had a blessed year. In January my (Cindy's) mom stayed with us for three months. It was her fourth year to winter in Clearwater, but the first to stay in our condo. It worked out so well we are looking forward to her coming again in January 2011!

We added a Doctor to the family! Robyn earned her PhD in Philosophy from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. We were delighted to be able to celebrate with her.


Having Amber and Elliot close by in Tampa has been a treat. Amber keeps very busy with her graduate work at the University of South Florida (getting Masters in Public Administration with a certificate in Non Profit) and keeping up with the demands her assistantship working for two professors. She will earn her degree in May. Amber and Elliot celebrated their first anniversary in August, and we rejoice with them. He has been a wonderful addition to our family... a "keeper!"

In September we traveled to San Francisco for our nephew Paul's wedding. It was fun to gather much of the family for this occasion. Ron, Robyn, Ginny and I took advantage of some "down" time to tour San Francisco, Pebble Beach and Muir Woods. While at the woods we sampled a famous grilled cheese (if you watch the Food Network) sandwich...yes, it was good!

We look forward to family time at Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Blessings,

Ron and Cindy

Across the miles...Angie, A, and Cindy recently staffed a booth at the CBC fair. It was great to have A there from across the miles. Many people stopped and asked about her and the work she is doing. Looking forward to the real deal...

New Kitchen - Our new kitchen is underway. Appliances were delivered last week. Dining room cupboards should be installed this week...then a template needs to be made for the counter. Once that is done we wait for the counter to be installed, then complete the project with a new pantry/cupboard and jazzy back splash.

All this at the same time I am supposed to be preparing a talk on pinching pennies. Hummmm....any advice?

"Double Pretty" is a phrase coined by A and her friends when putting together outfits in their new countries. Not wanting to be left out, I joined the double pretty crowd on our bike ride last Saturday. Ron offered his plaid shorts, but I am not advanced enough to be "triple pretty!"

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2 The Message

Today there is no danger of me fitting in without thinking!

Merry Christmas From Florida!

This year we thought that we would send our greetings in a more high tech fashion, even though both of us are more on the "low techie" scale.

We were inspired to start a blog to better keep in touch with Amber, our youngest...more on that in a minute.

This has been a year of change; but then aren't they all? Our church moved last December to its new location, after being a down town church for over 100 years. We are now located on the eastern edge of Clearwater, in a new campus; happily a four minute commute from our home. While Ron still works at FMS Purchasing, and Cindy at Calvary Christian High School, the school relocated along with the church, so she enjoys new facilities AND her own office!

Amber graduated from UF in December, giving us three days notice. She learned that an arrangement to study spring semester didn't work out, so she "had" to graduate. We scurried and celebrated her graduation amidst Cindy's school move and the holidays. She received her BA in Political Science.

Cindy's mom and dad came down for the winter, renting a house in a nearby city. Unfortunately after being here a week, Mommy fell and broke her hip. After physical therapy and some rehab she was able to move back "home." The rest of the winter was a bit slower paced for them, but still enjoyable to be out of the cold Michigan weather.

In March we packed Amber up and sent her off for a two month training. She is currently in the North Africa Middle East Region for a two-year mission commitment.

After being a family member for 13 years, Jingle, our dog, died in April. Sometimes we didn't realize how much we were used to his sedentary ways until after he was gone. Once we thought we saw him in the kitchen, and it turned out to be a grocery sack on the floor! No one comes scurrying to eat stuff we drop on the floor...Now that's sad!

We had a nice family reunion in July, though not all the grand kids were able to come, many did. Sarah and Gina even came unannounced and surprised their mom and dad. Cindy's dad had been recently diagnosed with cancer, and referred to University of Michigan for testing and treatment. We were able to help with some of the transportation and "waiting."

After many tests and biopsies, Daddy was started on an experimental treatment in late August. Early in September he became dehydrated, and developed an allergic type reaction to the chemotherapy. He quickly declined, and passed away late in September.

Cindy and Ron each made two extra trips to Michigan this year, and it was a bonus to see Robyn! She is in Bowling Green, Ohio working on her dissertation in Philosophy at Bowling Green State University. In a year or so, there may well be a "Dr. Peabody" in the family!

It was a difficult autumn, but in the "storms" there were good times, when the family was together. Many tears, and much laughter. We are looking forward to being with family again at Christmas - though it will be a different assembly - Daddy won't be there, and Amber will be inabsentia. Life changes, and life goes on.

While there have been many changes for us this year, God's love is a constant. We rejoice in celebrating Jesus' birthday!

Merry Christmas!

JOY ZONE IV
I want my joy to be like my disposal! Why? Well this week I was cleaning up after supper and ran the disposal, and after several seconds I flipped the switch to turn it off, and it kept running. Switch, switch, switch, switch, switch, switch, switch...it kept running. Finally, I had to go to the circuit breaker and turn it off. My Joy comes from the Lord, and is not turned of by my defective switch. It continues to run. Let's not take the analogy too far...what happens next week when the electritian gets it fixed? The POWER is still there!