2016 Year in Review

2016 was full of milestones:  Erin turned 21, finished her academic studies at Pepperdine University and moved back home.  Ryan turned 18, graduated from Palisades Charter HS and started his first semester at SDSU (San Diego State University.)  Alice and Henry, along with several dozen other individuals, couples and  families started a new church plant, Generations Church LA, where Henry served as both the planter and Chairperson.  We also had the dubious task of raising and training Moose, our new labradoodle puppy.  Our year was filled with challenges and trails, but also filled with special memories and wonderful trip to Europe.

Family highlight of 2016 was definitely our two-week European vacation.  We booked a trip with Globus Tours for 3 nights in Florence followed by 3 nights in Rome. This trip was slow and relaxing, not like those 10 cities in 10 days tours where you spend an hour at a tourist spot, take a picture and then hop back onto the bus for the next stop.  No, this was leisurely tour in the morning, followed by free-time or an optional tour in the afternoon.  Most meals were on us where we could roam in Rome or flourish in Florence.  Italian meals every night.  By the time we got tired of Italian food, it was time to fly to Munich.  The main task was to pick up Henry's new care from the magnificent BMW Welt in Munich.  The highlight was the yummy bratwurst, beers, and BMW factory tour.  Yes, Ryan had beers with us.  He was 18.

Alice, the rock of our family, is the constant caregiver of both friends and family.  She is constantly giving and serving others.  For example, she visits her 95 y.o. mom twice a day, 6 days a week, and takes walks with her.  Alice spent 3 months caring for a critically ill family member, who is still recovering from a miraculous healing and restoration (more on this later, if the family member allows us to publicly share the story.)  Alice cares for and helps train Moose, who has some really bad habits from the puppy farm.  Lastly, Alice has been one of the faithful servants of Generations Church LA.  Her weekly duties are to order simple lunch snacks, set up the welcome booth every Sunday morning and  recruit and coordinate volunteers.  Her church plants tasks were to recruit helpful and cheerful volunteers:  Servants to help on the welcome team, or Friday night dinners and more.  But the biggest challenge is parenting and trying our best to steer our adult children to follow the "straight and narrow" path, "but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matt.7:14.  This year, Alice learned to make creme brule and soufflé and several other yummy dishes.  She spends time cleaning up and working on the landscaping at the front of the house. It's good therapy.  Her highlight was the family European vacation and the various double-date nights which various couples and friends.

Henry and his agency had a record year professionally and profitably. He is thankful to have good new and loyal clients who in past few years are really starting to grow.  He just celebrated his 20th anniversary with New Century Insurance Services this past February.  The agency now has over 60 employees, agents and staff.  God is good! After 45 years with EFCLA, his other big calling in 2016 was to help plant and establish Generations Church LA (GCLA.) The inaugural service was Feb.7, 2016 and it's been a world wind journey for him and all the GCLA leaders.  In March, GCLA hired its first pastor, Andy Kuo.  In September, GCLA moved to First Lutheran Church of Temple City, into the main Sanctuary.  God granted our prayer for a "prime location, at a prime time (11am)."  Henry serves as the Chairperson as well as serves on the worship team, the Bylaws committee and the (Lead) Pastoral Search Committee.  GCLA hopes to hire its first "prime time" Lead Pastor in 2017. As a result, Henry has temporarily given up on his love of road bike riding and has steadily gained a few pounds. In July, he went fishing with Ryan and Gus (Erin's boyfriend) and caught some nice yellowtail and bonito.  But one of his most important jobs in 2016 was to "care for the caregiver, Alice."  Because being a mom and caregiver to others can be tiring and unappreciated. It's emotionally draining when those that receive care either don't appreciate it or have difficult showing appreciation.  Their highlight was date nights of walking from their home in Santa Monica to Main Street, filled with nice restaurants and shops.  In June, the family took a trip to Europe and Henry got his new BMW, European Delivery.

Erin turned 21 this year.  Our little girl is all grown up.  She finished her schooling one semester early from Pepperdine with a BA in psychology and moved back home.  Her plans are to work at several internships for OT (occupational therapy), finish 1 or 2 class pre-requisites for grad school at Santa Monica College, and apply to graduate school later in 2017.  Throughout this year, she did several internships shadowing an OT in the Santa Monica/Malibu school district working with elementary and high school students.  In January 2017, she'll go to Vietnam to volunteer at an orthopedic hospital in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City.  It should be a great experience for her and a nice posting for her resume' and grad school application.  Erin and Gus are doing well.  In October, Henry and Alice had a nice dinner with Gus and the Schillaci's.  One of her highlights of 2016 was a two-week family trip to Europe and road trip along the coast from Los Angeles to Seattle and back.  Check out Erin's Year in Review VIDEO.

Ryan turned 18 in January.  Henry treated him to an amazing omakase sushi luncheon. Henry probably enjoyed the sushi meal even more than Ryan.  Around the same time, Ryan passed his Eagle Scout Review Board and received his Eagle Scout designation.  A big accomplishment.  We celebrated with 2 other Eagle Scouts recipients in mid-2016.  Ryan graduated from Palisades Charter high school and attended two proms; one for his school and one with a good friend at church.  In fact, he's been to 4 proms and 2 homecoming dances in the past 2 years.  We suspect that he's a fun and easy-going guy.  In June, during a family European vacation, he legally drank beer and wine. Throughout the trip, we became proficient with the public transit of Munich and Paris.  Ryan even met with high school friends while out on the streets of Paris.  In August, Ryan packed up and he moved into SDSU (San Diego State University.) In December, he moved out of the older dorms and will be moving into the brand new South campus dorms in January 2017.  Ryan finished his first semester, but now realizes that he still has a lot to learn about himself and how to succeed in college.  Henry went through similar challenges and therefore has hope that Ryan will figure it out and eventually thrive.  Ryan has vowed to study harder for 2017.

He sits like a human.

Moose is a really sweet and cute doggie, but hates groomers and anyone trying to touch his paws.  We suspect that he was traumatized as puppy; maybe they cut his nails too close to his quick. But for whatever reason, his first groomer called him "defective" and that we "should return him as soon as possible."  Well, we fired our groomer of 10 years instead and found a more patient and calmer groomer who comes to our house ($ cha-ching $.)  We even hired a behavioralist who was also very helpful.  Now Moose won't run out the front door or cross a street without hearing a "heal" command.  Now, Moose is over a year old.  He's still an active, playful youngster who loves to play ball all day long.  Poor Alice!  But he is very sweet and very protective.  He's a good guard dog, barking at passerby's in the alley and street front - warningly, but not excessively.  He's doing his job.  Yet, he's also a cozy lap dog who loves to snuggle.  So despite his puppy bad habits, he's slowly getting better month by month, especially as he gets older and calmer. He's a good doggie.