Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!  From Susan and John

I wanted to start by thanking you for your cards(especially Christmas Cards) and your prayers!  Many of you write cards and letters thru the year and we do appreciated and love hearing from you! I hope your family has a great Holiday this weekend.
Our plans for this week of Christmas are to ultimately go to Oshkosh for a couple days. Tomorrow (Xmas Eve) we are going to have dinner with Susan's sisters and their families and some friends. We are meeting at Betsy and Dave's wedding barn. Susan and I will then travel to Oshkosh for a couple days with Erica. Erica and Brett are having dinner with Brett's father and then Erica will join us while Brett goes to work for the weekend. So we will be in Oshkosh for Christmas!! We won't see Joel and Michelle and their family until later as they are meeting with Michelle's family. Schedules get confusing during the holidays as some of you witness!!
We have now been at Renaissance for 8 months. We continue like it here! They do a lot of things here for us and others. They have had live entertainment all thru the year and recently music by students learning piano, violin and piano students from UW studying music for their degree!! Beautiful!!! Even had Veterans Day celebration for the veterans!! There are a  couple veterans here who served in The Korean War! Amazing!!! We also have a church service each Thursday where we sing songs and have a message from a church leader from a local church.

Susan continues to be the same with some set backs! Dementia is hard on both of us. We are fortunate to have caregivers and nurses here who are very helpful and knowledgeable! Susan has many doctor appointments and transportation is provided by Renaissance! 

I have to tell you of an incident that happened just yesterday that God is always present! As you recall in a previous memo, Susan and I live close to a walking path that goes to the park nearby. Susan and I often walk to the park to watch children on a playground! Susan loves to watch the children! While pushing Susan around the playground, a young lady with a small child approached us, especially Susan in her wheelchair, and asked us if she could pray for Susan! Of course we said!! Then after prayer, she asked what happened to Susan.  Then the lady prayed specially to Susan's condition!

I have survived my knee surgery and am feeling real  good ! I am considering surgery on the other knee this summer!!

Again, thank you for your prayers!! We pray often for you also!! I hope all is good in your lives and you have a great New Year!!  JohnJ