Hello
Folks: a great Christmas and happy New year to you all. Here is a copy of our
Christma Letter for 2011.
Most
events this year were related to our family and writing. We flew to Montreal in
February to visit our daughter and family to keep up with antics of their four
year old son, Luciano. We had the opportunity to sign and sell books at
Ottawa’s Salem Christian bookstore, who always gave us a warm welcome.
Our
third book, Gone with the Spirit,
shortlisted the previous year, came out in the spring. It gave us options for
our book tables that we manned in Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat and
Lethbridge through the winter and into the rest of the year. You can see all
our books at pebblepress.ca or by inserting Bryan Norford in the Amazon search
box.
We
learned early in the year that Dan our grandson and his wife Joelle were
expecting their third child, a son, Jakob, a brother to Norah and Cole. Later
we learned that our daughter, Alex in Montreal, was expecting a brother to
Luciano. Due early March 2012, he has already been named Matteo!
In
April, we drove to the coast, visiting friends in Kelowna and many friends we
made over the twenty years we lived in the Vancouver area. On a visit to Regent
College, where Bryan received his MDiv, the bookstore manager told us of a
system for self-publishing at minimum cost. He introduced us to another Regent
graduate in Toronto who was familiar with the program, and we kept that in mind
for our June trip to eastern Canada.
During
the spring our granddaughter suggested we all pray on Sunday afternoons for
family needs. We prayed by conference call as our family was scattered around
the world. We recall one Sunday we were in Lethbridge, our granddaughter phoned
in from Toronto, a daughter called from Phoenix, another daughter joined us
from New Zealand, and our grandson checked in from China! With gratitude to God
and the help of others, the needs were met.
In
May we drove to Montreal, stopping in Winnipeg where we made contact with our
publisher regarding their latest competition. Bryan was writing a new book he
was planning to enter. The following two and half days we drove to Ottawa,
where we twice signed books at Salem again. That evening we were in Montreal to
be with our family.
We
settled home for a summer and fall of writing, book signings and family visits.
We were delighted to have our eldest daughter from New Zealand in Calgary for
October to help her daughter-in-law during with the birth of their third child.
We had the privilege of visiting with them all a number of times and meeting
our latest great grandchild Jakob.
In
November, we proudly witnessed our only granddaughter graduate with a PhD in
Psychology. She is our oldest grandchild, leading a parade of six grandsons,
and another on the way. Most of these great guys are still eligible bachelors!
We
look forward to a blessed New Year, and in January plan to visit our eldest
daughter in New Zealand, and to meet our eighth grandchild in March. With a
couple more books on the way, it will certainly be busy and exciting.
We
cannot help but be thankful to God for the full life we have and the family He
has given us. The love of God, grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the abiding fellowship of the Holy Spirit be yours throughout 2012, as we face
whatever changes and challenges may come our way.
Ann and Bryan
