Christmas 2009 

          “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14

MERRY CHRISTMAS

As we think about Jesus this time of year, we see His glory, His grace and His truth.  But the verses right before this say,

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God…. (John 1:10-12)

We should see Him when He comes to us.  We must always see His glory, grace, and truth, not just between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  As the chorus of a hymn we sang a lot in the children’s Bible study my mom lead, “O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee.”  Let His glory, grace and truth reign in your heart, this Christmas and throughout your life.

There were some pretty big milestones this year, but one for which we have waited about 4 years, just began.  That is construction on our house to give it a second floor.  The workers are in their fifth week, still working under the house to build up the foundation. I was getting to the point of “I’ll believe it when the roof comes off.”  Hero, our Doberman, and I are around for most of the noise and inconvenience (right now the water is off) everyone else being off at school or work.  If we get too much rain we will have a moat and my mechanically inclined husband can rig out a draw bridge. Just to show how Murphy has been in it, we have had years of dry winters, but we are in for an El Nino this year, i.e. lots of rain.  I am looking on it much the same as I did my pregnancies, nine months of discomfort to be very blessed in the end.

Another milestone was Yeran’s high school graduation and subsequent entrance into Art Center College of Design as a photography major. (Graduation was just after she turned 18 on Mothers’ Day.) Having been home schooled her high school years it was nice that the co-op was able to put on graduation ceremonies.  We as parents/principals gave the diploma.  She showed me a t-shirt that said “Home-schooled valedictorian.” J  Yeran only applied to Art Center, that being the only school she wanted to go to, thinking that if she didn’t get in (on her portfolio) that she would take more classes from the City College to work on it.  You can imagine the joy when one March day she received a very classy envelope (design school) from the school that said ‘Congratulations’ on the outside. I must say that Ararat’s reaction was much more subdued, rather monotonal if you ask me.  Of course, he was thinking of the tuition, but at least she can live at home.  She has been working like she signed the loan papers ever since.  There are around 30 students in the photography department, and only 4 or 5 are fresh out of high school. One of my favorite stories that she tells is about one picture she took in her black and white class that was from the 2-3 year olds Sunday school class at church.  The picture was getting great praise, how it showed that Sunday school was brainwashing little kids who didn’t want to be there, etc. etc.  Then came the question she had been waiting for: the teacher asked her how she came to take the picture. She told him she was their teacher.  She said she was letting him have as much rope as he wanted. (About a month later he apologized.)

Masis, now 16, is a junior now, so in the AP class mode, looking forward to SATs.  I use the term ‘looking forward’ in the sense that the tests are in the future. He is carrying a full load, AP US History, AP Bio, Honors English, Spanish 3, Math Analysis, Bible and TA.  His Bible class watched his Uncle Doug’s movie with Atheist Christopher Hitchens, Collision, getting reflected glory from that. He is also the sports fiend as usual, just finished up his first year on varsity football, into his third year of varsity soccer. The football team only had 22 players to begin with, seven got injured, and several more became ineligible, which meant he played both sides of the ball. He says he won’t play baseball this year, but it isn’t baseball season yet.  He is also pleased that ‘his’ Indianapolis Colts are currently (at press time) undefeated. In the summer his elbow was operated on because since the break last December he had not been able to stretch his arm out completely.  His funny bone is now on the inside of his elbow.  Masis has yet to have that AHA moment to let him know what he would like to go on to study, though he has some ideas.  The third milestone in the family was his getting his license to drive.  A fourth milestone, he passed his mom in height one week, his father shortly thereafter passing into 6 foot territory. He says his goal is 6’3”, though what he plans to do to accomplish this, I am sure I don’t know.  

Sevan decided to skip AYSO soccer this year, (which meant Saturday mornings were soccer-free this fall) and then once school got going, she decided to join the volleyball team. She also got onto the student council, which seems to primarily come up with themes for free dress day.   She, being 12 now, is going through a bit of a growth spurt of her own. Her doctor is predicting 5’11” if she maintains the current growth curve.  This growth is playing havoc with her blood glucose. Her BG numbers, although they fluctuate, still give us good A1C numbers.  That number must be under 7, and our last visit it was 6.9.  The pump has certainly been a great help.  We did manage to get her the H1N1 flu shot, because she is in one of the high risk groups. Her art teacher’s granddaughter who often joined her in class (one and a half) died of this flu. Sevan is finding Jr. High more demanding than grade school, but is keeping up. Her piano is on hold, looking for a teacher.  She is singing in a trio at the school Christmas program.

This past summer was our first time in 8 years we didn’t go camping. We went to Idaho, via Victoria, BC, for Niece/Cousin Brooke’s wedding to Daniel Newman, an Englishman. This family is fond of cross cultural marriages.  Sevan worked the guest book, Masis was an usher and Yeran took pictures of the ceremony and reception. So the Torosyans did their part to get them securely hitched. While there we took the kids to places we don’t usually go, like Elk River Falls, and the Snake River.  We have often gone at Christmas since the kids want some snow, but I think they liked the summer just as much.  Yeran and I made a two night trip to NJ for Nephew/Cousin Davis’ wedding to Manisha.  Since she is of Sri Lankan descent, the wedding had a more colorful flavor.  Not just her beautiful white sari, with an enormous white orchid in her jet black hair, and the orange saris of the bridesmaids, but all the saris of the attendees.  I have become so used to the Armenians all in black at weddings; it was really quite a lovely sight.

Another trip was taken by Yeran and her father back in May to Spain.  He took me a couple of years ago, but this year he took Yeran.  He might be able to take Masis this coming year, since he has to go yearly for an audit of a Spanish company.  Masis would certainly be more useful, as he has taken many years of Spanish.  Ararat’s lone sister in Turkey came for a visit in October.  Since we got the yacht last year, in conjunction with four of Ararat’s sisters, we have spent quite a bit of time on it, although a lot of the extended family doesn’t like to take it out of the harbor.

I made a very special trip up to Idaho by myself to celebrate mom’s 90^th birthday in May. She seems to believe that she is very late in getting to see her Lord, but she will have the rest of eternity with Him, so she can just be patient.           I am still the coordinator for much of the above, with a couple of Bible studies on the side.  We are very grateful for Ararat’s continuing work in a State of 12%, and in some areas 15%, unemployment.

 Rejoice with us in our Lord’s glory, grace and truth. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ARARAT, HEATHER, YERAN, MASIS AND SEVAN