Andy & Charis: 2005

12.18.2005

12.14.2005

Dear Friends and Family, December 2005

Holiday greetings to our dear friends and family! It is time for the First Annual Call Family Holiday Letter!!! We hope this note finds you happy and healthy during this holiday season. This has been an eventful year in the Call family, and we’d like to fill you in on what has been happening in our lives.

The reason this is our first holiday letter is because this is the first holiday season we’ve spent as a family! As you may know, Charis and I got married on March 19, 2005 in the Los Angeles Temple of the LDS Church. It was a magnificent day, as we celebrated our union with wonderful friends and family. We quickly sped off to Carmel, CA for our honeymoon and the beginning of our new life together. We continue to reside in Bellevue, WA. We love the Pacific Northwest and the lush greenery it provides. The constant clouds can be a bit much, but it’s a trade-off we are willing to make….at least for now!

Shortly after our wedding, Charis decided that a career change was in order. After several years as both a teacher and administrator at Kindercare Learning Centers, Charis went to work at a downtown-Seattle law firm. She is really enjoying her new environment, her new coworkers, and the great hours. More importantly, she loves using the on-site gym during her lunch break and the easy access to all the downtown shopping (yikes!). But despite the career change, Charis is still getting to interact with children at church. She teaches the 5 year-old children on Sundays, a responsibility she enjoys very much.

Andy continues his seemingly never-ending career as a full-time student. He is nearing completion of his graduate degree in accounting at the University of Washington. He is thoroughly enjoying the research projects he is working on, and loves to teach the undergraduate students. In between his school activities, Andy works with the young men at church and has recently been asked to serve as the new Scoutmaster (stop laughing). Despite the learning curve, Andy is really enjoying this unique opportunity.

In this holiday season, Charis and I hope each of you has the chance to spend special time with your loved ones and to enjoy the bond that only close friends and family can provide. More importantly, we reflect upon the Savior, His eternal love for each of us, and the miraculous sacrifice He offered so we could find joy in this life and return to live with our Heavenly Father once again. We love each of you very much and hope you and your loved ones have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful 2006!

With Love,

Andy & Charis

CHRISTMAS CARD PICTURE

12.08.2005

Our Christmas Tree

Charis holding up the 9 footer

Andy getting ready to cut down our Christmas Tree!!

12.06.2005

Snow in Seattle

It snowed in Seattle!!!! Seattle does not often get snow, so when it does snow here, it is a novelty. Andy's friend Max was at our place, and we decided to go out and take some pictures at midnight. The snow was beautiful.

Andy & Charis

Andy getting ready to throw a snowball!!!!!!

Andy & Max

11.18.2005

Utah

TEMPLE SQUARE

We were in Utah in October - Andy was attending an Accounting Conference at BYU and I just went down for fun... we had a good time spending time with friends and being back in Provo. We lived in Provo at the same time, but knew nothing of each other. We spent sometime at Temple Square , no matter now many times we go, we still just love being on the grounds and seeing how beautiful it is. It was the perfect sunny day in October.

Class of 1995 & Class of 2005.

Andy and his cousin Cameron outside their dorms at BYU.

10 years later Cameron is living in the same dorms that Andy did all those years ago - May Hall.

11.01.2005

Just a picture... or 2...

I haven't posted any pictures lately, and I don't have too many to post. Here is just a fun picture we took this weekend. A friend of ours is moving out of state so we got togethe for dinner. As you can see from the pictures, I took one, and Andy took one, so we are not in it together. I decided to post them both.

Andy, Leanne, Julie & Tamra

Charis, Leanne, Julie & Tamra

9.06.2005

Canada

DOWTOWN VANCOUVER

We went and watched an IMAX movie downtown, the show was about game parks in South Africa, so we had to watch it.

At a look-out point at Stanley Park. This park is huge. It has so many fun things to do.

We met up with Zena and Jeff at this resturant - Cloud Nine. It is the top floor of a hotel in downtown Vancouver. The restaurant rotates, so we were able to get a perfect view of the entire city.

HARRISON

Zena and Me. For someone who does not like pictues, Andy takes great ones. It was so beautiful in Harrison, even with the cold, rainy weather.

Each year people from all over come to Harrison to make huge sandcastles, or any kind of sculpture in the sand. We got there a few weeks early, so there was only one on the beach. It is amazing how detailed these sculptures can be.

Andy and Charis

WHITE ROCK

We went to dinner at White Rock, the sunset was beautiful, and we took alot of fun pictures. We would never have known to come here if we did not have locals with us, we were lucky to see this beautiful part. The US is across the water.

Andy & Charis, Zena & Jeff

Just sitting on the train tracks.

Using all the strength we had to hold ourselves up - all for a cute picture

9.01.2005

Kirsty.. All grown up!!

Barry and Kirsty

Kirsty & Yolanda

Here is a picture of Kirsty, all grown up and almost 22. Here she is with Yolanda Christopher (Pam's sister)

7.19.2005

Our apartment

Some pictures of our apartment..

Our kitchen

Our fireplace

Our dining room

(the picture on the table is a puzzle of South Africa - it is being framed and is going to be our artwork)

Our living room

7.09.2005

Wedding Pictures

Andy and Charis

The wedding party!

Here we are cutting the cake

We had decided not to shove the cake in each other's faces - I was not yet convinced!

7.06.2005

Oregon

We went down to Warm Spring OR for the long weekend. We decided to go and have a picnic in the 'woods', it was so peaceful and quiet. We had to take some pictures to try and capture the beauty.

Lake Tahoe

Here we are at Lake Tahoe. Andy and I were both down there at the same time, but for different events. Andy had an accounting conference and I was at Kim's wedding. We were able to meet up in Lake Tahoe for the day.