Christmas Newsletter 2024
This year I have 5 picture pages and a special link — Papa’s Homegoing area and pictures (2 links), Winter ’24 pictures, Spring ’24 pictures, Summer ’24 pictures, and Fall-end of year ’24 pictures. Please click and check them all out, and have a peaceful 2025! Letter follows the picture pages.
Papa’s special pictures, singing video, and homegoing pictures
The tree
Please read the link above, The Tree, as it has way more to say about our Papa. Also click the link to the left for more pictures of the homegoing services and a few of papa (more to be added), that now includes a private video of him singing an old song from his childhood as we visited him this fall.
Unusual it is for me to link to many of my past posts, or even get to do a post beyond the yearly newsletter, but this event probably most affected all of us out of everything that happened this year. “Papa” Chuck Humphries, Roger’s dad, passed away in October of 2024. He had an illness that started in perhaps April and continued on through most of the rest of the year. We all had some good times with him after that and fellowshipped and tried to prepare for what was coming. The tree event above in the link was rather awe-inspiring in its reflection of an afterlife, and the thoughts of it have continued into Lisa giving us a reflective tree suncatcher that is now hanging in our office. His memory lives on in our hearts, and we know we will see him again one day.
Winter 2024
January brought Roger and Lisa’s birthday party with a fun dinner at Fiji Buffet. The 60th birthday decoration remains ready for my birthday coming up! Having Papa there was great.
Later January was often filled with trying to help Ryan get restored with his health, as he had a severe double ear infection after COVID that had him struggling and then more constipation issues after. We ended up keeping him out of activities for about 6 weeks and kept getting x-rays and may have also had to repeat antibiotics for the ear, and he gradually got better.
February brought us a much needed haircut. Roger’s had been a while, but mine had been ancient, with my last haircut being November of 20, after growing out since abou November of 19, and then growing out from 2020 to 2024! I planned after that to get my hair cut every 3-6 months but of course I did not do that, and it is pretty long again.
On our birthday (Ryan’s and mine) we went to a visitation at his new workshop while he was on his six week break. He got to observe the sign langauge class and had fun participating! A month later we were able to have our birthday party at the condo, the last time we were all there together with Papa. Additionally, March 4, 2024 was Ryan’s first day at his workshop. On my dad’s birthday!
Later in March we also got to use our truck to pick up a couch, love seat and other furniture with papa, and he really enjoyed our new truck! The couch eventually went to the boys’ condo.
Also in March we had a wonderful birthday party for me and Ryan, and another sweet family gathering as my mom and Papa were both able to join us and Mama and Aunt Lisa. Colleen was not able to make it to this one, and we missed her…
Spring 2024
Our Easter gathering was smaller than usual but we still feasted on ham and other traditional fare with the boys, and saw my mom. We got some spring walking in also, and enjoyed seeing the solar eclipse. May 1 we got to our Youngstown Courthouse, when Roger was done with his winter semesters.
In May we got to a picnic for Colleen’s birthday at Lakeshore park as has become our tradition for our picnics. It was a lovely day as we said Happy 30th to Colleen!
Also sometime in May we finally repaired our mailbox that had been hit by vehicles in the past. We have to say that sadly it was only a month later that it was hit again. The person gave us her number and bought us a whole new post, as the mailbox itself was fine!! All we can think of is that all of this time since we moved here in 2025 the mailbox has actually been too close to the road, and that when we put the new mailbox on (since it is a little bigger) that it makes a sadly easy target. More about this in the fall…
Another project we had to start working on, also on the picture page, is the tough cleanup of a TON of insulation that was falling down in the garage. Fall sneak peak (no picture…) — We are finally able to open our basement door and are hopeful to completely finish the job in the spring of ’25, and then decide what kind of insulation we will replace the ceiling area with. And now that we can open the basement door again, we also hope to start cleaning OUT the basement and getting rid of a ton of stuff!!!
Spring into summer of 24 was also when Ryan got his tablet for talking programs and obtained his own, like Chris did previously. We also began to look to scheduling speech therapy for them both. With our break from the end of his regular school before the end of 22, we did not get the full 6 weeks of speech and OT that we were to have for Ryan, but were really glad we found an excellent speech therapist for them both.
Summer 2024
June introduced on an out-of-town trip to South Central and SW Ohio where we also cross into Indiana to Richmond, where we have stayed at a hotel before. We had a severe rainstorm by Bellefontaine that was not an experience we want to repeat (but probably will, of course, somewhere!). At the end of the trip it was our second time to visit the Richmond, IN park called Glen Miller park
With summer we were walking later and later with the sun staying up later. One day we went very late and encountered a skunk in the path, which as always I have a picture of! I made sure though that we stayed FAR clear of him or her, and that same day we saw rabbit and deer… Also as always we took advantages of as many walks as we could and enjoyed times by the lake and by the woods. Our hydrangeas this year were also the biggest and most prolific we had seen in years. I also took a lot of pictures of wildflowers, bees, and butterflies.
As always enjoyed fireworks with friends the Jevnikars over the summer. A tradition that we hope keeps going on for a long time! Ryan also got to see his favorite, Broadmoor summer camp, though only for one day in a quick visit. Having aged out, he got to say hi to all his favorite teachers and they euqally loved seeing him! In the same month I got to get my mom out to Punderson beach for a rare hour+ long visit that we really enjoyed!
August brought our trip to NY mountains and finger lakes, always one of our favorites. We stayed at a cabin for the first time, and that was a great addition to our yearly work trip!
When we got home to Ohio, a few days later we had a straight line wind in our area, which was in addition to close areas getting several tornadoes, and we were without power for about five days! It was insane and something we do not want to repeat. You say you aren’t addicted to phones, but when you cannot even CALL your family, and they cannot reach you, it is a scary feeling!! It is not simply not being able to be on facebook, for example. This power outage took out cell, cable, AND electricity. Makes you feel for people that experience this often with hurricanes, etc., in other locations. Ohio tornadoes August 2024
Life continued on with our trip to Jefferson and Meadville, then taking my mom to Thompson Ledges, and then EJ’s birthday party coming up. We then had one last trip south again to Hocking and other counties. I do remember it was extremely hot and during one drive our car temp went to 104 deg. and the A/C wouldn’t work!! Luckily it was a little cooler after a day or so!!!
Fall 2024
We had a little cookout or two in late October/early November, planning another one and also another leaf raking time! A major snowstorm after Thanksgiving cancelled those plans, and it’s been snowing here and there ever since! We did enjoy Halloween, a picnic in October, and other fun activites in the fall. Ryan and Chris also had a lot of extra activities at their workshops with parties for Halloween, Christmas, and other activities. Roger finished his last semester mid December and had a bit of a break.
With the Thanksgiving snowstorm, we believe a snowplow hit our mailbox, turning it completely sideways. So it shall soon be time to reinstall yet another mailbox; as I said earlier we do have a new post and the mailbox itself is still fine. But uncementing the post and finding a new location farther from the road may prove challenging! Meanwhile the NEW beat-up mailbox is still holding on…..
We had fun with Colleen and Christian getting us donuts and Chris playing Pokemon Go! We also had Chris’s birthday party at his grandma’s, and All Hearts Christmas party, though Chris was a little sick that day so couldn’t go. We had a lot of fun times looking at Christmas lights.
Even though we had to postpone our friends/family restaurant outing we planned (first illness, then snowstorm), we hope to sill have that, and we also got to enjoy a restaurant outing and visit with Uncle Mike, Lisa, and Gayle and gave them cookies! We also visited with my mom and brought her cookies and a new TV and DVD player! So blessed to have some time with family. Saw Colleen yesterday and brought her their gifts and cookies.
IN OTHER NEWS….
Broadmoor activities, including basketball games, were fun, and I shall miss going there a lot. I recently took on a position 3 days a week as a preschool substitute at our local schools, so that was an unexpected change that just started in November for Riverside and greatly cuts down on commuting time, but adds a day to my schedule to get used to! I am really enjoying getting to know the local preschool kiddoes! I also probably won’t often get to Painesville City or Fairport schools, and will have to visit! Ryan likes to bring bags of chips to places so perhaps I’ll take him in on a Monday to say hi!!! I still work as DSP on weekends.
Roger attended school once again from 1/2024 through 4/2024, then again from 9/2024 through present. His first new break will be in May of 25, and then he will only have a few classes left and will graduate!! He and I continue as DSPs, with his hours still at a full time PLUS level. We continue mostly online data entry counties, with 2-3 trips a year in Ohio, PA, and NY. We still complete data entry work at home.
Chris continues with his Skyrizzi injections for his psoriasis, and it is still in remission. He should hopefully have dental sedation again in the winter next year with new tests for hearing — his hearing tests for some reason were stalled by his insurance in getting his hearing aids, and I have to call again to find out if the delay has been settled so that he can get them.
Colleen is working at a new grooming salon this year and still enjoying all the things she has loved all the years with her pets, art, singing, and visiting with friends.
Ryan finished off, as you read, 2023 in good health, even not doing too badly with COVID that we all had by December 22. He has been able to mostly overcome the constipation since Spring of 24 where I mentioned he had had to have a six week break, and is attending the workshop of our choice three days a week, hopefully to increase to four. He greatly loves staying with us on Mondays, and likes to go on park trips, and have lunch with us at Taco Bell. Our goal is to have him start atending Tuesdays as his better health permits.
Sometime in the spring ryan also got his talking device tablet. Ryan needs to have another sedated dental cleaning with hearing tests for future hearing aid, so hopefully that will happen in the spring. Both boys are now receiving speech therapy since September from a lovely lady from Tripoint, and she is fantastic and they seem to love seeing her and interacting with their tablets.
Dorene, Roger, Christopher, Colleen & Ryan
My “Mary, Did you Know” video and my singing
links to these Bible verse images
T
his year — with all of the strangeness going on with elections, and the environment the world seems to be in — invites us to begin to think about discernment and rational thought, and to pray earnestly for wisdom in all matters as we work to live our best life today. No one has all the answers or always knows what is right.
In addition to praying for peace and wisdom as I always speak of, I am adding discernment this year, so that as our world possibly continues to shift in different ways, we can be most ready to deal with the challenges. As we celebrate Christ’s birthday at this time and think of His life and our doing our best to be in fellowship with Him, I have considered this in this season:
Matthew 24:23-26 ESV Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
(https://www.openbible.info/topics/discernment TEXT)
(https://www.facebook.com/KingJamesBibleScripturePictures IMAGE)
RESTORED 2000-2005 newsletters
I did this last year. I have not looked at it since, and can’t believe it’s been almost a year. I hope to maybe do more of it this year but am unsure if I will have time! So this link at this point (12/31/2024) still appears the same as last year.
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EMAIL DORENE: transcribing.mom@gmail.com, daehumphries18@yahoo.com
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EMAIL ROGER: thedodger1@att.net, thedodger64@gmail.com
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FACEBOOK
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INSTAGRAM: Criscollrj
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FAMILY WEB SITE: www.criscollrj.com
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BUSINESS WEB SITE: www.line-bright.com
