Christmas 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

For more pictures go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulAnneRooneyfrey/FreysXmas06ToXmas07 or click on the slideshow at the right.

This is the year of completion and commencement! Colin graduated from Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH on May 28, 2007, Memorial Day, and four days later Suzanna graduated from Alexander High, here in Laredo, TX on June 1, 2007. Needless to say, we did some fancy traveling via airplanes and automobiles. We were so grateful that Grandma and Grampa, Bill and Barbara Frey were able to be at both events. Bill has healed up from his broken heal and quadruple bypass of last year!

The morning after Colin's graduation, Paul and Colin took Anne and Suzanna to the airport and packed up 4 years of College stuff before Paul took off for Laredo, arriving in time to get to Suzanna's graduation. She graduated with honors in the top 25 of her class of over 500. After our first year when she struggled through months of living with a freshmen status label the fall of her sophomore year due to some home school credits not transferring to public high school credits this was a great moment.

Later in the summer, Colin moved to Anacortes, Washington, where he works in the only store on Guemes Island, and tries to find time to write music. He's bought a car, an aging Cadillac, and is getting ready for winter on the island.

Suzanna's move to Baylor has made us empty nesters. She's very involved, wearing lots of Gold and Green. Sic 'em Bears! She's got a wonderful roommate and has made lots of new friends. She's also been blessed to find some friends who she's worked with at Camp Capers, our summer church camp here. And she lives in the honors dorm where the students actually study!

The other event of August was having Mike and Margaret Rooney, and Grace, Adam, and Nora come through on their way to Guanajuato, Mexico. We had a couple of good days visiting with them as they set out for their year of studying Spanish.

A few days later in August, our dear friend from Japan Sanae Yamazaki was with us when we all drove up to Baylor in Waco, Texas to move Suzanna into College.

It was wonderful to see Sanae, and fun to go to Baylor together. For Paul it seemed just a few days since he had loaded all of Colin's stuff home from college!

A bit later Anne and Colin both got to meet at our niece Rachel Brown's wedding to Gabe Moreno in Wilsonville, Oregon in late August. Colin rode the train down from Washington. They had a great time with family and new friends during the wedding celebration. Unfortunately, Paul had to work and Suzanna had started classes at Baylor, so they couldn't attend.

There were a few other highlight to the year. Back in early May, Anne was able to go to Colin's senior recital for composition. Marilee Jaskuski with both kids in tow was able to be there as were Uncle Matthew and Colin's cousin Drayton Frey. Colin had one of the pieces he wrote for teh recital performed as part of the graduation festivities, a real honor for a graduating senior.

And in April, Paul, and lots of adult sponsors, went with the Christ Church Acolytes to Washington, D.C. for Texas Days at the National Cathedral. Paul also managed to squeeze in an appearance at Martyn Minns' retirement from Truro Church which took place later that same Sunday. It was a blessing to get our church kids to D.C. and to see some of our dear Truro friends.

Anne continues working at Texas A & M International University (TAMIU) here in Laredo and loves it. She's been very busy writing grants, setting up workshops for professors, and going to professional trainings. Through TAMIU we've been blessed to go to several gatherings of international students. We were also able to host a Korean teacher in February for two weeks.

Paul continues working hard at Christ Church, and getting more and more involved in Laredo. We've seen some very big answers to prayer and we are thankful that God brought us to this congregation. All in all, we are very exited to live here.

We've been blessed to meet all kinds of fascinating people. Our picture with Santa Claus is our first time to visit Santa as "empty nesters"! Santa is Norman Bowman, who is a missionary to Spain. This is the second time he's been in Laredo, and we've enjoyed getting to know him.

We pray that God who is faithful, will bless you, and that the love of his Son Jesus will fill your heart and surround you this Christmas season.

Much love - Paul and Anne Frey 139 Kentucky Street, Laredo, TX 78041, rooneyfrey@sbcglobal.net 956-285-2753