Monday, December 4, 2017

Year In Review 2017

Merry Christmas from the Priems!!!






Welcome to our corner of the internet!




Thank you for checking in with us during this festive season!



Here's what's been going on with us over the past year.

Greg's Work
Greg continues to work at Intel as a software engineer - and it's been 23 years!
He has a lot of interesting projects relating to in-house software.
His software was probably used as part of making the processor 
that's in your computer right this minute!!!
He was surprised by a trip to Oregon to provide some training for a few colleagues in October, but other than that, he is able to stay local.  It did provide the chance to get rehydrated (it was drizzly!) and enjoy some cooler weather.  He also got to eat at some interesting restaurants 
(he usually chooses the ethnic ones for the most fantastic flavors).
Greg gets to play Foosball most evenings after work;
he enjoys the exercise and the opportunity to build relationships with his co-workers.


Christie's Work
This year I have been inspired to start the laborious process of digitizing the Chirp Curriculum so that it can be distributed online.  I want to make the curriculum available to as many people as possible with as low a cost as possible.  Not having to pay shipping costs will help a lot.  It will also be helpful to me to not have to print and assemble each lesson binder and then ship it out (though I will still make the option of purchasing fully-assembled binders a possibility for some time, maybe forever).  This process of digitizing means that I have to work closely with my wonderful illustrator, Jihae, to create additional visual supports and then I have to do a bunch of computer-y stuff to them to put them in the right format . . . it's a little bit daunting, but the original curriculum writing was a BIG job and I accomplished that SLOWLY over three years with God's direction.  If I did that, I can do this!


I also continue to produce videos for the Chirp YouTube channel that are focused on child developmental, early childhood, developmental delays/disorders, behavior challenges, and sensory needs.  The technology needed to create videos is changing all the time, and it's fascinating to keep learning and keep challenging myself with software and lighting and cameras and all that.


I am the chef of the family, and I continue to learn more about how to cook healthy plant-based meals for me and meals with fewer animal products (that still taste good!) for Greg.  I'm getting better!

 Last February, my brother, Mark, his wife, Jillian, and their sweet girls, Cora & Esme, were able to come to Arizona to have some extended family time.  It was WONDERFUL!
We even got some great photos.


Here's the comedy one (at least on the part of Greg . . . !)


I was happy to be able to travel to Minnesota in October for some more family time!
My beloved parents had birthdays ending in a zero this October (and my brother and his wife had big birthdays ending in zero in September and Novemeber!), 
so it was a good year for some more together time.  
October is the BEST MONTH of all!
Look at those glorious leaves!!!


We also have been hiking a lot during the cooler months now because I've happily 
been feeling quite a bit better (hooray!)
Greg always has interesting facial expressions.  

If you made it through all that news, you deserve some cuteness, so here you go: cats!

Stephen is our long thin black cat.
Now that he is five years old, he is much calmer and cuddlier than he was as a scared little kitten.
He's still got a tiny little kitten "mew!" though!
He loves to sleep and droop off things.






Allistair is Stephen's brother (womb-mate!)
They were born in a bush in our front yard and they won our hearts not long after that.
He loves snuggling best, and after that eating, and after that, his favorite toys (Wanda the whale and Maud the blue mousie).  He REALLY loves his Momma (me!) and starts doing all sorts of naughty things when he doesn't get enough snuggles and attention.






Juvy is Allistair and Stephen's grandma!
She was a stray in our neighborhood who'd already had two or three litters
before we were blessed to adopt her and have her join our little family.
She is a joy.  She has a cute little croaky meow and she's VERY soft and cuddly.






Claude is FLUFFY and energetic.
She is like a furry little snow fox with very soft fur and a big huge voluminous tail.
She likes to race around and be crazy with her tail held high while all the other cats are sleeping.
We switched foods and her digestive problems have all gone away, so she's MUCH happier, fuzzier, and sillier.  We love it!


She can look fierce, too!


Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas
and a festive and joyful holiday season!



Christmas is the celebration of the God of the universe coming to Earth to show LOVE
through His life of gentleness, forgiveness, and peace.
Our mission this year and every year is to do likewise!

We want to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: we will love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
(Matthew 22:37-40).

May you see the love of Jesus all around you this holiday season and all year round!

Christie & Greg

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