2018 Year In Review

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 Updates:

Greg continues to work at Intel as a software engineer - and it's been 24 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!!!

Greg plays Foosball most evenings after work;

he enjoys the exercise and the opportunity to build relationships with his co-workers.

He's currently researching to buy a new truck, probably before the new year.

His loyal and trusty Toyota Tacoma was purchased in 2003, so it's

getting a bit elderly. Do you have any advice for him on which truck is the best?

Christie Updates:

If you read this blog every once in a while, you probably know what I'm up to already!
But just in case, here's a summary . . .
Work-wise, I continue to chug along with 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!  In October, we finally decided that certain lessons would only be available from now on in digital format, and we successfully distributed our Thanksgiving and Christmas lessons via the magic of the internet - no postal service required.  We're excited that we have our first international subscriber now that we're able to offer the curriculum digitally!

You can find out more here . . .

Check out the Chirp Curriculum here.

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.

Take a peek at my YouTube channel here.

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.  Sometimes I get to host friends or family members for meals.  My favorite things to make this year have been:

1. turmeric lentil pasta casserole 

  

2. pineapple veggies with rice

3.  chocolate pudding

4.  chickpea chocolate chip cookies

5.  wild rice & mushroom casserole with cranberry sauce

6. doughnuts!

I'm looking forward to my parents' arrival in Arizona at the end of the month so that I can make a FEAST and we can enjoy it all together.

 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 again.  It was WONDERFUL!
Greg and I got to go hiking with Mark & Jillian - it was a COLD day (in the low 50s and extremely windy).  You can see the clouds moving across the sky!

We sure have fun being together.

So windy!

We took some family photos, too.  I love these selfie photo shoots!

Mark is wonderful at just continuing to take photos, no matter what's going on,

and he always gets a lot of funny ones and 1 or 2 good ones.

Here's the one where none of us can keep our eyes open due to sun - except Mark!

Here's the one where I'm wiping tears out of my eyes.

Here's the one where Greg & I have just shut our eyes altogether, but everyone

else looks so cute!

Here's the one where my face is melting.

Here's the one where we're trying to figure out the settings . . . 

 And here's the one we liked best overall.
Look at my beautiful family!

 This was the year where Esme developed a liking for "Uncle Greggie".

(insert lots of heart-eyes with this one!)

We went to Minnesota in July to visit our extended families and got to have

some fun time at the lake cabin as well as in Bemidji!

Here are a few highlights:

enjoying the beauty of Lake Bemidji

time with Greg's wonderful Bemidji family

his sister

Seeing Paul Bunyan and Babe

time with my family at the cabin

kayaking

the gorgeous lake views from my parents' cabin 

playing in the water!!!
(for the first time in many years because I was feeling quite healthy and energetic!)

celebrating our "faux" birthdays all together 

pontooning around at sunset & taking pictures of all the beauty!

5 (!!!) Half-Price Bookstores in one day with Greg's Dad and Karen!

Faun-Doe-Rosa with Rick & Karen

It was a GREAT summer vacation!

Thanks to our families for spending time with us!  xoxoxo

I was happy to be able to travel to Minnesota in October for some more family time.

October is the BEST MONTH of all!

This year it was cloudy and rainy almost every day I was there.

I didn't mind!

My favorite parts of the trip were:

1.  Spending time with Cora & Esme

reading books

(especially "The Creepy Pair Of Underwear"!)

at the library

2.  Cooking for my parents

veggie pasta casserole with salad

 potato corn chowder with apple muffins

walnut black bean burger and potato wedges

3.  Attending church with my family

 4.  Shopping with my Mom

(and finding exciting treasures!)

5.  Appreciating AUTUMN and chilly weather

6.  late evening chats with Mark and Jillian

(I have a big overflowing heart that I like my brother and his wife so much!) xo

7.  Visiting the University of Minnesota, where I got my undergraduate degree

and, more importantly, met Greg!

It was pouring rain (I loved it!) and the views of downtown Minneapolis

from the bridge in Dinkytown were wonderful.

in front of the dorm we both lived in
(Sanford Hall)

When I got home, it was finally cooling off here in Arizona!

We haven't hiked a lot yet, since I haven't been feeling great this fall,

but we have had one nice exploration above Canyon Lake.

The views are beautiful, and the sunshine was, too!

That's about all our news for this year!

We hope that YOU 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
xo




Tuck yourself in and may sweet visions dance in your heads as you sleep!
xo