Chong Family News

A Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Chongs

2008 was a complete blur – it went by so fast. So much has happened this year; we wanted to share a few of the highlights with everyone.

Blessings Multiplied

Our youngest child, Jack-Jack, has gone fully mobile and is confidently asserting his presence. It’s amazing how much disruption an active 18 month old can impose. To be fair, Jack-Jack is a very good sport considering he gets dragged along to all Karinna and Jeremy’s music lessons, team games/practices, and school activities. In spite of having a toddler tethered to her hip, Teresa remains extremely involved with Karinna’s 4^th grade and Jeremy’s 2^nd grade classes. Teresa also hosts a weekly mom’s support group called Mom’s in Touch. With Teresa holding down the fort, Ivan is able to invest time working at Informatica. This year, a major acquisition resulted in an additional engineering team in Australia -- the business has now grown to span four continents. It’s been an extraordinary opportunity to experience the challenges of running a global software business. Ivan’s also enjoyed serving on his church board this past year.

Major Milestones

As noted earlier, Jack-Jack is all things mobile – walking, running, jumping, reaching, grabbing and dropping. He is also very effective at getting everyone to understand what he wants, although he often treats verbal communication as a last resort. Jack has about as many teeth as Jeremy since he’s been gaining baby teeth at about the same rate Jeremy has been losing them. Jeremy has taken a keen interest in reading, completing his first Harry Potter book on his own volition. Lego sets and Wii video games are still very popular with the boy. Fortunately, he was still able to summon enough focus to complete his first book on introductory piano after asking to “take lessons just like Karinna.” Speaking of Karinna, she got her photo in a local newspaper for placing 2^nd in a piano competition. She also earned a spot as a starting pitcher for her fast-pitch softball team. Karinna’s class spent 3 days camping in California gold country – her first experience away from home on her own. She’s growing up faster than we would like. Finally, an especially memorable event was when we celebrated Teresa’s birthday with an appreciation dinner involving close friends.

Joy to the World

Amidst our daily activities, it is impossible to ignore the tumultuous events happening in our society today. In spite of the dramatic pace of change and the ever increasing uncertainty in the world, we have only sharpened our focus on the security we have through our Savior. As the Christmas carol goes, “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn… O night divine! O night when Christ was born.” With that, we wish you all a wonderful Christmas!

Most Sincerely,

Ivan, Teresa, Karinna, Jeremy and Jack-Jack