Hello everybody- we hope this letter finds you well. We are coming to the close of another year and it seems every year presents new trials and challenges for all of us.

Sarah ,16, is driving by herself and is very independent and helpful - she even has taken her siblings minus Lydia (2 ½) to the park for basketball and soccer fun and taken Claire clothes shopping, both without even being asked. In the Spring she played soccer for her school (Peach County High) and earned the "Most Valuable Player" award. This Summer she tried out and made it on a "Premier" traveling soccer team.

Teddy, 13, seems to have a growing internet business selling and trading "Yu Gi Oh" cards plus video games and anything else we want to get rid of. He is in his last year at Byron Middle and they decided to test him for the gifted program this year. He has an interest in hunting and soon dad will take him on his first hunting trip. He played soccer for his school team in the Spring.

Ian ,10, played soccer on a league in the Spring and Fall. He started "regular" school for the first time ever this Fall and brought home three A's and two B's - needless to say we are proud- as we are of all our children.

Claire ,7, played soccer for the first time in the Spring and was also in her first pageant - she did well and came in fourth runner up. We were all tickled when our good friend Jayme won the title , "Miss Byron" . Claire also started "regular" school in the Fall and has overcome some obstacles (like learning to read) and has brought up her grades by her hard work. I am very happy to be able to go read to Claire's class every now and then since I am "the Story mom".

Lydia ,2 ½, started preschool this Fall at Byron Baptist Church. Lydia is still working on potty training which she has no interest in. In all other aspects she is very mature for her age and learning a lot in pre-school.

I feel like a full fledged "housewife" this year as I let my cleaning lady go and I am using my extra time with them in school to keep up this place. Bob is always busy too. He coached Claire's team in the Spring and Ian's in the Fall. He also works at church in the AWANA program. I work occasionally in the nursery at church. Bob has things to do on our house that are not done still or were not done correctly by our builder- like our walk way which he's fixing right now. I cleaned out the whole basement and garage this Summer and was finally able to put the Suburban in our big specially designed (by Bob) garage! As the end of Summer vacation approached, I went to California again to see my parents and family- this time I took Sarah, Teddy and Lydia because when I went last Fall I took Ian, Claire and Lydia. We had a great time and were so happy to be able to meet my cousin's baby (named Claire also for our grandmother) and to see her be baptized. It was wonderful to see my cousin and his wife and my Aunt and uncle also as I hadn't seen them in a few years.

I have continued reading about religion (Christianity in particular) and have had a couple of debates with Catholics on the internet. I am not going to continue engaging in these debates because they are too time consuming and oftentimes serve no purpose. However, I do feel I have learned much from them especially when I debated with my friend Sandy last year. One subject we always seem to get to is : "Eternal Security" or whether or not you can lose your salvation. Catholics believe you can and Baptists believe you can't. In my discussions with Sandy, I described our relationship to God when we get saved the way the Bible does. We are His children and I would use the example of our own children. I was trying to drive home the point that even if one of our children ran away or fell into sin that would not make him or her stop being our child or cause us to stop loving him or her. It would grieve our heart but it would not make them cease to be our child. Our children may even become so angry with us that they never want to speak to us or see us again, but they're still our child, we love them and if they come back we will welcome them with open arms like the prodigal son was welcomed. (Luke 15:20) How much more would God love us than even our earthly parents are possible of? Are you God's child? If so , hold on to Him, "For He said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"(Hebrews 13:5) and as a church sign I saw said, "if you feel far away from God, Guess who moved?"

Have a Merry Christmas and may God Bless you in 2004!

With love, the Storys:
Bob, Susan, Sarah, Teddy, Ian, Claire & Lydia

To all my children from me; and all God's children from Him:
YOU CANNOT LOSE MY LOVE by Sara Groves written to her two sons- on the album, "All Right Here".

You will lose your baby teeth,
At times you'll lose your faith in me,
You will lose a lot of things,
But you cannot lose my love,
You may lose your appetite,
Your guiding sense of wrong and right,
You may lose your will to fight,
But you cannot lose my love,
You will lose your confidence,
In times of trial your common sense,
You may lose your innocence,
But you cannot lose my love,
Many things can be misplaced,
Your very memories be replaced,
No matter what the time or space,
You cannot lose my love,
You cannot lose,
You cannot lose ,
You cannot lose my love.