WOW: 1988 is almost upon us. In sunny California the leaves are turning beautiful fall colors — the weather is chilly and Christmas is almost here. Christopher (age 27) just left for a winter holiday at Mammoth Mountains to ski, rest and have fun. His folks are pleased to have him back in Los Angeles. His Dad is utilizing Chris at United Design Associates (UDA) since Chris has his Contractor’s License. Chris enjoyed his travels in 1986-87 to Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Burma, Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark. His most fascinating stories were about his month in Russia and China. He met a lovely Swiss couple in China and visited them in their home in Switzerland. They, in turn, came to visit the Van Schaacks in Los Angeles. Chris spent his last Christmas with his Danish family in Denmark. His plans for 1988 include visiting Mexico and perhaps moving further South in California.

Lee, Linda, Dena and Nathan moved back to Southern California and are living in San Juan Capistrano. After Lee’s twelve years of building experience in Colorado be is building new homes and remodeling homes, as well as becoming a Personal Asset Management Consultant in the A.L. Williams Company. He is also studying for his real estate license. Linda loves living in California, especially being near her family, the Renfros in San Clemente. She works at the Baptist Church School where Dena (3rd grader), and Nathan (Kindergartner) go to school and finds herself very busy. The children were each voted “Student of the Week” by their classmates and love their studies. Their family also enjoys boogie-boarding, surfing, dirt bike riding, motorcycling, and just relaxing. Jim, Joyce and Chris are really enjoying the family living in California once again, especially as Christmas time comes.

The Van Schaacks visited Tom, Dana, Adam, Natalie and Nicholas in Reno for a Thanksgiving week. Their lovely home in Hidden Valley was warm and charming. Tom was just elected as president of their country club and Dana serves on the Board of Directors of their Homeowner’s Association. Tom is now the Production Manager of his Reno insurance office and traveling as his job requires. He is doing very well. Dana, as usual, is active as assistant leader of Adam’s Cub Scout Troop, room mother for Calvary Baptist Church School, president of her baby sitting co-op, house-keeper, maid, etc. Adam (2nd grader) loves math, reading and writing — also had a picture in the local newspaper dissecting a frog in a Science class. Nicholas (3 years old) is a computer whiz The little red head is seen daily playing video games, puzzles, and working with learning programs. Natalie (4 years old) loves to dress up (Grandma was going to send her costume jewelry from years gone by until she was robbed last Monday of all her jewelry), write her letters and her name, practice tap dancing, gymnastics and ballet. The family just went up in the mountains to cut down their Christmas tree — it’s sure cold up thar in them there hills!

Jim visited the Republic of China last January as a guest of the ROC government, attending the World Freedom Day celebration in Taipei. He certainly had a marvelous time, especially seeing so many old Chinese friends. He is working very hard on a variety of projects & still teaches design classes. Jim has spent every leisure moment working in the Masons as he will be serving as Senior Deacon next year. He enjoyed traveling to Washington, D.C. and Virginia with Joyce in June.

Joyce, as Finance Director for C.F.T.R. (President Reagan’s political action committee), arranged a trip with their major donors to New York in January for seminars which were held at the United Nations, then on to Long Island to visit the Otto Kahn estate. The group enjoyed meeting Ambassador Vernon Walters and U.S. Secretary of Interior Donald Hodel. In March she arranged a “Salute to Senator Paul Laxalt” dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel with guests including U.S. Secretary of Energy John Herrington, Secretary Hodel, Dr. Edward Teller and several Ambassadors, with briefings held the next day. In June, it was on to Washington, D.C. for seminars with top White House Officials, Republican Senators and Congressmen and U.S. Cabinet Secretaries. The trip ended with a private Recep-tion with the President at the White House. She continued working with the Advance teams for President and Mrs. Reagan and even flew to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One for an Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Education meeting. Joyce just started a new job as Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator of the Small Business Administration (Region IX), and will divide her working time in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Van Schaack family hopes that Grandparents Roy and Elizabeth Van Schaack stay well and enjoy their new home in McMinnville, Oregon, and that Nanaw Isabel Anderson recuperates from her long, tough year of 1987.