Christmas Letter 2007

Family Update – 2007


We have been so blessed this year. We began the year in Dallas with Bill’s sister and her husband. They took us to Buddhist New Year’s celebration one day and to a Catholic Charities New Year’s celebration the next day. Of course we made trips to California to visit our kids. One day our grandson took us on a long hike and wore our Granny. We have begun to understand the importance of family and while visiting Marilyn’s sister in Ohio had a nice dinner overlooking an Amish dairy farm. We made a November trip to California just before Bill had a pituitary tumor removed from the lower area of his brain. Through God’s grace he recovered and is as ornery as ever. He still consults with non profit organizations and tries to teach them to understand and fulfill their organizations mission. Marilyn still enjoys gardening, her neighborhood friends, and her involvement in charitable projects. She has been blessed with strong health this year and enjoys just being Granny and taking care of others. On December 23rd we will celebrate 39 years of friendship, marriage, child rearing, working together, and becoming more close and more in love. We do indeed love Bella Vista and we even have our own blog. P.S. Items in blue are hyperlinks to web sites with more information


Maddux Family: Two years ½ ago Mary, and Cameron, got married shortly later moved to Tiburon CA just of the San Francisco Bay. The joy in their eyes, the glow of the sunshine on heir smiles and the warmth of their love is evident to all who know them. In November they helped coordinate a visit by Dr. Maria Norton, her daughter Kelli, and her daughter and son in law Ray Jenkins. Sam spends time at the beach in his wet suit and looked the image of a California boy until he got his hair cut just before the Arkansas vs LSU football game. Cameron teaches at the Art Institute and University of California. He teaches marketing and is the only “non-artist” on staff. Mary has taken a job as a Case Manager for (CASA) Court Appointed Special Advocates. In this role she works with volunteers who help children who are served in the social service network. Some are blessed with wonderful foster homes and good educational options, Those who are not so fortunate benefit from Mary’s passion for fairness and the love, the hard work and the strong advocacy of the volunteers with whom she works. This family has three blogs: Mary’s blog, Cameron’s blog, and Sam’s blog..


John and Johanna Powell John a young man filled with talent, skills and who sees possibilities and how to do things that some see as impossible. He still does some free lance work in film and is a Producer for the filming and distribution for Hollywood Park and other Para-mutual race tracks. Johanna is in college and has also worked for legal firms which deal with entertainment law. She is now pursuing studies in consumer affairs and hopes to go to law school. We and her parents visited at different times this spring. John scanned the horizons to find Johanna and Bill as they drove up the mountain to Big Bear Lake. They, celebrated Thanksgiving with the family gathered at The Maddux home, went on a nighttime cruise to Alcatraz Island and of course “Uncle John” had to wrestle with Sam. They have a life not unlike those of all of us –filled with joys, work, and dreams not yet fulfilled.

Bill and Marilyn have committed to traveling and visiting with our friends and family members this next year. We’re going to travel while we are able, while we can enjoy the trips, while we can remember who we are and where we are going when we start out on a trip. If you haven’t heard from us – watch out we may be calling. If you want to get together feel free to call us. Arkansas is much warmer than Iowa and down here we play golf year round. So as they say “You all come and see us ya hear.”


We wish you a very Merry Christmas
May the year 2008 be your best year ever.

Bill and Marilyn Powell