Each one of you, my dear readers, is extremely important to me! I cherish your comments, your support, and your ongoing friendship. Writing my short stories has been therapeutic as I’ve faced the joys and trials of my childhood at a boarding school in Nigeria.

Today I’m happy to share with you the exciting news that one of my stories was recently selected for publication in Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Yes, that iconic association is still printing several books every year! Only 101 stories are printed in each book, and mine was chosen out of several thousand submissions. It will be published in the spring, and I’ll let you know when it comes out.

In the meantime, I hope you have fared well this past year, even though life became more complex than we ever expected it to be! That makes me even more thankful for your friendship. Here is our annual Warren Family news update. Please share your latest news in the comments below or in an email to me. I’d love to hear from you!

Robby, 26 years old, enjoys playing golf weekly with work friends, and monthly in tournaments. He hopes one day to place in the top 10 in a tournament with college golf team players…and challenge his brother for the Metropolitan Golf Links club championship! Robby was CV Forum’s Athlete of the Week in April for finishing second with his co-worker in a team event at Metro. He’s applying for full-time work roles related to his Economics and Statistics college degrees. His dream job one day is to be a data analyst/scientist.

Heather and Aaron have been dating for almost three years and enjoy watching each other perform (Heather in theater, Aaron in his band) and traveling together. Heather also continues to choreograph youth and community theater productions, and she dances with Open City Dance Company, a worship and outreach dance company. She performed in Disneyland with the Peter Pan Foundation for the second time. Heather completed year seven in her property management job.

Andrew and Sarah celebrated their second anniversary on October 24. After having two beautiful wedding ceremonies in 2020 and 2021, they finally embarked on their honeymoon. For two weeks over Christmas and New Year’s they were in Asia, including Singapore and Phuket. Both are grateful for their great jobs and enjoy working (mostly) from home.

I (Debbie) spent the last year in an online class called My One-Year Memoir and have the rough draft of my childhood in Nigeria nearly completed. My mom is writing her memoir too, and I’d like to help get hers published first!

Chris is flying as much as ever and just completed his 20th year with Bechtel Corp. He enjoyed his first trip to Iceland among other great destinations. In March, he turns 65 but doesn’t intend to retire just yet. He keeps fit by refereeing youth soccer and acting as an umpire for Little League.

My mom, Marcy Jones, turned 90 in June and is doing very well. We had a large, in-person party with over 100 friends and family. A zoom party followed with friends and family from farther away, so the celebration continued into the evening. We’re thankful Mom is in a wonderful retirement center where she has good friends and access to all levels of care should she need it.

The Warren family had a challenging two years. Chris’s mom, Christine, passed away on May 25, 2021, and his dad, Gordon, died nine months later, on February 7, 2022. Chris’s sister, CaroleAnne, did an amazing job taking care of them up to the end. Family holidays just aren’t the same without Nana & Papa, or the home the family lived in for over 50 years, in which they showed gracious hospitality to our Jones family and so many other people.

As we enter a new year, we wish you God’s abundant supply of peace, strength, and joy through the coming months.

Happy New Year from the Chris Warren Family