Changes in 2011

We hope that our inaugural Christmas letter finds you in the best of God’s blessings. To say the least, 2011 was eventful. We started the year with the rigorous P90X workout routine, seeing more of Tony Horton than we ever expected. It worked and we were in great shape.

In March, we travelled to New Mexico where we relaxed and saw Albuquerque; dined and shopped in Santa Fe; and snow shoed in Taos.

Jen married Brody Gregg in April. Perfect weather, scenic background, and lots of family and friends contributed to a beautiful week.

Paul’s cousin, Wanda, stopped overnight for her son’s graduation in May, and then we saw her again – and lots of other cousins, family members and friends – in June, when we travelled to Pennsylvania to visit Ed and Ilonha. It was Cindy’s first time in Pittsburgh, Canton (to see all of those Steelers in the HOF), Niagara Falls, and Ontario, where we spent a few days touring and tasting wine.

In August, we celebrated our First Anniversary.

Shortly thereafter, Cindy retired from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab after 32 years. Paul left his post at Berkeley Food and Housing Project. In September, we moved to North Texas to be closer to Cindy’s parents, Tom and Peggy Harmon.

After a month of job searching, Paul found a position at World Neighbors in OKC.  … That is how we ended up in Edmond. Within our first week, we felt two earthquakes, and experienced hail and thunderstorms.

In November, Matt returned from Iraq, where he served our country since February as a member of the US Army Infantry. We are thankful to God for his safe return.

In between, we poured and tasted wine; vacationed at Pismo Beach and camped at Lewiston Lake.

Sports fans – We saw two Pirates games in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, an NHL game in San Jose, an AHL game in OKC, and the Cal-UCLA Women’s BB game in Berkeley. We kick started our fitness lifestyle through Beachbody.

The animals have settled in to their new surroundings. Lindsey enjoys daily walks, knowing that she is the most adorable dog in OK. Buddie scaled new heights, until we had to fetch him from the roof. Winnie’s favorite spot is where ever Paul’s lap is.

We keep you in our prayers as we celebrate Christ’s birth and hope that 2012 is filled with God’s blessings.

Love,

Paul and Cindy Cwynar

18413 Laurel Oak Drive

Edmond OK 73012

405-513-5461

paulcwynar@gmail.com

cindycwynar@gmail.com

Where Did I Put that $891,465,650?

Chalk it up to one of those, "Now, I remember!" moments. http://on.wsj.com/vlAMM3

Vin Dolce in Edmond

Vin Dolce aka The Wine Bar, managed by Addison Howell, located at 16 South Broadway in Edmond, is an oasis for transplanted Californian wine lovers, like my wife and me. Staff knows wines and which wines should be poured into which Reidel glass. That's right - The Wine Bar carries a full set of Reidel glasses.

While Cindy enjoyed a Rombauer Chardonnay and I sipped on a Milbrandt Riesling.

In addition to an excellent selection of fine wines, Vin Dolce serves an assortment of appetizers. It's a great place to stop before dinner, afterwards or after a day of shopping. I suggest if you have a party of four that your stop and share a bottle.

Maintain Your Weight through the Christmas Holidays

I suggest you read this if you want to maintain your weight through the Christmas holidays. http://bit.ly/rS2lAK

P90X

I am Learning how to get friends in best shape of their lives - and make them rich thru the Challenge. beachbodycoach.com/cindycwynar

Othello's of Edmond

The only negative was our choosing the chianti. Everything else was excellent - food, service, owner coming to our table talking to us. ...

Cindy had the lasagna with meat sauce and thought it was excellent. I had spaghetti and meatballs, and they were fabulous. (Always order this if it is the first time you are eating at an Italian restaurant.)

We agreed that when we have people in town as guests, we will eat here.

Bobby the owner is fabulous.

Moving Movers

I moved three times in three years over a distance of 4500 miles. From Pennsylvania to California to Texas and finally, to Oklahoma. Each time I called Wheaton, which was suggested by a realtor. This last time, we used Duryea Moving and Storage from Denton, Texas, to move our belongings from U-Store-It in Sherman, Texas to Edmond, Oklahoma.

I am much appreciative of Wheaton because we only gave them one week’s notice, and most companies will only move you if you give them at least two weeks. Wheaton came through again, and our driver, Steven Peace, contacted us on Thursday, telling us that he would meet us at the storage facility 8:30 that Saturday morning. With a crew of three, including himself, Steven had our two units emptied and loaded in less than three hours.

He arrived in Edmond with a crew of four Monday at 7:30 a.m. If anything, Steven is prompt. They unloaded, took direction, hooked up our appliances, set up the beds and sectional furniture, and were finished before lunch. In addition to being prompt and quick, his team is courteous and professional. We recommend Wheaton and Steven if you are moving a short distance or cross-country.