The Autodidact

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From the Marinos! Alas, another year has passed; we hope this finds all of you well and at peace. A few notes about the family: Ellie, 7, is asking deep, theological and philosophical questions- usually as she is dropping off to sleep, leaving me wide awake, pondering. She rocked the missing front teeth thing with such style. She is such a sweet snuggler and keeps me feeling young-ish. Natty, 10, swam this summer, builds extravagantly with Legos, reads voraciously, and is destined to wear a green uniform someday. He had his adenoids removed and came down with strep throat all at the same time, which meant a week of video games with his older brothers. Edith, 13, seeks after God earnestly, quietly observes everything, swam for the summer, and delves into a wide variety of music genres. She's serious and thoughtful, and could easily cut you with her razor-sharp wit. She and Ellie have a very sweet sister bond, an