Dear Friends,

Here is our 2005 Christmas crossword puzzle, the clues and solutions of which will tell you about some of the significant events in our lives this year. Clues that contain news about us are in bold. As you will soon see, most of the news has to do with Alanna. As far as Art is concerned, not much changed from last year (apart from his spiritual growth, but that's not a topic for a Christmas letter). So if you want to know what Art has been up to, check out our 2004 Christmas crossword puzzle. All our known previous Christmas letters can be read on the web by going to <www.islandnet.com/~menu/xmasletters/archive.htm>.

The solution to this puzzle will be published on the web at the above address in the new year.

We hope you will enjoy the puzzle but above all we wish you a truly joyful and Spirit-filled celebration of the birth of Christ, and pray for God's blessing upon you in the coming year.

Art and Alanna

Across

1. Be taken___: be surprised

6. Vancouver School of Theology (abbr) on the UBC campus where Alanna is taking courses as part of fulfilling the requirements for ordination (see 48 across). She had two courses this fall and had to take the 7:00 a.m. ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen on Wednesday morning, stay overnight in a student residence, and return home Thursday afternoon. She will probably have to take at least another two courses next semester.

9. Increases by a small amount

13. The longest river in France

14. Nickname of an American president

15. Prevent

16. The number of days Alanna spent in hospital when she had a complete hysterectomy on 4 October this fall. She made a speedy recovery. The operation was necessitated by ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids, none of which proved to be cancerous.

17. Without this one suffocates

18. A region marking a boundary

19. Place where weapons and ammunition are stored

21. According to Jesus, this bird will not fall to the ground "apart from your Father" (Matthew 10:29)

23. To assist Alanna when she is taking courses in Vancouver, we bought a ___top computer this fall. Art has had enjoyment and frustration installing software on it.

24. If you can't stand this, get out of the kitchen

25. Meeting (abbr)

28. Moniker

30. The name of several pharaohs

35. Dry

37. The maiden name of Art's brother Ed's wife, Carolyn. Also the last name of actress Frances who appeared on the soap opera "Days of our Lives" and Canadian actress Kate.

39. Revolutionary

40. Clue for men: automobile manufacturing joint venture between Suzuki and GM located near Ingersoll, Ontario. Clue for women: woman's sleeveless undergarment covering the upper body (short form of the word).

41. Weeds mentioned in a parable of Jesus' (Matthew 13:25, King James Version translation)

43. The Roman emperor who first persecuted the Christians of Rome

44. Woman's name taken from the name of a Scottish island

46. The wife Jacob hadn't bargained for (Genesis 29:16-30)

47. If it has the number 35 - 10070 Fifth Street, it's our home

48. The Church in which Alanna has been approved as a candidate for ordination as a minister, and, if she successfully fulfils the requirements, in which she will likely be ordained in 2007.

50. Sleigh

52. ___ Moines, capital of Iowa

53. Tears

55. Epoch

57. Therapeutic rubbing

61. A town in the Kootenays that we visited this summer, which, along with Nakusp, we thought would be a nice place to retire to in nine years, when Art hits 65.

65. Expect

66. American airline (abbr)

68. A long time (2,3)

69. Combine

70. Pinnacle

71. First name of Perry Mason's secretary

72. Association (abbr)

73. St. Paul's affirmation of Jesus: "For all the promises of God find their ___ in him" (2 Corinthians 1:20).

74. Honeyed

Down

1. Province of Alberta (abbr)

2. Niels ___: famous Danish physicist

3. Put on ___: act superior

4. A wicker basket used by anglers to hold fish

5. Old-time actor ___ Wynn

6. A small bottle

7. Engage in one kind of winter sport

8. Brief and to the point

9. Always

10. Actress Deborah ___

11. Therefore (Latin)

12. Crock pot favourite

15. The manifestation of a Hindu deity (especially Vishnu) in human or superhuman or animal form

20. Separate

22. What Art's brother, Johnny, tries to make when he plays golf

24. She gets what's coming to her

25. A former Portuguese province on the south coast of China

26. Rail transportation

27. Town located on the west shore of Lake Winnipeg noted for its Icelandic Festival. It was in the news in 1983 when an Air Canada 767 jumbo jet ran out of fuel in flight and glided for twelve miles before making a safe crash landing near this town in a remarkable feat of piloting. The plane has gone down in aviation lore as "The___Glider".

29. Repast

31. "___@highspeedplus.com": the email address of the author of this crossword puzzle

32. One kind of curve in the road

33. Spooky

34. One-armed bandits

36. District (abbr)

38. Agreement

42. Complete and unqualified

45. Oxygenate

49. Jibe

51. Fears

54. Small-minded

56. Good ___ (2,3): mint condition

57. Singer Cass Elliot was one

58. Inspires great reverence

59. A respiratory disease (abbr), an outbreak of which in Toronto made headlines

60. Indication

61. Bottle tops

62. Story

63. The kind of look a sexually attractive person draws

64. Orderly

67. Sorrow