They first met the first week of college at Eastern in August, 1996 and got married  on May 19, 2001 in Tunkhannock, PA. and reside in Wayne, PA.

Wayne, PA- An affluent hamlet west of Philadelphia, 5 minutes from our alma mater.  It is an oasis of in-demand real estate, fine dining, and unaffordable boutiques. They have the privilege of renting in a safe neighborhood where they would not otherwise be able to afford to live.

They live on the 3rd floor of a 19th century Victorian.  It is very cozy, but they love its character.  Everything was redone before they moved in, so they have the best of old and new.  It is just the 2 of them with a school of fish.  They have 0 children and none on the way, thank you very much.
 
 

Eric & Emily

Eric & Emily Outstanding in a Field

Christmas Greetings to All!

As we sit down to write this we are tucked inside away from our first real snowstorm of the season. We are grateful for the roof over our head and the warmth of the heat. This year brought a mixed bag of trials and blessings. We have been humbled by our experiences and have grown from the challenges. All in all, we have so much for which to be thankful.

We have made traveling a priority again this year. The Beehler Family Reunion was in Massanutten, VA in May. Eric had the pleasure of meeting some of these relatives for the first time. While, Emily enjoyed catching up with many cousins, aunts and uncles. Grandma Beehler was the guest of honor, as she was celebrating her 80th birthday.
We were only able to stay for the weekend, and wished we could have spent longer with the family at this beautiful resort.
In July, we decided we were in dire need of a vacation and we booked an impromptu trip to Charleston, SC. We enjoyed strolling through plantations, drinking plenty of sweet tea, taking a cruise of the harbor, watching dolphins, eating way too much, and sweating even more! Eric was the star of the show when we went to an improv comedy club on our last night. Two members of the audience were chosen to be part of a game called "Who wants to be a Superhero?" Eric was chosen and won $50! In addition, the actors took bits and pieces that they had learned about Eric throughout the game and acted out Eric's life as Superhero. We hope the rest of the audience found it as funny as we did.

The very next weekend we drove to Boston to visit a friend. Throughout the year we have enjoyed trips to Mahopac, NY and Tunkhannock, PA to spend time with our families. We don't get to visit with our families as often as we would like.

Emily was sick from last Thanksgiving until this past June. After having several tests, trying many medications, and seeing countless specialists, Emily was FINALLY correctly diagnosed with Temporomandibular joint Syndrome. TMJ affects the joint where your jaw connects to your skull. Problems stemming from this small area affected most of Emily's body. As soon as treatment was started the pain was localized and Emily got her strength and energy back. Except for a couple flare-ups of his "pseudo ulcer" Eric has remained generally healthy.

Eric is still Lead Pharmacy Technician at CVS in Wayne. Eric took on the responsibility of scheduling all the support staff in the pharmacy. Eric-has hit the glass ceiling in the pharmacy and is ready for a new career.
Emily is still a Therapeutic Staff Support for emotionally disturbed children. Emily’s hours were cut almost in half from June to November due to a decrease in insurance coverage for her clients. Emily is toying with the idea of going to graduate school for Elementary Guidance Counseling. She loves working with children, but would like to be on the preventative side of mental health.
Although thankful to be employed, we both have been searching for new jobs most of the year. We would like to have jobs that don't rely on insurance companies! We wait patiently for job offers, but we know jobs are very hard to come by right now.

We are still attending Hope Community Church and have really enjoyed becoming involved in a small group. We meet weekly with a group of 4 other young couples. Our church has outgrown its current building, and we have started converting a former grocery store into our new building.

Eric's Grandma Benson died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. We are sad that she cannot be with us, yet rejoice that she is now in Heaven with her husband. As her life came to an end, God blessed us with the birth of our first Godson. Christopher Matthew was born to Rachel and Todd McClincey on June 6th. Rachel and Emily were housemates after college and were married within two months of each other. Christopher gives us hours of entertainment. It's great to have a baby around, but sorry, we still aren't planning to have one of our own yet.

We were fortunate to have seen both of our families during the Thanksgiving season. The Wards come for a Faux Thanksgiving the weekend before the holiday. We spent a long weekend in New York with the Bells and Bensons.
For Christmas, we look forward to spending time in Tunkhannock. Lydia and her boyfriend David are coming from Pittsburgh. So, look out all of the Ward sisters will be under one roof again!
Looking back, we see how God has graciously carried us through the year. We know that we could not have done it on our own. As you are reading this we hope that you reflect on what God has done in your life as well. We look forward to celebrating with many of you at Christmas. May God bless you and your family in the new year.

Love, Eric & Emily Bell
 

Romans 5:3-5 The Bible-NIV "But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.'