Our Family

My name is Mark. I am married to the most wonderful woman I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Her name is Karen and we have been married for 28 years as of June 14th 2009. We were married in Houston, Texas in 1981 and within a few days after we were wed, we went to Japan where I was stationed on the USS Midway in Yokosuka. We were there a few days before I went to sea for several months leaving this little Texas girl in a strange country all alone. She was a great trooper and befriended some folks and got to know her way around and set up our household there. Not bad for someone who had not been out of the U.S. before. It was easier for me as I spent many years as a military dependent living in Turkey, Italy and Germany when I was growing up.

U.S.S. Midway		CV-41

After our return from Japan, we moved to Bremerton, Washington and it was there that we had our first of three sons, Ryan Michael. He was followed in a couple of years by Aaron Adam, then a couple of years later by Jesse Dean.

Ryan and his wife, Crystal, graduated from Dallas Baptist University and married in the summer of 2006 . Their studies in linguistics and their faith in Christ led them both to become missionaries in Papua New Gunea working for Wycliffe as bible translators. I could not be more proud of my son and daughter in law and their faith in God and their ability to listen to His will in their lives. Our first grandchild, Chloe Rebecca, was born on October 15th, 2009 in Amarillo, Tx. They returned home and stayed through the holidays then returned to PNG.

Aaron is our middle son. He is working his way through college in Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. He is one of those guys that can get away with anything because he just has that "look" that says he is innocent. We know him better of course. He does very well in school and is currently working almost full time at Olive Garden, an italian restraunt, as a host. He loves to go to local area concerts and is a pretty darn good guy. He was always kind of short for his age and his attitude was remarkable in dealing with that. He sure got more and better looking girlfriends than I ever did at his age. He has been Professionally Recommended (ProRec) and accepted into the US Navy in the OCS BDCP (Baccalaureate Degree Completion program). He was sworn into the Navy on 08-28-2009. He will complete his degree while being paid by the Navy. Once he completes his degree he will go to Officers Candidate School in Rhode Island and begin a Naval Officer career in Naval Intelligence.

Being Sworn into US Navy Officer Candidate School August 2009		Aaron Adam

Jesse is my youngest son. Jesse is home schooled and has shown marked improvement since we began that adventure. He is a very personable young man. He has more intelligence than he gives himself credit for and is a very big animal lover. He has worked as a volunteer part time and later as a paid tech at a vetenarians office and at the Houston Zoo. He has learned how to do a great deal of things most of us don't ever have to do. He has witnessed operations, euthanasias and many other animal related traumas and ordinary care.. Jesse is the one who medicates our cats, clips claws, and is more aware of any sign of illness than anyone else I know. He knows what to look for and it seems so natural for him. I am very proud of the direction that he is going in that endeavor. I have come to depend a great deal on this promising young man and I love him more every day.

Jesse Dean		Our freshly planted garden in the back yard

My wife works in Contract Management. I only know that she deals with a lot of purchases that involve the Space Station. Her job is of amazing importance to the space program and I am so very proud of what she does. I know that her job is very difficult and she is very highly respected and rewarded for the work that she has done over the many years she has been with the goverment, which is 27 years now. Her dedication to her work is second only to her love and dedication to our family. My wife is the most compassionate and loving person I have ever known. She didnt start out as a cat person, I guess I might have brought that about over the years, as I have always been a cat person. When we married she would not even consider an inside cat, but now I have to keep a sharp eye on her at cat shows as she will single handedly support all the vendors with her purchases. She loves our four footed family very much and is as weird as I am. Almost.

Karen

I was in the U.S. Navy for 6 years of active service and got out as an IC 1 (E-6 interior communication electrician) I then went to work in corrections, in a work release facility in Washington. I worked in the insurance industry for a while, then worked in the car business as a sales manager for large dealerships in the Northwest. We had some wonderful toys in Washington, among them was my pride and joy at the time, a Mooney 201. I invested a great deal of time and effort into learning about aviation and got my pilots license. I am instrument rated in complex high preformance single engine land. We got rid of the 4 place airplane after our third child and got the Bayliner 32', which was wonderful around Puget Sound. I am currently disabled/retired and my sole interest is in raising Bengal Cats. This is my hobby and a passion. I want to further this breed and share these wonderful cats with others throughout our community and the world.

Special Liberty		'91 Bayliner 32'

		About 10 years old. Loved animals early on.

Mark, Karen, Aaron, Jesse, Crystal & Chloe, Ryan Taken December 5th, 2009		The Pennington Family

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