Our Christmas letter

Our year has flown by and I am desperately grasping for more time as our final days of shopping close in on us before Christmas. I simply have ran out of time this year and failed getting my Christmas cards out. Our year in a nutshell has been great. We sold our home in April to a couple planning to retire here in early 08. We made an agreement that we could stay in the home until February. In June we purchased a 1/2 acre lot and broke ground in August. Joel has been hard at work building a beautiful home for us. I am truly blessed beyond comprehension. Between Homestyles, the new house, the boys and I, Joel is a very busy man! I have been busy with the boys as usual. I continue to work part time for a doctors office. For the past 7 yrs I have worked one day a week in the office. This month my position transitioned to only working from home. I am very thankful for the favor I have found with the doctors as they have been more than good to me. Our year has been filled with a lot of ups and downs, but we continue to see the hand of God at work in our lives.

Elijah started 1st grade this year. He is doing well in school and is a Star Reacher in his class (a fancy way of saying he is well behaved). Elijah enjoys playing video games with Gaige, swimming and he loves all things Star Wars, Lego’s and Transformers. He also is playing basketball, this is a sight! After 7 years of telling him to share and to be nice, Joel and I have found ourselves having to encourage him to be aggressive. He continues to amaze Joel and I with his soft nature, His desire to serve others and his unending love for us both. Ten words that describe my sweet, Elijah~ Brave, Honest, Compassionate, Smart, Beautiful, Funny, Law-Loving, hard working, a blessing and responsible.

Gaige also started school this year. He is attending a Christian preschool. He is doing great. Maybe even the teachers pet! She tells me often how given enough time Gaige will confess all his sins. He is so my child. We have been blessed to watch him gain independence and see his personality blossom over the last year. He is a very funny boy, always making us laugh. Gaige enjoys basically anything and everything his big brother likes. His favorite thing to do is swim. We are planning his 5th birthday next month at an indoor pool! He is also a great brake dancer! He is constantly doing head stands, and head spins. Basically he is always moving. Ten words that describe my love, Gaige~ Sensitive, Loving, Kind, Smart, Quick, Breathe taking, Hilarious, clever, mischievous, and respectful.

My theme scripture this year~

“Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works”

Hebrews 10:24

 

To provoke is to stir up, arouse, or call forth, to give rise to, induce, or bring about, to summon.

 

This year I have been thinking of this scripture and how one can provoke, call forth good works in others. This is a great responsibility we have as Christians, to live a life so full of the zeal of God that every thought and action would call forth love and good works in others. To be a doer of the word not just a hearer.

 

Our prayer is that our lives would call forth, give rise to, induce, to bring about and to summon a life of love in others.

 

Merry Christmas,

Joel, Koy’a, Elijah and Gaige