It has been a while since we have written a Christmas letter, and among many other reminders this year, I was reminded how much I appreciate the written word. As the cards came in last year in the middle of my recovery, reading your words and stories and seeing your faces was such an encouragement to me! So, it is 4am here, and I am up before my house comes to life... decidedly hopeful to compose something that I can share with you while I savor a cuppa dark roast and some solitude in a room lit only by the tree.....
Tatum Grace (6)-We took great delight this year as Tate made the decision to follow Jesus with her life! Since then, it has been wonderful to watch her eyes bounce off of herself and notice people around her that are lonely, hurting or need Jesus. Tate has grown much this year... she has energy, zeal, a fierce hug, and persistent cheer. She feels things deeply, and articulates them loud and clear. Tate communicates and chatters constantly, often through questions, and usually with some form of physical touch involved. On top of all that, she requires the least amount of sleep of everyone in our family! When we marvel at all that the Lord has walked us through in her short life, it is easy to see why God gave her an extra boost of energy and personality.... despite all the curveballs, Little Tate has never lost the skip in her step or the smile in her heart! Tatum enjoys gymnastics, dolls, coloring, swimming, and is homeschooled full time.
Samantha Nicole (10)- Sam continues to be the prayer warrior of the family. She recently had a wonderful conversation with a woman at our church on the prayer team who wanted to meet the young lady who hands in all the prayer requests to the church each week, also noting with awe that God has answered so many of her prayer concerns this year. What a burden and gift she has and uses- it is rare to find a young one who grasps the power of prayer like she does! Sam is incredibly loyal and very helpful, especially in the kitchen, and has the least (voiced) amount of words of anyone in our family. Sam is still homeschooled full time this year and enjoys attending gymnastics, volleyball, and softball. I get the privilege of coaching her JO volleyball team this year, and we both are excited for that time together. Since her closest friends are the furthest away, she also spends a good amount of time writing letters and on Facetime. Samantha enjoys parades, gardening, sewing, sledding, and is a very thoughtful gift giver.
Anastassia Renae (13)-Is the newest member of our family. Annie has been living with our family for almost 8 months now. Annie is a gifted artist and likes to read and write. Because of her age, and life experiences, it is important that we let her tell her own story in her own time. We have watched God redeem much since Annie has joined our family and are grateful for all that He has done. Annie has had a year filled with hundreds of “firsts” and she celebrates and enjoys each one. She is loving learning how to cook, loves to go fishing, paint nails, to talk about relationships, and go tubing.... Green Lake swallowed up a pair of her swim shorts while tubing this summer! Annie attends public school full time, and hopes to join knowledge bowl, art club, choir and also hopes to become a linguist someday. We are so proud of all that Anastassia has accomplished in such a short time, and are so very grateful we serve a God who can make all things new.
Benjamin Michael (13)-Has grown several inches this year, and it is likely he will pass his mama up in height soon. Ben is still our people person. He values friendship, integrity, and the company of others. For a teenage son, Ben does so much without being asked. He works quickly, quietly, and does things completely as he serves our family and those around him very well. Ben is still homeschooled part time and he attends a few classes at the public school as well. He gave us quite a scare earlier this year requiring a double biopsy for a large growth behind his head, that, despite good test results, resulted in him no longer wrestling. He thought he found a sport he wasn’t allergic to, but his body said otherwise.... so this year, he will be making up for time lost last year on the slopes! Otherwise, his allergies have been managed very well. Benjamin enjoys baseball, band, skiing (water and snow), four wheeling, air soft, and camping. He also enjoys hanging out with the new neighbor boys when he needs a break from all the estrogen!
Aubrey Faith (16)-Had an exciting year with many changes. She became a licensed driver and has been working at a local cafe and coffee shop. It is wonderful to have another driver in our home! She serves our family well with errands and rides, and I appreciate each and every one greatly. Aub spent her summer serving at Camp Shamineau on staff as a counselor, and went on a mission trip to serve in Memphis. These were very defining moments for her. She also had the privilege of helping lead 4 young girls to the Lord at different times over the past few months! Aubrey is a sophomore this year. She attends classes part time at public school, at home, and the local community college. She plans to take the test for CNA certification in a few weeks when she completes her course at our local community college. Aubrey would like to become a paramedic. With her strong drive and level of responsibility, we are confident that she will certainly accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. Aubrey also enjoys volleyball, theater, speech, hanging out with friends, leading youth worship, and she loves to draw.
Margo- This year has been both physical healing, and emotionally demanding. It was this time last year that I was released from my neck brace and allowed to drive again after 4 months following my stroke/dissection/blood clot/fall injury. The healing continues to go well, although there are set backs that are noticeable at times, they do not hinder my daily life. Managing the complexity of adding a hurting teen to the middle of our family and navigating all the foster care details and licensing was not something I would have ever signed up to do in the wake of such an injury.... but God. He is graciously bringing us all out of survival mode and we are beginning to normalize a little. Enough normalcy has returned that I have taken on a few speaking opportunities again recently, and even found some time to do a little writing. I also find great joy in the young ladies in my small group, teaching bible study, and facilitating a ministry in our church that gathers women together to share life.... three life giving things I believe are worth the investment of my time, even in this full season.
Roy-This year Roy took on a new role in the Senior Leadership Team of Nova-Tech as the Manufacturing Manager. He now oversees the manufacturing department of the company (refurbishing, machine shop, planning, assembly, and inventory) and it’s over 100 employees. Roy continues to appreciate working for this company, and highly values the servant leadership model it follows. He finds great satisfaction in providing for his family and serving others. He has breakfast weekly with a group of men that have been studying together for a few years now. There hasn’t been much room to start or finish many home projects this year, but we did work on remodeling our cabin some. I am very grateful for how he supports and serves our family.
We traveled more than we expected to this year. We overnighted in several states-Ohio, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois. We went to the Seawall and Moody Gardens in Galveston, NASA in Houston, and attended a beautiful wedding in Aubrey, TX. We flew to Akron, OH to get Annie from her foster home. We tent camped at Camp Shamineau for family camp. We traveled in state to several state parks this year starting at Redwood Falls. We took a fall trip to the North Shore to absorb some fall color before the long winter (most of our leaves froze before they could turn colors this year). We explored the falls, cliffs, and forests along Banning, Wolf Creek Falls, Cascade River, Gooseberry Falls, Tettegouche, Grand Portage, Judge Magney, Temperance River, Superior State Forest, Isle Royale, the Gunflint Trail, and we hunted Thomsonite in Cut Face Creek. Then, we went to see the Headwaters of the Mississippi, explore Itaska, and visit grandparents just after the snow started to fall. Lastly, we trekked down to Saint Louis for Thanksgiving (visited the Arch and Chess Museum), and got snowed in with old friends in Canton before returning home. Our travels this year ended up being vital to bonding, healing, learning new family dynamics, and attachments. We logged over 100 hours in the vehicle together, listening to probably a couple hundred episodes of Adventures in Oddessy, which also resulted in everyone sharing Tatum’s salvation experience with Jesus in the vehicle together.
We also saw more family than we expected to this year! We were able to visit nearly all of the 13 households our immediate families make up. Our visits were not as long as we would have liked them to be, but when it takes 2 whole weeks out of the year just to spend one afternoon or day in each household, you take whatever you can get!
So that is what we have been doing, but more than that, I get asked “how are we doing it” or “how is it going” more than anything.....
I don’t have a method. I just continue to press into Jesus each day, and try to serve my family the best way I know how to: With open hands, fixing my eyes on Jesus, with my heart exposed.... By His grace, we continue to navigate this broken world together. We have said over and over this year with a house full of teens: “We can’t fix you, we can’t save you, we can’t change the desires of your heart, we can’t open your eyes, we can’t soften your heart, we can’t pull you out of the pit...... but we can point you to the One who can.” The ups, the downs, the daily, the unexpected.... we have had them all this year; and likely, so have you.
Joy and sorrow dance all throughout the Bible... side by side they twist and turn, and so it is with this life. Helping our family navigate a season of physical, spiritual, and emotional healing surrounded by hurting family, and hurting friends, and even a hurting church has been incredibly exhausting for us all. Our need for a Savior is real. We keep our hands open and our hearts exposed. My heart breaks a little more each day for what breaks God’s heart. My eyes have “leaked” a lot this year. I have also sat in His lap a lot this year. But through it all, I don’t think there is any other better place to be.... because nestled in that sweet place He speaks truth over all the lies the enemy wants me to believe and over and over again He has gently whispered this year,
“I’ve got this, my child..... you need only be still.”
We can’t fix you, we can’t save you, we can’t change the desires of your heart, we can’t open your eyes, we can’t soften your heart, we can’t pull you out of the pit...... but we can point you to the One who can.
Jesus.
This is our Christmas.
This is our God.
Seek Him.
He is the reason for the season, and He is both the reason and the “how” behind all that we do.
