IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS...except no snow

December 2019 Memories:

Lydia played a gangster in the school play- she was hilarious!

Visiting with Santa at our local Crisis Pregnancy Center Christmas party.  Jonah asked Santa for a tuba (his latest obsession).  Ben enjoyed lots of Christmas cookies!

 

The boys in our church's Christmas program.  

By the second song, Ben's shirt was untucked.

  

Jonah endorsed his own check!

Best Christmas present ever: My mom came home to have Christmas dinner at her house!

So thankful everybody home for Christmas!

Weather was so warm and beautiful today, we just had to take a hike.  

I think Elton John hiked with us...

Finally, this was the Christmas letter 

we sent out this year:

2019 has been quite a year…

January: My mom suffered a massive stroke.  It was a very scary and trying time. 

February: Continued healing and recovery for my mom.   This has been quite an emotional roller coaster for us all.  On a lighter note, we had quite a winter- LOTS OF SNOW!

March:  Andrew and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.  Surprising because we are so young, right?

April: We hosted a German exchange student for 2 weeks, and we had so much fun.  Impressively, she survived living with our crazy family!

May: Jonah had surgery to remove his thyroid because medication was not controlling his Grave's disease. 

June: Ben celebrated his 9th birthday!  My mom moved from the rehab facility to a nursing home.  She has made an amazing recovery considering the severity of her stroke.  We are so proud of her and my dad's hard work and dedication to each other.  What a lesson in what love can do!

July: Andrew and the three older kids went on a mission trip with our church.  This was something we always wanted to do as a family.  The trip was a very meaningful experience for all.

August:  We had a fun summer with lots of swimming and visiting parks for the boys!

September: Jonah celebrated his 9th birthday.  Abigail started her last year of college, Stephen is  in his 2nd year of college, Lydia started her junior year of high school, and the boys started 3rd grade.

October: Most unusual, there was a snow storm on Halloween!  This made trick or treating interesting.

November: Again unusually snowy cold days in early November.  Does this mean a loong cold winter in store for us?

December: As we reflect on this past year, 2019 has been a challenging year for many reasons.  However, we are so grateful for all the Lord has helped and guided us through this most interesting year.  It has been a time  of realizing the importance of faith, hope and love in our lives: 

                   Faith: 1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the                                                                         power of God.

                   Hope: Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so                                                                that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

                   Love: 1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God                                                             is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

 

God's Blessings to you this Christmas and in the New Year!

Love, Andrew and Mary, Abigail, Stephen, Lydia, Ben, and Jonah