Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Dear Friends and Family,


As we take special time to enjoy our friends and family it is easy to see the goodness of God all around us. All of the love and laughs we enjoy are surely a gift from His hand.


Looking back over 2008 we have much to be thankful for. On May 13th, Judah James was added to our family. He was born a year after Samantha, who passed away in September 18th, 2007. He has been such a balm for our bleeding hearts! Judah is the sweetest little baby who showers us with smiles and affections. He is a delight and we are so grateful for him.


This is our third year of home-schooling and … so far so good. Sophia is 8 years old (3rd grade) and her favorite subjects are writing and art. She fills many notebooks with poems and stories and is continually hiding them around the house as gifts for Mom and Dad. She also loves to draw (so paper and pencils disappear at an alarming rate around here). Sophie is also learning piano and violin. Her daddy enjoys very much the duets they’ve been able to play together lately.


Micah is 6 years old and in 1st grade. This was a big year for him – learning how to read, which was very exciting. Micah loves playing sports. He runs circles around me and I’m sorry to say he can beat me at any race (although that’s one of my 2009 year resolutions-to beat him). His favorite game is to wrestle with his daddy, whose injuries are increasing each year. Micah also is learning piano and enjoys that.


Joshua is 4 years old. He loves organizing. He also likes to do whatever Micah or his daddy are doing. I am particularly thankful for how much Micah and Joshua enjoy playing together. He likes playing sports and putting puzzles together. He also loves wrestling time, and his daddy is thankful he is still a lightweight. Joshua shows an interest in reading too, which is exciting for me.


We will be celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary this holiday. We look back in wonder at all that has transpired over these last ten years. We are so thankful for each other and can honestly say that our relationship is more precious now than ever before.


Love from all of us

Christmas

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Christmas baking

We've been having fun doing our baking this week, getting ready for Christmas! The pretzel turtles the kids do all by themselves.

First, they unwrap a package or two of Rollos:


Then, they lay out the mini pretzels on the cookie sheet:

Then, they place the Rollos on the pretzels:

Then (Mommy) bakes them at 300 for 4 min. Then they 'smush' a pecan half on top:

Great for placing in tins, wrapping up and put under the Christmas tree:

A Special Gift

While in Michigan, we met a friend from college whom we've stayed in touch with over the years. Our time was brief, but we were so glad to catch up with him and have him meet the kids for the first time. After he left, I noticed a gift he left behind for Judah. Knowing his Jewish background, we were struck with the thoughtfulness and care he put into it. The beautiful handwritten note read:

Dear Judah,

Welcome to the world! By the time your mom teaches you to read this letter, you will already know lots of things- like that 2 and 2 are four and that you have a big sister and brothers who love you very much. You won't know who I am, but your father and mother will always be very special friends to me. And that makes you special to me, too. You came along at a very important time in your family's lives- it will be many years before you fully realize how much we all cherish your arrival. So 2008 is a wonderful year for all of us, not only because you were born, but because it is the 60th birthday of the State of Israel. May people dreamed and struggled for Israel to become a reality and to keep her safe since. And you just happened to come along in the Jubilee Year of the Land of Judah- how about that, young man? In fact, the Israeli government is so happy about its 60th birthday this year that they threw a giant birthday party and even minted a special anniversary silver shekel (1800 of 'em) to mark the year and put it in an olive wood box (olive trees are a sign of hope for the future- ask your dad how many years it takes for an olive tree to make olives after you plant it). If you look carefully at the one, you'll see that the "O" in 60 is a pomegranate, which is the symbol for peace and prosperity in Israel. Judah, may you have every blessing of peace and prosperity that the land bearing your name has enjoyed. Happy birthday!

Fondly,

S.

Winter Break

We've enjoyed spending time with my parents these last couple of weeks. They came down for Thanksgivng to spend it with my sister and I and our families, then we headed home with them for a week.



Their home looked a bit whiter than ours (which is bare). It was a beautiful sight.



We happily pulled out the snowshoes and skiis.





I enjoyed a trail to myself one afternoon in the peace and quiet.


Which was once my old bedroom, is now the place my children spend playing happily reading all Mema's books, playing with my old toys.

Here's Joshie's helping Judah with his first sitting-up bath in the sink.

Grandpa and I even took the older two rollerskating at the old hall that I used to go to.

Great times.