For those of you who we weren't able to get a card to, here's a copy:
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYBODY!
Weddings, birthdays, camping, grass… Oh, what a year. If I had to pick one theme to cover the entire year’s events and happenings I would have to choose the theme “Provision”. As an example, when I pray with Lily and Beau we always thank God for each other, our home and our food. It seems so basic. I guess I could just say the provisions of God this past year have been really obvious. He is good to us. He is good to all. He did not spare anything but He gave us His Son as the first and greatest Christmas gift we would and could ever receive. And in the gift of His Son, Jesus, is every additional good and perfect gift- joy, salvation, satisfaction. Merry Christmas.
So, my Brother, Kevin married Michelle in March. My Cousin Derek married Emily in January. My other cousin, Ross married Dorianne in September, and Derek and Ross’ mom Claudia was married to Scott in October. WHOA! And that’s just the family weddings.
So, I mentioned grass… We thought this would be easy. One John Deer tractor, a back-hoe, sixty-five feet of ABS sewer line, a couple hundred feet of PVC pipe, one trencher- which broke down five different times, ten sprinkler heads, one yard of TAGROW, a couple dozen gracious friends and family members and about six months later and… voila! New grass in the back yard. Nothing to it.
Our spring was fairly eventful. We got a new car in March. And when I say “new” I of course mean “old”. And to go with it, we got a mutt named Chef. The next month we went up to Mt. Vernon for our annual trip to the Tulip Festival. Also in the Spring we went to the Daffodil parade, a Tacoma Rainier’s game, (now part owned by Nick Lachey), an Easter egg hunt at Great Grandma and Grandpa’s, and a very wonderfully overwhelming neighborhood garage sale in Auburn.
A tremendous blessing happened to us this summer. Our really good friends, Tim and Chie and their son, Mitsuki moved back to Washington. We tried to convince them to move down here to Tacoma, but they found a great place up in Federal Way that’s close to his job, only thirty minutes from us and most importantly close to his mom and dad’s house, which is the reason they moved back up here.
We had quite the eventful summer. Lily and Beau turned four and two years old in July. We took our annual trip to the Salmon Bake at Lakeside Bible Camp (where our love began). We took two camping trips w/ our friends DJ and Jessica Gran and their two kids, Kyle and Karis.
As far as work for me- I spent the first half of the year working with my good friend, Erle here in Tacoma. When we ran out of work to offer each other I took a new job/career working for John Stephens’ State Farm agency up in Bremerton. Lily started Preschool this fall at First Presbyterian Church School near our home. Lily goes four days a week and loves her classmates and teachers. Jamie and the kids have been taking the bus there in the mornings. Taking the bus has been quite the life experience for us. We’re thankful for what it has been teaching us and also the blessings we’ve received from the people around us. While Lily is at school, Jamie and Beau get to have some special Mommy-Son time. In early autumn they played at near-by Wright Park. Now that the weather is less permissive they have been having “coffee dates” at the coffee shop around the corner.
We love our city, Tacoma- our community, our friends and our family. Our wish for you this year is that you would have a very meaningful Christmas. We pray God will draw you near to Him. Because, being near to God is where you find joy and peace and purpose.
Blessings,
Kyle, Jamie, Lily, Beau and Chef the mutt.
