Christmas Letter

Our Christmas Card photos with excerpts from our Christmas Letter, which finally went out in the mail today. (I am not sure how to correct all of the font variations going on in this post.)

Sarah celebrated her 4^th birthday in July and is our same sweet and sensitive little girl. Sarah is a very balanced little girl - one minute wearing a tutu and the next collecting bugs and worms. In July Sarah took swim lessons which turned out to be one of the highlights for her, as she turned into a little fish. Sarah also attended Vietnam Camp for the third year, where she had tremendous fun doing heritage activities and playing with dear friends. This fall Sarah started half day Pre-Kindergarten at a nearby school. She loves her teachers, friends, and the general routine of going to school. Pre-K has been such a positive experience for Sarah and we are impressed at how much she has learned already. Sarah continues to be Andrew’s best friend and mercifully they entertain each other for hours a day.

Andrew celebrated his 2^nd birthday in April and he is pretty much a textbook two year old boy – a curious child in constant motion. He is into climbing on/jumping off precarious things, trains, trucks, dolls, dress up, and imaginative play. He is my talker and joker and he doesn’t give me many quiet moments in a day. Andrew balances out his tantrums and hard-headed behavior with his charm, affection, humor, and winning smile.

Samuel is 2.5 month old and is a g-r-o-w-i-n-g boy. He currently loves to smile, coo, and show off his dimples. He is blessed with two siblings who could not possibly adore him more, and we are blessed to call him our son.

Michael continues to have broad responsibilities at First Presbyterian Church as the Pastor for Next Generation Ministries. His position encompasses all things birth through college-age students, as well as other pastoral duties (weddings, funerals, visitation, etc). He has a great team of directors and volunteers working with him. Michael plans to begin work on his Doctor of Ministry degree this summer through Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. The degree is designed to be completed within the context of a local parish while traveling 1-2 times per year for intensive coursework, lectures, etc.

I continue to stay home with our children. Most of my days are filled with laundry, dishes, errands, sibling mediation/negotiation, and such. But, I do enjoy balancing that out with play dates with good friends, dates with my husband, and the occasional shopping outing without the kids in tow. In September I began a very part-time job as the nursery/toddler care coordinator at our church. Apart from Sunday morning, most of the work can be done from home. I’ve enjoyed getting to know more of the young families in our congregation. Shortly after the New Year, the committee to plan Vietnam Camp for Dillon International will begin meeting to prepare for June. It is a great group of women and something I really enjoy being a part of.

In 2010 we look forward to taking Sarah skiing for her first time while the boys stay with Michael's parents. We also plan to travel to Minnesota for Michael’s grandparents’ 70^th wedding anniversary, Michael and I look forward to celebrating our 10^th anniversary in July, and we look forward to having a less eventful year….if that is possible with three little ones!

May you sense the Joy and Hope that sits deep within the heart of the good news of our Savior’s birth. As He came so long ago, He promises to come again; ready with a blessing for whoever will welcome Him. Let every heart prepare Him room!