Our Christmas Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

As we think about the past year, so many things come to mind. Some small pieces include:

Carl - (36) - In the midst of constant challenges, God is good. He keeps teaching me patience and waiting on Him. My wife continues to be one of His greatest gifts to me. The four little ones are an added bonus. Proverbs 16:32 is a favorite: “Better a patient man than a warrior.”

Kerstin -- “Kasteen” (35) - The one place I am finding myself more and more is in the shelter of the Most High (Psalm 31:20). I trust God. That’s where Mary found herself with this unexpected turn of events in her life as she awaited the Messiah growing within her. That must have been something of a surprise! Everything that followed had to send her there, to that Shelter. So many times this year I have wondered at God’s ways, questioned, cried, laughed, and hunkered down in His sheltering care. Nothing has been as delightful as His continual presence. He keeps bringing me back to the basics: love Him, and love others. In all the things I enjoy other than Him and the people He has put in my life (Things I enjoy: painting, indoor soccer, photography, gardening, baking...) nothing compares to this Jesus whose birth we are celebrating. I am thankful for God making Himself known in the Bible and through His Spirit within me. As Isaiah 28:12 says, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest.” He is that place. Come Lord Jesus!Johanna (10--double digits!!!) - Hanna is a treasure. She thinks of how she can bring joy to those around with gifts and service. Some mornings we wake up and Hanna already has the little ones changed and eating breakfast downstairs. There is always a party or a show going on that Hanna instigated. She’ll sit Lily and Trey on the stairs and tell them when to clap. Hanna is a ballerina, often doing pirouettes in the kitchen (once sending a glass bowl with egg in it flying). She can’t wait to get toe shoes. Hanna also loves horses and sewed a cowgirl outfit that she wears quite frequently. Highlights this year for Hanna include our trip to Germany, time in Santa Barbara with family, and camping in our tent trailer. Both Hanna and Maggie also started the whole orthodontic adventure this year. They are excited about growing older (which they try to pinpoint frequently how they’re actually doing that).

Magdeline (8) - Maggie is our little love. She still prefers to be upside down or in a tree. We love Maggie’s creative way of looking at the world. She drives Hanna nuts sometimes with her stories that are often not true. One morning she said that she heard a tiger on the roof during the night. Another day Maggie says, “I want to go to Spain (meaning Mexico).” Or “I like the way God made your face.” Recent dreams include one that “Mama will have 5 babies in May” and “We were on an island and we caught a whale.” Maggie told someone “I might have to get a heart attack (meaning head gear)!” She also said she did “all of my difficulties (meaning chores).” Maggie uses her own language to emphasize things. If she’s really, really hot or thirsty, she’ll say she’s “beaming hot, beaming thirsty” or “burstin hot, bursting thirsty” or “pure hot, pure thirsty, pure tired.” When Maggie wants to open doors for people she calls herself a “door monkey.” She plays so nicely with the little ones. Trey calls her “Mimi.” Maggie’s favorite thing about Jesus is that “he is going to build a house and I’m going to him.”

Lilyana (3 1/2) - Lily is our little princess. She loves to dress up or color. She happily plays in an imaginary world where her friend Leann does naughty things. If Lily does something wrong, “Leann did it.” “Leann pulled my hair.” Carl tried to convince Lily that Leann moved to Australia, but she still pops up again occasionally. She calls her older sisters “Hannamaggie” and repeats their stories as her own. Lily prefers to sleep on the floor sometimes, or face different ways in her bed. She seriously talks about things being “compicated” and sits next to me and says, “So, how aw your kids? I like your kids--they’re butiful!” When I go to swim laps she says, “I hope you don’t swallow too much water or drown” or “Don’t foget to take your shirt off so it not get wet.” Lily tells stories about a pink hippopotamus, or tells me that tomorrow she won’t be here because she’ll be with her husband and we can talk on the telephone. She is so petite (weighs the same as her little brother) but by far the most expressive child. Her eyebrows go up and eyes wide when she says, “I firsty.” Knuckles are “handy dans.” “When me die, I say, ‘Hi Jesus!’ And that not foolish talk!”

Carl III a.k.a. “Trey” (22 months) - Trey is our little joy. He loves all of his sisters and they sure love him. He is a typical boy--loves balls, trains, cars, loud noises, blocks, animals, drawing on our walls or floors, and throwing himself on the ground with a grunt. Trey/Carl doesn’t like to eat anything that isn’t in the sugar food group (favorites are “coo-key”, “ice eeem”, “lol pop”, “canee”, and “joooosss”). He has to say “So-wee” (sorry) a lot. Trey loves to race around the kitchen on his car with Lily on her car. It is especially interesting while I’m trying to fix dinner. “Sit, Da-dee, sit,” he’ll say and pat the floor next to him. We all love to chase him and tickle him while he chuckles and chortles. “I know” means “I don’t know. “Wa appen, Mama, wa appen?” he’ll repeat over and over. Sometimes he’ll empathize, “Oh no!” Everything gets said twice. I’ll ask him where he is while he hides under his “Kiki” (blanky). His answer, “I wite hea.”

We wish you a very Merry Christmas, and God’s peace in 2008.