Merry Christmas from the Fletchers!
We acted out the birth of Jesus as told in Matthew and Luke...here are the shepherds, sheep, and angels. Trey is front left, Lily is the black sheep :) being held by Ellen, Hanna is the golden angel, and Maggie is the shepherd holding the speckled sheep Bryce. Lydia is the little angel, and Caleb is the little shepherd with the cool-looking staff.
Hanna is happy to proclaim God's words!
John and Carolyn Hansen were Joseph and Mary, with newborn baby Claire playing the role of baby Jesus. We are so thankful that Claire is doing well after not breathing and being in intensive care--a true Christmas miracle!
Trey is our little gentleman. He loves his bow tie and suit.
Maggie and Hanna like to play games together--here they got a little crazy after all the Christmas cookies!
Our Christmas letter:
December 25, 2010
Dear Friends and Family,
We are so thankful for all that God did in 2010.
Carl - Carl is a pastor--you can hear his sermons online at gracechurchsr.com. Carl enjoys studying, preaching, keeping up with our busy family, and meeting with people. He’s been preaching through Isaiah, but wanted to share Philippians 3:8 as a current favorite verse, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Kerstin - I am thankful for all the opportunities we’ve had this year, and enjoying each new day of living for the Lord. I continue to homeschool and paint in spare moments. I am thankful for family and friends, and the joy that a relationship with God through Jesus provides each moment! Isaiah 40 is always a favorite for me, verses 28-29 read, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Johanna (13) - Hanna just celebrated her 13th birthday, getting her ears pierced and planning a fun “Super Spy” birthday party. She is such an exuberant joy--now already 5’6” and growing so fast. Hanna loves school, loves violin and piano, loves to cook, hike, camp...pretty much loves everything! She continues to dance en pointe and has started teaching a ballet class of 5-7 year olds. She also continues to ride her unicycle. Hanna is such a help to me--cleaning and cooking right alongside of me! She is insightful and thoughtful, and very sensitive. Hanna is a cheerful giver and always will invite you to stay for dinner. She makes delicious soft pretzels. Her favorite memories from this year include going to New Jersey to see Grandma and Grandpa, going to Camp Iroquoina in PA, and camping at Yosemite and seeing a bear walk by. Her favorite Bible verses are Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Magdeline (11) - Maggie enjoys dangling upside down anywhere and everywhere (I didn’t know you could hang by your knees from the stairwell, or stand on your head on the bottom bunk bed...!) Just now I saw her practicing flute while suspended from the rings in the garage, each leg through one ring, swinging back and forth! So one highlight of this year was that Maggie did the flying trapeze--executing the flips and catches with ease. When Maggie has free time, she wants to play with little ones. She has Lily and Trey pretending to be Indians surviving in the wilderness or that they are Princess Lily and Sir Lancelot (she takes the part of the dragon and captures them to serve her in her cave). Her favorite thing to do in the whole world? “I mostly love to watch and hold babies.” She also likes going dirt biking with her Papa at Cow Mountain. She plays her flute for her one-eared bunny, Benjamin, in the back yard and for Princess Lilyana and Prince Carl’s “wedding.” Maggie’s favorite Bible verse is 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Lilyana (6 1/2) - Lily is enjoying that Christmas is coming up, celebrating birthdays, and getting a new kitchen counter, although she’s not entirely sold on the green wall color yet. She works on projects to bless others, recently completing a doll house made out of cardboard and scraps with paper dolls for Hanna. She would like to be a dolphin trainer when she grows up, and still would like us to get sheep and ducks for our backyard. Lily is a pro at paddling on a surfboard, making something out of the shapes of clouds (“It’s a girl holding a birthday cake, and if you tilt your head it’s an elephant”), and dreaming. She can speak and act like a princess (“Shall we go?”) and prefers to be called Isabella some days. She loves to play with her little brother (prefers it to any schoolwork!) and often convinces him to play that he’s her husband. It is funny watching her discuss things with him. “Where shall we go on our honeymoon?” His response? “To In ‘N Out in a hot air balloon.” Her prayer at night sometimes is “Dear Lord, help me trust in you and obey you. Help me not be cranky tomorrow.” Her favorite verses are Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Carl III a.k.a. “Trey” (4 1/2) - Trey’s favorite memories from this year is seeing fish and other animals off of Opa’s dock, going to the chapel and seeing a snake, and catching frogs. He is our little energetic and loving buddy, saying with a sigh, “I wish I hadded 4 sisters and that I could marry my sisters.” I often hear, “I lub you Mama so much.” He brings me flowers that he’s picked, having boundless energy and so much to say (and so many sounds to make!) Favorite animals? Red-eyed tree frogs, tigers, and “canimals” (camels). Trey draws amazingly well and all the time, asking me for different shades of green and brown for his trees. First thing he said one morning? “I lub chocolate!” This morning? “Hello, pretty girl!” He loves random stuff--pebbles, wood scraps, paper bowls, paper pamphlets, junk mail, bottle caps, rubber pieces, metal pieces, stuff lying on the side of the road...! Trey likes to dress in a suit and bow tie. He likes to spell, calling me M-A-M-A. Sometimes he prefers to be called Tim, and apparently he plans on calling his wife “Pizza.” One day he said, “I need to clean this up before Mama comes home so she doesn’t get a pig” (instead of “have a cow”)! His favorite Bible verse is, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). His prayer is always, “Dear Lord, thank you that I get to be here. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
We wish you a very Merry Christmas, and God’s peace in 2011.
Because of Christ,
The Fletchers
We love to keep in touch. We love visits too!
Carl took the girls (Maggie, Hanna, and Julia) skiing at Tahoe Donner. They had a blast! I played with the little ones in the snow back at the cabin. I worshiped while arbitrating tired kids and helping build snow/ice forts :)
