Holiday Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Holidays! The holiday season has come to an end, and we hope that you are enjoying the beginning of a brand new year! This year was a first for us, as we got to celebrate with ALL of our immidiate family members (on both sides!), and a good time was had by all. Our girls are growing and changing every day and 2007 was full of wonderful moments that we will remember for years to come.

In January, we took a trip to Colorado with Kendra's family, where we enjoyed many wintery outdoor activities. We loved every minute of it, and that is a good thing, because we had no idea that it would be our last vacation for a very long time!

In February, we loaded up a U-Haul (again). This time, we left the children's home in Albuquerque and headed for Miamisburg, Ohio, where Boss had accepted a management position with Golf Galaxy. Little did we know that this would be his first of three new jobs this year! Due to financial reasons, Boss left Golf Galaxy after the first month and began working as a manager for Lady Foot Locker. While Foot Locker paid the bills, Boss was unhappy, and for the next five months we prayed fervently that the Lord would lead him to a better career path. While times were definitely hard during those months, there were some good times, too!

At the end of June we celebrated Emma's third and Kate's first birthday. We had a JoJo's circus party and they both had a wonderful time. I can't believe how big my babies are getting!

In August, our prayers were answered. We heard through the grapevine at church that Village Christian School was looking to hire a PE teacher. Boss really wanted to interview, but we knew private schools did not pay enough to support our family. So, we prayed about it, and decided that Boss should at least go interview. During the interview, after talking with him and looking at his resume, the administrator of the school offered Boss the PE position, AS WELL AS the position of Athletic Director....Boss' dream job! Boss really wanted the job, but we were still unsure of the financial aspects. A few days later, we were told there were also positions open for houseparents at the children's home under the same umbrella as the school, and everything fell into place after that! September first, we loaded up another U-Haul and moved out to begin another new chapter in our lives at the children's home in Pleasant Plain.

Things did not go the way that we planned this year, but many frusterated tears and prayers later, they have turned out better than we could have ever imagined. We have a cozy home in the country and Boss loves every minute of his job. Emma is a very smart and beautiful three and a half year old who loves ballet and Dora the Explorer. She will be starting pre school this year! Kate is an ornery, yet adorable, eighteen month old who keeps our family laughing. I am learning what it means to be the keeper of the home, and I am actually enjoying myself! I enjoy working with the foster girls in our care, and I have found great purpose in our work here. God is good and we are very thankful for the lessons we have learned along the way! May God bless each of you in 2008. Thank you for sharing in our journey!