Dear Friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We are excited to share the details of our last year. We would like to apologize for discontinuing the blog updates, but as you will see from this letter, our lives may have gotten busier, but really we are not very newsworthy anymore. And that is a good thing, in our opinion!
2011 began with big news regarding Adam’s job at Calvin College. He was promoted to a new position as Information Security Officer, an exciting prospect providing him with new challenges and opportunities for growth. Due to his new position, Adam traveled to conferences out of town, first in January and then also in October. The rest of us handled these leaves remarkably well, due to the extra nursing help for Ellie. Adam is doing very well in his new position, and we are all super proud of him.
The boys have done a lot of growing this year as well. It was an exciting fall as the boys started school at a small charter school in town. They have adapted incredibly well and love the routine and activity so much. Noah is in third grade and Seth is in first. They had great reports both academically and based on their character at conferences. We are so proud of them! They have also been taking swim lessons and are already much better swimmers than I am (not hard to do!).
I am excited to report that Ellie has had a very non-eventful year. She has had her share of colds, pneumonia, and infections, but what is great is that she has handled them all well. She has not been admitted to the hospital since she turned one, and has gone the whole year without oral steroids for her lungs. For a special girl like her, that is quite a feat! Ellie is growing well and blossoming in her interaction with other people. We enjoy her beautiful smiles and warm personality.
As for Emily, this has also been a big year for me. First of all sending the boys off to school was a big change and a big decision for us all. But I was able to see the Lord’s confirmation very quickly in how well we all adjusted. Having the boys in school has also opened up new opportunities for me, both in service and in work. I was able to start working at church for a few hours a week helping the pastors. I also started attending Bible Study Fellowship this year and am doing more volunteering at church.
Some other exciting events for our family this year include the first vacation away from all the kids in ten years for Adam and me. We spent five days in Florida relaxing and reconnecting with one another. Then in May, our family was granted a wish through Make a Wish and we received a beautiful camper. We really broke it in this summer, spending about five weeks total camping at different places. Our biggest trip was a tour through the Michigan Upper Peninsula that went extremely well, and the whole family enjoyed the time away. We look forward to more camping adventures this coming year.
In conclusion, the most important thing we can share about this last year is how God has provided and cared for us. We all feel so satisfied and encouraged in God’s love. We pray that you have found him to be your all, and that you draw close to him this coming year.
