Our Christmas Card….

Maybe you got a card from our family this year… no letter enclosed, but a little sticker on the back told you that you could catch up with us on our blog… or maybe none of those people will look at the back, or remember to check it out.  Maybe this is just for all of you who didn’t get my Christmas Card this year… in the mail… our virtual, Christmas Card/Letter…

Do you write a letter and include it in your Christmas Cards?  I usually do.  This year though, it seemed a little redundant!  How many people have been following us all year long on this blog.  Do they really want to hear it all again??  Hopefully, someone out there, got our Christmas Card, and will stay in touch throughout the year, because you just found our blog!  (leave me a comment or send me an e-mail telling me your found us!!)

One of the features of a blog is that I can set categories, and you can read posts by the categories I have selected for them.  If you want to read the posts about how God has really been working in the daily grind of our lives, you can click this link to the Testimony Posts.

This year we marked three years of HSSH (if you are just visiting, this is the term I use for my ex-husband).  Much healing has taken place this year in many of us.  We began counseling at the newly opened out-patient counseling at House of Hope, you can read about some of our experiences of healing here.

James is in his Junior Year of High School, & turned 17 this past summer.  He keeps himself very busy playing football, swimming, and running track.  Add to that a girlfriend, Alisen… and sometimes actually doing school work.  Read about James' year here... the broken leg, the Sunshine Banquet… it’s all under that link!

Zach is in the 8th grade, & 14 years old.  He surpassed me (and grandpa) in height this year!  He’s still playing football, basketball, & baseball.  Read all about Zach's year here.  He had a broken bone too.  ;)  He spends many an hour with his friends, going over to their houses, or having them here.  He is, by far, the one that wants to go, go, go the most!

Leah started junior high this year!  6th grade and 11 years old!  She is growing up so much, physically and mentally…  Leah did a lot of yodeling this year, she had a night at the Gospel Barn, and yodeled with a friend at the school talent show in the spring.  But, as summer turned to fall, and junior high began, her yodeling days have ended for the time being… hoping she’ll have many more days of singing!  She has such a beautiful voice.  Read all the post's labeled Leah here.

Lucas is in the 4th grade this year, and is 10 years old!  TWO HANDS FULL!  He’s my quiet one.  Sweet, obedient, loving, and kind-hearted.  But, many times he is found “quietly” sneaking up a tree, scaling a pole to a basketball goal, or in the tree house.  He works so hard at his school work, and is reaping the benefits of that.  The posts labeled Lucas are here.  See what he has found to show me now… snakes, bugs, butterflies, mud… oh my.

Jadon has had a great year.  He has had MUCH healing.  Miraculous Healing.  In the early part of the year, I didn’t know if I was going to survive.  And now, I have a different kid.  You can read much of the story if you click these links about Jadon.  He is 5 years old now, in his last year of preschool.  Praising God for the amazing things HE has done in Jadon’s heart this year!

Kiahna, my baby, turned 4 in August.  She started preschool, and then she stopped going to preschool.  We’ve had a hard past few months together.  Things are improving, and miracles are being expected and received… but we have had some hard times, and I am sure that we have some more ahead.  We don’t have many answers for some of the ways she behaves.  Praying for help and wisdom.  Read about our journey this year with Kiahna, here.  She is so beautiful, and has a promise of a hope and a future.  I learned about Yarn Braiding this year!  She’s had beautiful yarn extensions since April!

This year we went to Florida with my parents & sister’s family in March.  In July we went to Lake James with my whole family.  In August we had friend’s visit us from out of state.  We saw much of our community through their eyes!  Then we packed up and followed them part of the way home, to St. Louis, where we visited the Gateway Arch, and one of our favorite places, The City Museum!  Not to mention many other family times together this year.

My sister got married this year.  It has been such an amazing time of healing for her and for me.  Everyone loves her husband Ben, he’s such a blessing to our family. 

Life for me… continues to be in the full time mom capacity.  What a blessing.  I am faced often with how different things could be for me and our entire family… like every time one of our loving friends sends us a gift of support… or a bill comes, and someone has paid it… or it is Christmas, and we are blessed beyond measure, not only financially, but with so many loving people praying and supporting us.  There truly are no words…

God has been more than good to us in 2008.  Circumstances we are living with on a daily basis are still hard many times, but time and God have healed many more of our wounds this year.  I had to think of how true it is again, as in the book we are reading this Christmas, Bartholomew’s Passage, said, “…But words did little to comfort, though it was nice he was trying.  Bartholomew thought between his own sobs.  Words could do little.  Only time and Jehovah would heal this wound.”

HE is Good, All the time.

Love,

Pam