2018 Christmas Letter

I miss the Christmas cards of my childhood– thick envelopes filled with long letters–updates on family friends near and far. I realize that social media fills the gap now, but I still write a yearly re-cap, mostly because I love tradition. Here’s 2018 in Countdown Style:

10- Friends a-meeting

Josh and I meet twice a month with a group of couples from our church. This year our community and friendships have expanded and deepened. Friends and neighbors have really shown up for us. We know how rare this is and we are so grateful to have found all of this on the Eastside of Detroit.

9- Hours a-driving

We took all 4 kids and our friend/babysitter Ali on a weeklong trip to the Smokey Mountains. Though Luke and Theo had the times of their lives and we had many bear sightings, a hiking vacation is not something we’ll attempt again in 2019.

8- Kids a-sleeping

Once again, our home has been utilized to its fullest this year. We currently have friends (also a family of 6) that are staying with us while their house is getting renovated. Our kids are having the time of their lives and we love that hosting others is so frequent that it has become a part of our family DNA.

7- Miles a-biking

Josh continues to love his bike commute to Henry Ford Hospital. This year he’s had more speaking opportunities and taken a leadership role in educating other CRNAs. If you aren’t sure what exactly he does, take a look at this video that he produced this past year: CRNA’s: Helping Millions Every Day

6- Years a-loving

This year marks 6 years of marriage and life in Detroit. Though it’s not always a walk in the park, we did buy a park bench (they are re-activating a park on our block and it’s awesome) and had it engraved with lyrics from our wedding song. We’re so thankful for a love that is real and for a common vision here in the city.  Once again, we were able to serve neighborhood kids through our Little Free Library and through the gift of a week of summer camp.  This year we took 5 Detroit kids to SpringHill Camps for a week.  If you’re interested in joining with us to give the gift of camp, please click here.

5- Luke’s a-pretending

Luke turned 5 in June and spends most of his days acting out elaborate plot lines he’s created in his head. He’s always saving the day and doesn’t want to stop to eat or sleep. We’re cherishing these awesome days with him before he heads to kindergarten next fall.

4- Theo’s a-running

Theo turned 4 in August and has made up his own superhero, “Strong-as-Hulk Flash.” He’s actually very fast and is zooming all around our house and running laps at the new park on our block. He LOVES his baby sister (he still calls her Pinky) and though he has a lot of 4 year old emotions, he’s engaging and fun.

3- Babysitters a-helping

When we found out we were going to have four kids four and under, we knew we needed help. A special shout-out to Carly for getting us through those first newborn weeks still smiling, Ali for being the only one I trust to watch all 4 kids (yay for date nights!), and Sydney who is consistently coming over and making our kids smile. I love that I’ve known all these women since they were little- they have been our saving grace this year.

2- Noah’s a-dancing

We’ve never had a toddler so animated/strong-willed/happy/destructive/loving/aggressive. Noah turns 2 today and is already the boss of this entire household. He walks with a swagger, gives great hugs and has some sweet dance moves. He follows Luke everywhere and is Ella’s best buddy. Everyone who meets him adores him.

1- Baby girl!!!!

The arrival of Eliana “Ella” Ruth (read about her name here) was the best part of 2018 for all of us. After one hard month, she’s been a dream baby. We’ve toted her everywhere- many preschool drop offs, long trips and even a weekend of serving- and she’s smiled and happy-squealed through it all. She’s crawling and babbling and loves being the center of everyone’s affection.

Grace and Peace to you, our friends.  We’re thankful for you.