Happy New Year!!!!

New Year Letter 2012

Greetings to our family and friends,

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..." Philippians 1:3 We are very thankful for all of you.  We enjoy receiving your cards and pictures each year and hearing what has gone on in your lives.  

For us - another exciting and interesting year (sometimes a little less excitement would be welcome!!) Here are a few bullet points: 

• Another Appendectomy
• Wonderful Company
• Plugged Septic System
• Church Family Blessings
• Broken Pipes/Water Leak
• Savannah's Improved Health
• Drought
• Heat
• Upcoming Deployment
• Roof replacement
• Among others 

We are truly thankful for God's unspeakable grace and mercy extended to our family through this past year.

Our biggest news (so far) for 2012 is that Phill will be deploying to Germany.  We are very thankful that it will be a shorter deployment and that, Lord willing, the rest of us will be able to visit him for a time.  We are also tremendously thankful for those who will be in our home holding down the fort while we're gone!

Here's a brief update on each of our children.

Shenandoah

Shenandoah just turned 3 years old a month ago.  She has now made the official switch from her crib to a toddler bed.  However, the idea of sleeping in a toddler bed was much better than the reality!!  She is also attempting to make the transition to not using a pacifier (the jury is still out on this one!) She is learning Ephesians 6:10-19 and can even turn to it in her Bible!  She often times can be found with a special hat on playing Sam from "Runner From Ravenshead" (a winning film at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival last year.)

Sayer

Sayer is now 6.  You will find him almost every day walking around the house in his flight suit.  I say almost every day, because every once and awhile we have to peel it off him in order to wash it! He loves airplanes and the thought of flying someday (sounds like his daddy).  He began his formal educational pursuits this year and absolutely loves math.   

Seth

Seth is 8.  He is growing into quite the young man.  Seth is becoming such a wonderful blessing to his father with work and chores on the property.  He also loves airplanes and flying.  His signature clothing item though is a haberdasher hat that he loves to wear almost everywhere.  Seth is showing artistic talent and loves to draw.  We look forward to the development of his skills in this area.

Stasia

Stasia is 10.  She is as bright and bubbly as ever.  She has never met a stranger and is our family social representative.  She loves to cook and sew.  Stasia has designed and sewn several pretty dresses for her 18" Dolls.  

Sienna

Sienna is 11 and is our deep thinker.  Like all the girls, she loves to read and is a gifted writer as well.  She also enjoys working in the kitchen.  She is the one the other children have to beat when asking to sit by daddy on the couch (I need 8 sides!)

Sabrina

Sabrina is 14.  She is still very much our outdoor girl.  She shot her first deer this year.  A perfect homesite for her would include a 3 day hike across forests and streams!  She is daddy's 'right hand' outside when working on the property.   Her peaceful joyful countenance is always a blessing to the family.    

Savannah

It is hard to believe that Savannah is now 19.  How fast time passes!  We rejoice that she has been doing better lately with regard to her POTS.  She enjoys pursuing her continued educational goals including further studies in law and government.  She has also been studying German for our upcoming trip.  She continues to grow closer to the Lord while she joyfully serves in the home. 

Ellen

Continually blesses me as a help "meet for me" - a blessed gift from God.  I can never adequately express my deep gratitude and, because of the way she seamlessly completes me, I am sure I will never fully comprehend all the Lord has done for me through her.  She is a faithful friend, a trusted counselor,  a gifted home manager, an insightful disciplinarian and a loving wife and mother.  I am fully aware that without God working through her in my life I would not be the man or father I am today.  She loves the calling of wife and mother and fulfills that calling very well. 

Phill

I continue to serve our country in the Air Force.  I love to work outside on the property pursuing the goal of making our family as self sufficient as possible.   I look forward to my family visiting me in Germany and the opportunity to teach them the working of God's providential hand through history.

Keep watching for European updates....

We pray the Lord will richly bless you in the coming year.  As for us and everything this year holds, I appreciate William Bradford's quote from Plymouth Plantation - "So they committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed." 

 Have a wonderful 2012