2007 Christmas Letter

As I write this letter on Sunday, December 9, there is a toasty bright fire burning upstairs and 3-4 inches of fresh snow that fell softly last night. It truly is beginning to feel like Christmas! Here is a brief look at our lives over the past year.

New Home (at last!)
Late last year we felt it was the right time to start looking for a larger home as our townhouse of almost 7 years was feeling a bit small for our growing family. After a couple of months and many showings the LORD answered our prayers and in late February we moved into our new home in a nice tree-lined neighborhood just a mile from Katie’s parents. Grace and Sam have a large backyard to run and play in for the first time, they each have their own special room to and we now have a garage to park in which also gives Matt a reason to keep showing up with new, shiny tools. (Please note our new address on the envelope.)

Summer Fun
Grace and Sam donned their suits for many weeks of swimming lessons this summer at a local pool. Sam took to the water like a fish and even allowed us to dunk him under the water—sort of. Ok, so he wasn’t too happy about that part, but he LOVED jumping into the pool from the side. Grace was a bit more hesitant to embrace this whole water thing but by the end she had made many friends and feels much more confident in the pool. We took our annual trip with Matt’s family to Winter Park, CO for a much needed week long vacation.


First attempt at our family photo

This May found Matt in the Orlando area for a week-long work conference and he also found time to hit Universal Studios and visit with family relatives. Over a few long weekends Matt managed to bag 5 of Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks with brother Dave and work friend Rick, a passion he dearly loves. Among other adventures were many climbs in local crags Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks.


Second attempt

Katie stays busy chasing after the kids. Mainly Sam. That boy can run. He also has selective hearing. He is an absolute delight. Full of smiles and hugs. He can warm a room. Katie and the kids have lots of play dates with great friends. She dearly loves getting her hands dirty in the flower beds and, strangely, mowing the lawn!? Matt doesn’t mind.

Grace’s BIG Day!
September 11th was a big day in the life of Grace. It marked her 1st day of pre-school (1/2 day twice a week) and she dearly loves it. She looks forward to being the teacher’s helper and playing with her friends. She’s learned to write her name and has even learned her right from left (most of the time). The sweetest news from Grace was this summer when she shared with us that Jesus lives in her heart.

June 18, 2008
Yep, you guessed it … baby #3 should arrive about this time. The LORD has blessed us once again and we can’t wait! (In fact we’ve decided to wait this time to find out. Hope we can make it.) Grace wants a sister and Sam … well, Sam doesn’t have much of an opinion. Again, we are truly blessed.

We love each of you dearly and thank God always for the wealth of loved ones He has placed in our lives that bring us so much joy. We hope that this letter will find you doing well. Have a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our dear Savior. d

In Him,
Matt, Katie, Grace, Sam and baby