So when David and I got married, Ireally wanted to make sure that I took the time to write a Christmas updateletter each and every year. Guess I hada misconception that it wasn’t a big deal and I would be able to always followthrough with my plan. I know I wrote mylast long update letter in 2008 and then in 2009, I put together a Christmaspostcard with a brief update to save on postage. But, in 2010 we made the difficult decisionto sale our Farmers Insurance Agency to David’s mom and he was officiallyunemployed and looking for work in a tough economy. And since postage, Christmas cards and a funletter wasn’t a necessity I wallowed in my bad mood and opted out of one of myfavorite Christmas traditions. InJanuary 2011, David started a new job at Sewell as a Service Manager with theirFort Worth Lexus Dealership and was really enjoying his new career. In June 2011, I was diagnosed with amalignant brain cancer – Oligoastrocytoma. Before even having time to process this devastating diagnosis, I began anaggressive treatment schedule of both radiation and chemo! The seizures that I had in my sleep thatrequired David to do CPR, and that ultimately lead to that terrifying cancerdiscovery, forced me to be without a driver’s license for 6 months. Kirstyn had to attend before- and after-schooldaycare and James was able to continue to attend his private pre-school. We had lots of amazing friends that steppedup and helped with transporting all 3 of us while David was working. When the medical hold on my driving was liftedin mid December 2011, I had people to see, kids to entertain, and tons oferrands to run, but no time (or the correct frame of mind) to sit down andwrite a Merry Christmas letter! Oh – andin December of last year David transferred within Sewell to work as a SalesAssociate at their new Fort Worth Infiniti dealership.
So, here I am at the end of 2012(NOW, beginning of 2013! Maybe I willget this out before I need to label it Happy Easter!). I have a new appreciation of each and everyday. We are being more proactive inteaching our children that ‘stuff’ is not what is important and that life isn’tever going to be fair, but we serve a God that loves us in spite of us. I love quotes and I think the one that fitsour family this year is by the character Thomas Hunter in Ted Dekker’s CircleTrilogy, “Most men and women will yield to the seas of ruin. Only the strongest in mind and spirit willswim against that current.” We aretrying very hard to make that a practical and daily process. For Christmas this year our kids asked us toparticipate with our church in making an eternal impact in Haiti. We are sponsoring a 7 year old boy namedWoodley through New Missions. We havehis picture on our mantle and we are praying that he will grow into a man ofGod that will one day be a leader in the Church that our home church ispartnering to build in the coming years.
For James’ 5th Birthdayin May he asked all of his friends to not bring him presents but to insteadbring hats for him to donate to kids with cancer. Since he rarely takes off his own hat, hethought it was a great idea to make sure all kids, especially ones that mightloose their hair, have a special hat! Wealso spent much time in the spring praying about whether or not to do anotheryear of pre-k classes or allow him to start kindergarten as one of the youngestin his class. We decided it would bebest for all of us if he returned to his pre-k at Fielder Road BaptistChurch. We did decide to switch him from2 days a week to their 3 day per week program so he could go more, and thatschedule worked better with my monthly oncologist visits and weekly blood workappointments. He has really grown andmatured this year. He is starting toread and is so very curious about everything. His absolute favorite thing to do is play Mario games and read Nintendomagazines and websites to learn about more secrets in the Mario games. I am constantly amazed by how fast he memorizesthe tiny details in each game he masters.
Kirstyn began 3rd gradethis fall. She has fallen in love withHula Hooping and can do some amazing tricks. She also loves doing zumba and dancing and singing. Sometimes she is able to combine all 4 ofthese activities into one! She playedvolleyball through the YMCA this fall and really enjoyed it (great news sinceshe is so tall and competitive… just have to work on the aggressive part alittle. Guess she will always be ourprincess.) She also started taking pianolessons and has progressed like crazy. Her teacher believes she is already ready to compete so we will betrying that out this spring. For her 9thBirthday in November she asked her friends to come to her party and bringdonations for the backpack food pantry at our church instead of presents. Thiswas her second year to donate to this ministry but this year we were able to gobigger by combining her party with her friend Thomas that is in both her classat school and church. They collected 999individual food items totaling over 260 pounds! We made a short video testimonial for our Thanksgiving service at churchthat can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY38R2tFmdY
We stayed very busy this pastsummer. In June, my mom and I took thekids on a road trip to TN to visit family. We also went on our yearly vacation to Port Aransas where we spent aweek with some of my dad’s family and mostly just relaxing and playing on thebeach! I was excited to get to actuallyswim in the ocean, something I look forward to every year! (Vacation 2011, I still had staples in myskull and wasn’t allowed in the water. Also, surgical staples can get very HOT in the summer Texas sun!) The kids attended several day camps too. Their favorite is Camp Thurman where theyplay outside and learn so much about Jesus. Every afternoon they get in the car looking like the counselors dippedthem in the lake and then drug them through the dirt all the way to the car butthey are excited about scriptures they have learned, fears they have concurred,and friends they have made.
"Because sheloves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue her; I will protect her, forshe acknowledges my name. She will call on me, and I will answer her; I will bewith her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her. With long life I willsatisfy her and show her my salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16 NIV)
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