2016 Christmas Card

This year for our Christmas card, we attempted to take some family photos at Eric's parents house while visiting for Thanksgiving.  Below is the final card result and some favorites from our photo shoot both with Eric's brother Rob and on our own.

The front of our card.

The Inside Letter

Our 2016 Christmas Letter:

Life goes by fast and with every passing year the time seems to speed up more an more.  I can remember years waiting for Christmas when I was a child and feeling like it would never arrive.  Now it seems I simply blink and we go from one Christmas to the next.  Poof…another year is gone.  With kids, this crazy tempo of life is even more evident.  We look at pictures from last year and realize how much has changed: both boys have grown into completely different sizes of clothes, Avery went from knowing only a couple of words to having a much larger (albeit often indistinguishable) vocabulary, and Asher’s independence daily takes me by surprise.  Where as the time gone?  How have my babies grown up so quickly?  As I think about the pace of life these days, God keeps placing one word and its two meanings on my heart: Present.  Be Present and savor the Presents of life.  The phrase “live in the moment” seems so trite and yet it is what I have to keep reminding myself.  Be Present and recognize that every moment we have is a Present in and of itself…

I remind myself during daily office work and the mundane chores of life to be Present and focus on the task at hand as whatever I do I should “do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

I remind myself at home to be Present and not let my worries of work, finances, the kids, etc. keep me from enjoying the precious moments God has gifted me as “tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:34)

During the few moments that Eric and I are alone or able to have a short date together (like a work function to see Seinfeld, a simple Friday night board game, or a football date to Michigan Stadium) I strive to be Present to support our marriage and love on my husband.

During the crazy celebrations of Asher’s Superhero birthday, my dad’s retirement and Avery’s Tailgate birthday, I remind myself to be Present and not get carried away by the fuss and details but rather join in on the celebrations of my loved ones.

When the chaos of life seems tenfold at home (i.e. the two hours after work that we have to make dinner, fight with the kids to eat and get ready for bed), again I remind myself to be Present.  Through the dirty diapers, the random tantrums and the evasion of bedtime, I try to appreciate the time we have (even if I don’t absolutely relish it all the time).  I am constantly reminding myself to savor those gifted moment and the snuggles, story time, wrestles, block building, hide & go seeks and more that come with.

During our week in Florida enjoying the beach and sunshine with Eric’s family and our week in Atlanta and Tennessee hiking God’s creation and catching cup with dear friends I worked to be present and focus not on how many days of vacation were left until returning to normal life, but rather on the wonderful moments we shared playing in the garage as it poured outside, building sand castles in the sand, jumping waves with Gramps, rocking on the porch swing of our cabin rental and taking in the views of Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

As the trials of life came this year and I witnessed beloved friends suffer through great loss, God again reminded me to be Present.  I am reminded to be there to comfort those in pain, to be Present, to take full advantage of every second God has given me and those that I love as I will never know how much time we have.

During our holidays and random fun weekends of the year we are reminded to be Present and enjoy our friends and extended family by coloring Easter eggs at Grandma and Papa’s, decorating Valentine’s cookies at playgroup, touring Chicago as a first for our kids with Grammy and Gramps, jumping in the cottage lake and playing around the grandparents’ basements with cousins.

Now as Christmas draws near I am yet again reminded of the word Present: To be Present to soak in the glow of the Christmas tree…To be Present to tuck away memories of our boys’ precious smiles and excitement through the season in my heart…To be Present to teach them the true meanings of Christmas.  My prayer for myself, my family and you this season is twofold: 1 To be Present throughout the season and the coming year, remembering that “this is the day that the Lord has made…rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).  2: That not only are we present, but that we remember the greatest Present of all…the reason for the season: Jesus Christ, who was born, suffered, died and rose again so that we might not live simply for the present, but for Eternity with Him.  Merry Christmas & Blessed 2017!