Christmas is upon us once again. 2019 has been an interesting year. We’ve seen some ups and downs and everything in the middle. It seems like our new Christmas card tradition will be to have a new pose every year. When Zeke was 1, Angela captured a candid moment of Zeke, leaning on the couch arm, in awe of our Christmas tree. We decided that would be the pose for our picture every year, but that changed when we moved and the couch was no longer next to the tree. So last year, we got a new pose and thought that would be the one for years to come. This year we downsized our tree and the pose didn’t work because we couldn’t frame it without the buffet or cabinets in it. So with all our #firstworldproblems explained, we present our 2019 Christmas card.
Addie is two and started preschool this fall. Angela wasn’t quite sure what to do with no kids in the house two mornings a week (not really but we will get to that in a minute). Addie is very determined to keep up with her older brother and continually tries to be older than she is. In barely over a year, she has transitioned from her crib to a lofted bed (like I said, she wants to do everything Zeke does). She is super cute and she knows it. Her vocabulary is through the roof and she will tell everyone just about anything they’d like to know (and probably more). She loves all things dolls and princesses (her favorite is Belle).
Zeke is four and in his last year of preschool (the thought of that is mind-blowing). He has moved from Duplo blocks to Legos and is obsessed with them. I know we are biased, but the creativity he puts behind his Lego creations is incredible. He has a passion for learning and is already reading and solving basic math problems. He played soccer this fall and it was everything you would expect from a four-year-old soccer league. He had a blast and plans on playing again next year. He loves superheroes and Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey Mouse. His current career goal is to be an imagineer for Disney.
Angela has had a very busy year. In January, she officially launched her business, eight38 Designs. In May, the child she was nannying transitioned to Camp then preschool, and she decided to focus on her business. She has had fun navigating how to run her own business, but she has seen a steady increase in orders and her abilities. Some highlights from the year include making a piece for the lobby of the engineering department of the North Carolina Department of Public Service, one Facebook post generating forty orders, and launching her in-home Paint Parties. Eight38 hasn’t been the only thing keeping her busy. I addition to he day-to-day mom life, she continues to host Preschool Praise once a week and volunteers at House of Hope. This summer, she also went on a mission trip to Guatemala and El Salvador for two weeks. The team she was with did evangelistic street dramas and saw many people impacted with the gospel of Jesus.
I am still with Community of Hope Ministries as the Director of Operations. We have seen steady growth in our ministries and it definitely keeps me busy. At the 2019 Garner Chamber of Commerce’s Summit Awards, we were the recipient of the Nonprofit Achievement Award and the Steady Growth and Achievement Award. I launched my podcast, Love and Cookies, which is currently on a hiatus (but will be back in 2020). As I said, this year we saw ups and downs, and there were times that I had to reevaluate my priorities. During the process, I was shocked to see that I started this blog over eight years ago. A lot has changed over the years, but the one thing that has remained constant is how good God is.
We hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas. As we reflect on this past year, we are reminded of how faithful God is. We all have our ups and downs and the storms of life, but through it all, God is there. It may not always be easy to see, but when the dust settles, it is as clear as day.
until next time…