Christmas Newsletter Gone Digital

I think this year gets the award for “Fastest Flier.” Can you believe that it's already Christmas? I feel like it was just last month that I was churning out our 2009 Christmas newsletter, and here I am, at eleven o'clock in the pm, reflecting over the past year and praying over what to share with you for 2010.

We anticipate this being our last Christmas in Corpus Christi, as we expect to be moving to a new duty station next summer. We have been told that we will be moving to Jacksonville, North Carolina some time late next summer or early autumn, but as anyone in the military will tell you, until Rob's orders are in hand, there's just no guarantee when or even where we will rotate.

So we do what we have learned to do: enjoy where we're at while we're here. Bloom where we've been planted.

We have loved our two years in Corpus Christi, TX, and although we look forward to the new adventures that await us, we will all be a little sad to leave our home on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Rob and I have been so blessed this year. We can't begin to list all of the ways that God has tenderly and mightily moved on our behalf. We see His hand of mercy all around us, in the lives of our precious children, in our loving family and friends, in our church family.

Rob's job as a chaplain in the Navy has stretched his faith and increased his desire to know God more. We have loved this ministry.

My job as a homeschooling mom of four fabulous kids has increased my reliance on the God of all wisdom, which He so generously lavishes on all who ask of Him.

2010 saw us:

::serving in the music ministry of our church. Rob plays guitar while I lead the worship.

::taking our first real family vacation in five years to Orlando, FL.

::training for and running the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon in November. (Rob ran the full and I ran the half, and we both did our personal bests!)

From

Caleb:

We went to Florida to see my best friend Jeremy in May. We swam in a pool, we played hide and seek, we played video games, and we played baseball. Gabe and I watched Jeremy play baseball, and I got to keep track of the innings and points for everyone to see with pride. We also watched a space shuttle launch! My new friend Nick has a new baby brother named Kaleb, pronounced Caleb, and he is about three weeks old.

Merry Christmas! I hope you get everything you want, and if I could give you a present, I would give you a hug! To me, Christmas means joy, because Jesus was born!

From

Gabriel:

This year I got to see my best friend. He lived in Florida, and while we were there, we went to the pool almost every day.

And here's Gabe's gift to you, an original poem, by Gabriel Fasnacht:

Hang up your stocking, put up your tree,

Christmas is almost here for you and me.

This year I'm going to give something to my brothers,

My sister, my dad and my mother.

But why do we have it on this cold month of December?

Why not some time else, like in November?

Well, the 25^th is when we celebrate Jesus being born.

December is also when coats have to be worn.

His last line made me laugh, because he doesn't have to wear a coat on many of our South Texas December days.

From

Lily:

I love Jesus. He does things for us. This year we

went on trips. And we also took beautiful pictures.

Merry Christmas, family! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

And Lily's gift to you is a verse from a song she sang in the children's choir for Christmas:

“Baby in a manger ere the break of day,

Baby in a manger sleeping on the hay,

Hear the angels singing joyful at thy birth:

'Gloria! Gloria! Peace on earth!'”

From

Seth:

In school we get to do crafts and we do math. I do not like math, because there's so much work. I like to hear stories.

Christmas means giving presents to all. God's Christmas present to us is: Jesus!

Seth's gift to you is his favorite verse from another song they sang in children's choir:

We got a chance to sing at church. I sang,

“I did not live in Bethlehem that Christmas night of Old,

Or travel with the wise men there to bring him gifts of gold.

But I can give a greater gift than any earthly gem,

For all my heart and all my love will be my gift Him.”

From all of us:

We pray your Christmas this year is full of God's gifts for you: hope, peace, joy and love.

With Love,

Rob, Jody, Caleb, Gabe, Lily and Seth