our charlie brown christmas

For those of you who received our Christmas card and were wondering where the annual Christmas letter was, wonder no more. It is here. We are trying a new thing with putting the blog address on the card and expecting that if you want the annual update, you will be curious enough to come here for it. So if you've made it this far, welcome and Merry Christmas! (Yes, we have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree in our little apartment this year).

You already know that it's been an unusual year for us with making a temporary cross country move. I spent a lot of time planning it out, of course, going back many months before we moved. Researched the best and cheapest way to get out here, mapped out schooling options (for first grade), waited for an apartment to become available, and made arrangements to rent out our house. For the most part, everything has gone smoothly. We had to downsize our trailer at the last minute, which entailed leaving behind a few things we'd not planned on, but we came out here with what was important and look forward to seeing some old friends (like our bed) when we get home again. Schooling is going as well as it can, I think--Michael is eager and hungry to learn and Caroline is getting more serious about "doing school" every day (she is learning her phonograms and is adding!); most days I feel like I'm in charge of a three ring circus. A nice apartment was waiting for us (its two nicest features are the dishwasher and the washer/dryer). We found a renter and lost same about two months later; we are now hoping to find someone who is interested in a very short term rental. We have managed to settle in as much as we can, make some great new friends, and establish a routine for ourselves.

I had forgotten that Andy is such an avid student. When we came here, a friend listened to Andy's fall class schedule and prophesied woe. I immediately envisioned a mental breakdown on either Andy's part or mine. I may have come close, but this husband of mine has actually thrived on the unbelievable amount of work he's had to do. Learning Greek at an accelerated pace has been the equivalent of a full time job for him; he also took an Old Testament class, which he loved. We've just finished finals week and it appears that his A average is intact. Next quarter is the Hebrew intensive, Exegetical Method (using the Greek that he learned this fall), and another Old Testament class (did I mention that he really loved the Old Testament class this fall?). It is a lot of fun to watch him dig his teeth into studying and learning.

I find myself coming into the Christmas season exploring a heart which is both humbled and thankful. Honestly, we always planned for this year at Fuller to come at the end of Andy's time at Covenant. I was not optimistic when he first came to me back in 2004 and told me that he was feeling called to stay there beyond the time he had available to finish his degree. His words were something like "Do you think they'll let me take a year off and then come back?" I shook my head, said it wouldn't hurt to ask, and started revising my mental moving plans. With Andy's current level of education, there was honestly no reason for the church to let him have the year--no reason except a love for him (and our family) and a faith that his work and education were both important. We have felt bathed in the love and support that Covenant has shown us. Our church has not only kept Andy's job for him, but also hired fantastic part time staff to serve under Krissy while we are gone. Andy is continuing to work long distance for the church for a few hours each week and will be heading home for a whirlwind high school retreat between Christmas and New Year's. We were blessed by so many friends before we left in many ways: everything from financial gifts to friends who are housing our dog Emma until we come home. Our trip out here was both fun and safe, allowing us to visit dear friends along the way and see some amazing countryside (like the Grand Canyon). We have found everything we need out here: a church to rest at for a year, good friends to spend time with, and furniture for our apartment.

We've been having fun out here, too: a trip to Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree, the beach, hiking, the zoo, the Griffith Observatory, and some yummy restaurants. We're planning on visiting Legoland in San Diego before Christmas (courtesy of Discover's cash back bonus and Aunt Jenny's connections) and my uncle and I will go to the Rose Bowl this year (um, Go Blue?). We're expecting Andy's family for Christmas for the first time in several years--we have been too far apart before--and my Dad again in January, as well as my uncle (see the Rose Bowl) and then my cousin Julie. Who knew that moving so far away would mean that people would want to visit us more? We also hope to see some other parts of California while we're out here, like Yosemite and possibly Monterey. The time seems all too short to do all the things we'd like. We are all thrilled with our current situation. We're meeting amazing people and getting to enjoy a lot of fun as a family.

As much as we enjoy it here, none of us love it enough to want to stay or to call it home. Even the children are yearning to go home, to go back to Florida. They have settled in so well--making friends, working hard at schooling, having fun at church--but they miss our church, our dog, our home. To me, this sojourn here parallels our journey on this earth. We may love it, we may enjoy the gifts it brings, we may even count every minute a blessing... but just as our hearts long to be back "home" in Fort Myers, our very souls should long to be truly home with Christ. At times, mine does, but I know I am too comfortable in this skin, this life of mine. I am surrounded by love and blessings and laughter. Christmas is a fun time of gift giving. I need to remember that this world is not my home (you've seen that bumper sticker, too). I need to remember that Christmas is a celebration of the invasion of Light into a dark world, the beginning of God's astounding act of reclaiming us, his beloved. I need to remember that we were so loved--that I was so loved--that God held nothing back in his work of bringing us home.

This year, this Christmas, let's delight in God as he delights in us. Let us seek him and hold fast to his light. Let us long for home even as we enjoy this gift of life here. Merry Christmas to all of you.