Christmas time again! It is true what they say that each year goes faster than the last and apparently increases exponentially once you have a child. It also feels strange to think its Christmastime because the weather has been so unusual! Here we are on December 14th and while today is colder it's been practically warm until now! Ethan and I have enjoyed it though, spending lots of time outside in short sleeves and shoeless, trying to soak up every drop of warmth and sun we can because the cold and snow are sure to come, even if it's later than is typical this year!

So. This year has gone by fast. It has mostly been a good year, full of blessings, but we've had our hard times, too. In September we discovered much to our great joy that I was pregnant! But instead of being happily in my second trimester now, I miscarried shortly after we found out I was pregnant and once again we lost a desperately wanted, loved little baby. It hasn't been easy but life goes on anyway and we do our best to focus on the fact that we know God's plans and ways are better than ours.

David has been busier than ever with his business! One of the many blessings we experienced this year! We also did a complete overhaul of his website this fall and I'm kind of proud of the results.

Ethan has changed and grown very much since last year -- he is now an extremely busy, and happy almost 16 month old. He doesn't talk a lot yet but does a variety of animal sounds, says "dat" when he wants to know what something is (everything, all the time), and just the other day has started saying "no". He also attempts to say "wow", "bird", and "duck", but that's it for now! I love watching him grow, and change, and learn. He's very smart and great at problem solving. He also has a penchant for being sneaky and finding ways to do things we've told him not to do, while not quite doing what we said not to do. If that makes sense! He smiles and laughs constantly and brings unending joy into our lives! We are exceedingly blessed to have him each and every day.

Earlier this year we got new neighbors -- they built right next to my garden and we've enjoyed having neighbors so close! Ethan loves to see them and always waves frantically at Ron when he is out working in their yard. Ethan even runs for their yard sometimes when he sees them coming home from work. He loves people so much, and seems to get special attachments to some people. :)

We also got a cat this year. She was supposed to be all outside, to help with the mice that are overrunning the area. She has turned out to be such a sweet cat though, she spends the evening inside with us and we suppose she hunts during the day and some at night after we go to bed. She has been. Really fun addition to the household though, and Ethan in particular loves her as she is the first furry creature in his life that lets him hug, squeeze, squash, and carry her around. I can't believe we seem to have a Cat Person for a child. Whaaaat?! It's not right, really. But I can survive.

There isn't a lot else to tell. We traveled to see family less than usual since long drives with little ones are tough. We visited for Thanksgiving and that was enjoyable as always and our only visit the entire year! My parents came to see us multiple times though, which was a lot of fun! We really hope they'll do it again in 2016! We did attempt a family vacation in Branson this past May with my parents and older sister and her family but it ended in a terrifying flee for our health as everyone except us Rostollans, my dad, and nephew were struck with a stomach bug! We felt like we were trying to outrun a zombie apocalypse as we packed up hurriedly and rushed off without being able to give proper goodbyes.

EDIT: July 29, 2016. I never finished or posted this! So here it goes, unedited, unfinished, unphotoed... oopsie.

Christmas 2014

Well in stereotypical new  parent style, my Christmas letter has turned into a  late New Years letter. And yes, if your only contact with us is our Christmas letter, we are parents! Last years letter included the announcement of our much prayed for, yet truly unexpected pregnancy, and a request for prayers for protection for it and that we might finally meet one of our little ones. Praise be to God, those prayers were answered and on August 23rd, Ethan David was born at home, safely and very healthy! We could not be more thankful, or more in love. He is now 4 1/2 months old and almost 20lbs and over 27inches long! He is a big boy! Ever since he was born he has been a very happy, smiley baby, and ever so much fun! He even handled the long drive to south Texas to visit my family really well, and we couldn't have been happier!

Obviously, that's our big news for the year! But there's still a bit more worth a mention. ;) Due to Ethan's arrival, David's parents decided it was time to move his mom's office upstairs and finish another portion of the basement for David's office! It's actually being finished today and looks amazing. So now David will have a separate entrance into his office, which I have to say, with having a baby will be a very big blessing. We've managed this far and could longer if we needed to, but there are days when getting the apartment "client ready" and caring for Ethan is almost more than I can manage and it will be a very big blessing to not have to worry quite so much about the state of the apartment.

Otherwise, I am sure there was more to our year but it's hard to remember what. I sold some of my rabbits, so that we are just down to a single pair now. We hatched chicks for the first time this year when one of our hens went broody! David refinished an old dresser some friends gave us for Ethan and he enjoyed it so much he started improving other pieces we had around the house. I think someday when we have more space of our own it might be a fun hobby for him to pursue! Also his business grew more in 2013 than any year yet, so that has been another great blessing!

I started a business as an Independent Consultant with a company called Jamberry. We sell non-toxic, high-quality, long lasting nail wraps and it has been SO much fun! And made even more fun when my dear friend Amanda decided to join me in the journey! Several other friends have also joined me and it is way too much fun working with friends (and family! My older sister is the one who convinced me to join even though I was convinced I would hate selling "nail stickers"!)!

My younger sister and her family moved back from overseas, and are pretty near to the rest of my family, which is awesome. My older sister got me involved with Jamberry and she is advancing quickly in the company, making lots of moolah, and more friends! It's fun to watch and if I end up half as successful I will be happy! My parents are doing well, all things considered -- my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer during our visit for Thanksgiving, but thankfully, it was caught early and with proper treatment she should come out of this healthier and better off! Prayers for them both as they go through this scary time would be very much appreciated, though.

I know there had to be more... mostly I just remember enjoying my pregnancy a lot, and then Ethan! David was absolutely wonderful throughout my pregnancy, labor, and recovery time. I really could not have asked for more loving care than I got from him! He is such a blessing to me and even though it feels impossible at times, I love him more and more with each passing  year. God blessed us abundantly in 2014 and we cannot wait to see what He holds in store for 2015! Happy New Year from all three of us!

Christmas 2013 -- More Like New Years

This Christmas letter is probably going to be photo-light compared to normal. I used to be an avid photographer. Used to be. Then I got an iPhone and turned into a lazy photographer. So if you check out our Christmas letters just to see how fast we're aging, I'm sorry. This year may disappoint, though I'll try my best to find a photo or two to share.

Thinking back on the year I don't have a lot to tell. It was another quiet year, which we mostly like, because quiet means that there was no great upheaval as in years past like suddenly needing to move, or suddenly being out of work. So mostly this quiet is a good thing. But it leaves me with very little to tell you since I'm pretty sure you're not interested in the little day-to-day things like how many times I took the dog out to go to the bathroom versus how many times she actually went (this is usually something like a 3:1 ratio).

I actually started writing this letter on the 17th or something, and you know what has happened since? Three days before Christmas we found out that I am pregnant! I still don't really know what to say beyond that. I'm not sure how much it's really settled in after so many years of hoping, praying, waiting, and of course, taking every pill under the sun. ;) We tried herbs and dietary changes and this past June started working with a specialist. In the end, while we do have some thoughts on what may have helped, we know that ultimately it was a matter of God's timing. His will, His timing is perfect, and while I will never be able to say the past doesn't hurt, or that because of the past I don't have additional anxieties about right now, I know that everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason. For now we both deeply covet your prayers on this point, that we would both find peace in the midst of a very nerve-wracking time! I feel very hopeful that we'll actually get to hold this little one in our arms, but know too that whatever happens, it is all a part of God's plan for us and try to keep in mind that while His plan does hurt at times, it is always for our ultimate good and His glory!

So there you have it. The biggest, most exciting part of our year happened at the last minute, but not late.

So wow, after leading with something like that, where do I go from here? I mean, it doesn't get any better than that! But what else happened this year? We almost bought a house. But that fell through. Oh well! C'est la vie! When the time is right, it'll happen. I'm not really interested in looking this year though, now that we're expecting. 

This cute little guy is from my last
litter of dwarf rabbits. He's sweet
but nobody seems to want him!

This spring I got a bunch of rabbits and currently have 6, 1 1/2 week old baby Lionhead Rabbits sitting in a cage in my living room with their mama. They're so CUTE! I hope to be breeding the larger rabbits to sell for people to start their own meat rabbit colonies this coming year, and continue to sell the dwarfs for pets! I love all my little critters which, at this particular point in time includes the two dogs (which barely count; they're more like family!), 7 adult rabbits and 6 babies, and 9 laying hens and 1 bantam hen. I spent the summer outdoors with my animals and in my garden, and that really sums things up. I had friends over as often as possible, but as busy as everyone is these days, it wasn't all that often!

David has been busy with work this year, as usual. Things are really picking up for him, and for that I praise the Lord! I think his business about doubled in 2013! That was a huge blessing. He continues his distributorship with LifeVantage, though that has really slowed down for the most part. But being a part of that company is still a blessing to us both physically and financially! Otherwise he spent a lot of time this year helping me with various animal-related projects. There was always a new cage to build or something to repair, it seemed! He's always so patient with my many requests and we usually end up (mostly) having fun while we work on things together, though I recall a few nest boxes being thrown together for rabbits in weather that made the process quite un-enjoyable! He has also taken up working out with his dad 3 days a week, which is nice because they get to spend some time together and stay healthy at the same time.

I think I'll end now since there really isn't a lot more to say. 2013 turned out to be quite a good year, and we hope and pray that you all enjoyed whatever blessings God bestowed upon your family in 2013 however great or small, and look forward to what He has in store for all of us in the coming year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas 2012

Betcha thought I forgot about this this year, huh? Well, truth be told... I did. I completely forgot until Monday, so I haven't been thinking about the past year, forming any kind of coherent thoughts about it... nothing.

This year has been excellent! I could probably say a lot if I had the time but I really really don't. Today is our 2nd Annual Christmas Party (well, third, really, but we don't count the first for some reason)! And  yes, I have ever so wisely chosen to attempt to write our Christmas letter on the same day as our Christmas party. Insanity? Yes. But you all knew I was a little nutty already, so no harm done!

One of the most noteworthy happenings this year was the beginning of our third business! In April we got involved with an amazing company called LifeVantage. I love to see the ways in which God chooses to provide for us, and this has been huge on the provision scale. It is doing amazing things for us financially as well as physically, and I really couldn't be more excited about it! I won't go into the details of how great and fun it all is here, but call me or email me if you'd like to hear more sometime. This business has saved us financially, and Lord willing, will continue to grow. The best part is how we're able to bless others through this business! Whether we're talking physical or financial, it is helping others as much or more as it is helping us, and it has been such a neat blessing to be part of that. A lot of our family is involved too, including my parents, David's parents, and Emily and her family, as well as several friends. It's great to see everybody benefiting in their own unique ways!

David has been kept busy this year with a variety of different projects and such. He put in a paver stone patio for me outside our bedroom window in the Spring and I love it! We spend quite a bit of time out there when the weather permits. He also spent a lot of time researching and creating plans for our very own chicken tractor! The photo shows the uncompleted version; we have since added a real shingle roof, and gotten the sides primed, and will paint them in the Spring. We have 9 chickens (one rooster -- oops!) and two of the hens just started laying earlier this month! We've had 13 eggs in 12 days, so I'm very pleased with that considering it is winter time and the hens are still young. David has also been busy on and off with his consulting business; we've had a few really good and busy months this year, interspersed with spots of little to no work. Young businesses are good at teaching you to trust God more, and as I said before He always provides and has done so wonderfully for us this year, like every year before. David still spends a lot of his time keeping up with all the latest health research, and got to attend an advanced medicine seminar in Texas during one of our visits with my family, which he found very interesting!

My Etsy business is continuing on, and in much the same way as David's consulting practice! I have really good months, and then months where not a single order comes in. Such is the way of things, I suppose. But overall it's still doing well and I am enjoying it for the most part, though I do look forward to being able to quit it someday! Grain-free baking is a bit of a hassle, really. ;) Otherwise I keep busy with housework, gardening in the Spring through Fall, and now caring for my birds! I also get together with a group of friends for coffee here at the house every other week, which has been very enjoyable.

We've also been busy with our new puppy, Nori! In August we got in contact with the breeder we got Miso from and picked up a puppy from her for a friend in Texas. While there, we saw Nori and fell in love. Miso needed a friend to play with, and Nori was the perfect little ball of fuzz! We have been having fun with her, teaching her all sorts of tricks and such. Unlike Miso she is very eager to learn and to please, so it's been easy, comparatively speaking! They get along swimmingly, too, so we're happy with our decision.

Otherwise, there isn't a lot to say. It's been a pretty quiet and uneventful year, really. Thanksgiving at my parents was fun as always, but strange this year -- my younger sister and her family have moved to Switzerland temporarily, and their absence was keenly felt! But their intent is to come back to the States eventually, so we can endure. ;)

Well. I really need to go make a ton of popcorn now, so I think I'll keep it short and end here!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2011

“Christmastime is here, happiness and cheer, fun for all that children call, their favorite time of the year”…

Dear Friends and Family,

I cannot get Charlie Brown Christmas music out of my head for anything these last few days. I know that’s important for you to know, going into this letter, so that’s why I’ve told you. Don’t you feel better now? I do.
So what is new with us? I have a feeling this letter may be a little dull. It’s been a pretty uneventful year for us (good and bad!). As you may recall from last year’s letter, we moved back to Missouri in early December of 2010. We started up Health for Life in earnest at that time and have had our ups and downs since then. As always, God has provided for us through it all, but starting a new business is always difficult and starting one in this kind of economy is possibly a little bit insane! But you do what you have to do right? And as I said, God provides, and we’ve never been left in need.

Probably the best, most exciting news for us this year was when David finished his doctoral dissertation! This was back in March, and he is now officially Dr. David Rostollan (most of his clients call him “Dr. David” as “Rostollan” is a bit intimidating)! I think he plans on eventually publishing his dissertation which I would love for him to do. Most recently David has been working on a new website for the business that is geared more towards supplement sales as the first website wasn’t really designed for that. It was a huge undertaking but the site looks great now! Earlier this year he also got involved with The Poppy Seed and consults with clients there every Wednesday and Friday (or at least is available on those days; work is slow and he doesn’t always have appointments). Rhonda, the store manager, has been a huge blessing to us, handing out our business cards like they’re candy and encouraging her customers to give David a call. I’m honestly not sure we’d have made it financially this year without her tireless “advertising”. Work for us has been slow at The Poppy Seed, just like at our home office, but even being slower than we had originally hoped, it’s still been a huge benefit to us, and we are thankful for both it and Rhonda and Linda (the owner).
I closed down my old Etsy.com shop and opened a new one “Good Nosh“. Unlike my past attempts this one is actually working. I sell health-friendly baked goods. Grain-free, sugar-free (and sometimes other-thing-free), muffins, cookies, and the like. I opened the shop at the end of March after much encouragement from my husband and mother and have had 63 sales thus far, and several repeat customers. It can be hard work, but it is rewarding when my customers write telling me that they liked their cookies or muffins better than any other gluten-free baked goods they’ve found in any of the gluten-free bakeries in New York City! I also did a lot of gardening this spring and summer, which kept me occupied. David helped me immensely getting set up. In spite of the drought and pests, God blessed our efforts and our harvest was decent. I did a lot of hand-picking pests to protect our crops, but never did get brave enough to grab tomato hornworms bare-handed.
For David’s graduation my parents paid for a trip down to Texas for us (along with something else that I can’t remember!). Obviously a win-win gift for them, since they not only gave him a gift, but got to see us for two whole weeks! It was a lot of fun to take a break from the stress of trying to get a new business going and just relax by the pool again, and of course, see my parents, older sister and her family, and my best friend Brandi and her husband. After nearly four years of marriage (seriously, four this May! Whaaaaa?!) I think we can safely say that these trips will be regular for us as often as the good Lord allows them!
In August we got a puppy! She was nine weeks old at the time and weighed around 4lbs. She’s now coming up on 6 months old and has more than doubled her weight at 9lbs. We named her Miso, at my sister’s suggestion, and have had a lot of fun (and a fair bit of frustration!) training her. She’s mostly obedient now and fully housebroken, which was the most important thing to me! She still has a lot to learn, but she’s making great progress. She also barely sheds which was extremely important for us. I don’t like animal hair floating around the house getting into food and such. Yuck! Plus we had to consider our clients and their allergies.
So overall a very uneventful year for us! Hopefully next year will be a little more exciting to write about. 

Christmas 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

This year began without any fuss, as they usually do for us, as the clock turned from 11:59PM on December 31 to 12:00AM January 1 with barely a notice. I think we may have even gone to bed before the new year rang in. We were still living in Texas, in my old bedroom at my parents house. What a blessing that entire venture turned out to be! My parents got to know David as well (or better!) than they had wanted to in the past, and he also got to know — and truly love — them. We all get along swimmingly and plan to visit them in Texas as often as possible, and will soon be starting a campaign to get them to come visit us, too, now that we are settled  in Missouri again.

So what is new with us since our letter last year, then?

David has been working full-time on his doctorate degree, and has recently completed the course work and is now focused on his dissertation. It is a huge undertaking, of course, and I am excited to see how it goes for him. He has enjoyed it thus far I think.  That work pretty much consumed him while we were in Texas and there isn’t a whole lot else to write about on his behalf. He continued to work for my father whenever the opportunity presented itself, but business for my dad slowed considerably in 2010 and there was really little work for David for the most part.  As busy as David stayed with his education, he never completely stopped with his music, either. He still picks up a guitar every couple of months to stay sharp (and is in fact playing some beautiful Christmas songs as I write this letter), and also spent what little non-school time he had playing my parents beautiful antique piano. The move to Missouri from Texas forced him to temporarily leave his guitar behind, so he is playing one of his father’s instruments for now. David still enjoys the outdoors whenever possible and we both spent as much of the summer as we could by my parents poolside, exercising, relaxing, and getting as much vitamin D as we could. He spent a lot of his non-school time working on various home improvement projects my parents wanted done. He also liked to spend early mornings and evenings hunting deer right before our move, and while he didn’t manage to get one this year (they were oddly elusive), he did help my father clean and butcher one shortly before the move home, which provided my parents and us with a nice little supply of venison. David is still writing for NaturalNews.com (his articles can be found here), and is also constantly improving our business website (ReformingHealth.com) and furthering his knowledge in the health field. Now that we are back in Missouri his goal is to be working full-time, seeing clients for health consultations.

As for me? Well I got my first job in retail this past summer. I applied to dozens of locations before I finally got a call back from Pier 1 Imports. I loved my time there for the most part, and miss it now that it is over, though I am also very thankful to be playing the role of full-time housewife for now. I enjoyed the company of most of my co-workers, was always happy working with customers helping them to find just what they needed to complete a space in their home or find a gift for a friend, and loved helping out the new hires once I was “seasoned”. In other news my Etsy.com shop is still around; the jewelry wasn’t selling well and I have recently taken up a new “art”: Felt ninjas! Also with the encouragement of my mother-in-law, I applied earlier this year to become a citizen journalist for NaturalNews.com and was accepted! So like David, I now write articles for them from time to time (which can be found here), and we make a little money with that when people click on the Google ads above our articles. It doesn’t pay the rent, but it’s something! In the spring we found a kitten that we just couldn’t ignore and brought her home (and my parents were thrilled, let me tell you!). We named her Chloe and she is now living with David’s parents, at least until we decide for sure what to do with her; we wanted to keep her inside but didn’t think it was a good idea for clients with allergies, etc. So that’s still up in the air, but she’s a really sweet cat (mostly) and everybody enjoys her.

So for the past 16 months we lived in Texas with my parents, and near my older sister. Both of my sisters had little girls this year, Vera and Kate, upping our total of nieces to 8! I got to be there for the birth of my older sister’s baby, Kate, and that was an incredible experience that I won’t forget. David and I also got to vacation with my parents again, this time in Branson, Missouri, which was a really enjoyable week. I hope we can do it again someday! Then at Thanksgiving my younger sister and her family came into town from Tennessee and we got to meet precious little Vera for the first time, too! We spent Thanksgiving with my family, I worked my last shift at Pier 1 that week, and then on December 2nd we made the tearful, bittersweet drive home to Missouri, from home in Texas. We are blessed to be able to call both places home, and know that we are warmly welcomed wherever we are. Not many people are able to feel so at home and loved with both sides of their family. We are truly blessed. This year has not been free of sadness though. The day we moved home to Missouri we were told that Grandma Rostollan had passed away earlier that evening. It was very sad news to hear, and yet a relief at the same time. Grandma was so ready to go home to be with Jesus, and her Ray and we know that she is not lonely or in pain anymore, which has been our prayer for her for a long time. Every year will bring with it it’s own set of pain, heartache, grief, and also wonderful surprises, great happiness, and many blessings. We endure because God gives us the strength and courage to do so, even when the going gets rough.

“Be still and know that I am God.” is an oft quoted scripture verse out of the Psalms that graces our kitchen. It’s a very simple and beautiful piece of art, for a simple and beautiful, yet profound, statement. I remember a sermon that my father-in-law preached long before I came to live in Missouri on resting in times of crisis, and he read the  Psalm from which that verse comes, Psalm 46. It was a powerful sermon and a fitting Psalm for the period of life I was going through at the time. I think that it is a perfect Psalm to end with as it is such a comfort, such a relief to be reminded that God is God, as we end this year and begin another, as we all endure our own set of hardships and blessings. God is God of all the nations; it is God and God alone who makes the wars to cease, who quiets the storms, and who bestows upon us all the many blessings we receive. To God all praise and glory!

Psalm 46

“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s that time of year again! And who can believe it? I know we all say it every year, but doesn’t it seem like just yesterday that the year began? Well yesterday or not, 2009 is swiftly coming to a close and it’s time to write the end-of-the-year letter. As you can see, we’re ready to celebrate!
The year began quietly. The sometimes bitter cold of winter slowly faded into spring, and in May we celebrated our first year of wedded bliss. By July we were moving out of a house we had fully expected to spend years in, and were unsure of where life was going to lead from there.

David continued through most of 2009 as a full-time student, which had been his focus since the summer of 2008. On September 11, 2009, he graduated with highest honors from Clayton College of Natural Health with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Health. Years of hard work finally over! On the 23rd of September (my birthday!) we got our business license from the City of Harrisonville and Health for Life was officially started! God has blessed us in many ways, one of which is that we are able to work together offering health and wellness consultations in person, and David offers consultations online and over the phone. He has written several articles for one of the largest natural health websites, NaturalNews.com (check out his articles!), and Clayton College featured one of his articles on their website. He was also recently spotlighted in Clayton College’s quarterly newsletter. While we are living in Texas David is also working for my father whenever he can as a fire scene technician, which essentially means he does a lot of digging out of burned residences and commercial properties, looking for evidence and such, and also does other little odd jobs around the fire scene. If there is one thing David loves it is to learn, and I think it’s been a fun learning experience for him. David spends most of his free time researching health and nutrition issues, and is keeping up with his music just a bit these days, playing the piano and guitar occasionally.

In the early part of this year, I was able to take a course in family herbalism from the School of Natural Healing which was very enjoyable. I still hope to pursue more education in natural health someday, but for now I am keeping busy with other things, one of which is my online shop at Etsy.com where I try (yes, try) to sell handmade jewelry and other things. I am also working part-time for my father in an administrative/secretarial position, something I have done on and off over the years, which has prepared me well for administration of our budding business! I still have a lot to learn about running a business, though, and expect to be kept quite busy with that when we return home to Missouri eventually.
Back in June we were able to visit my family in Texas for a week and then got to fly to Arizona with my parents for a week long vacation in Sedona. After having just gone through some difficulties, the time to relax in such a gorgeous place was much needed, and proof, once again, that God always gives us what we need and so much more.We spent the week relaxing in the hot tub, star-gazing in the chilly night air, hiking, getting massages, soaking up the breathtaking views, and just generally chillin’. My family and I visited Arizona annually before I married, so it was fantastic to be back again!

Arriving home from that trip we came very suddenly to the conclusion that our house had a significant mold problem that was causing or contributing to some health issues we were both experiencing. Before the end of the month we had made all the arrangements and moved out of our little house on Wall Street, and have been living with David’s parents or mine since the middle of July. We are currently in Texas with my family while the basement at David’s parents’ house gets worked on for us to live in. We are both thankful that God has given us this chance to spend some real, quality time with my family — an opportunity we know we’ll never have again! And progress is being made on the basement; once again God has been showing us how he cares even about seemingly insignificant details of life and David’s Mom has found some fantastic deals on various items for far less than we expected to have to pay.

God has continued to bless us richly this year, as he does each year, even through the difficult times, and we thank God that through the trials we grow and mature. We’re both looking forward to 2010 and all the potential that it holds for us, and for the time to come to go home and start to rebuild something of a “normal” life. To God all praise and glory!