Wishing our friends and family a very Merry Christmas this year. We're praying for health, peace and hope for you as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. This year has been a year of plain, old sameness and new changes for us it seems.
We are still in the same house, Greg's doing the same job, I'm busy home schooling the same kiddos although they're growing more challenging each year. Greg has been busy building a shop on our property this year, which has been his big undertaking. His dad Clark was a huge help on it this summer, when he and Sue were up here from Arizona for 6 weeks.
at the Kurtti family reunion this summer
Luke has been interested in computer drafting, house planning, Minecraft and Legos this past year. He joined the middle school track & field team last spring, and then also our local homeschool cross country and soccer teams as well. He's perfecting Fur Elise on the piano, much to his mother's enjoyment, and his reluctance.
Luke 13 1/2
James is loving all things “The Hobbit” lately. He can be found doing pull-ups on his pull-up bar throughout the day, taking his dog Charlie for runs and working on his training. He recently learned Swanee River (for his Great Grandma Davidson) on the piano and is now working on some Christmas tunes. James also did cross country and soccer, and is looking forward to wrestling in the new year.
James 11 1/2
Elise is our cat loving girl. She received a cat for Christmas last year, and loved him up thoroughly. Unfortunately he disappeared a month ago, and has not returned. This has been heart-breaking for her, so plans are in the works to get her a new one. It's been a hard lesson on grief and loss, but also on loving wholeheartedly too. She's been playing her violin faithfully, as well as enjoying soccer and soon the wrestling season.
Elise 9 1/2
Isaac spends his time drawing birds, thinking about birds, looking for birds and building houses for birds. He loves owls, and his favorite book to read is “Owl at Home” by Arnold Lobel, which warms my mama heart because that was also my favorite book when I was in grade 2 as well. He played soccer and will do wrestling.
Isaac 7
Celeste likes entertaining Levi, and just playing. Stuffed animals, store, with her tent, dress up, and whatever ideas she and the other kids come up with. She is full of big ideas and small knowledge. We call her the “peanut gallery” because she is so confident in her knowledge, but often her facts are quite mixed up.
Celeste 4 1/2
Levi is our little wild card. He keeps us laughing with his expanding vocabulary that we often have to decipher. He's in love with all things dogs or puppies, and has them on his little brain all day and night. Some of his words are Ludley (Charlie, our dog), Leedla, Leedla (Grandpa, Grandma), Ho-ho-back (horse, horsey-back (his siblings give him horsey-back rides so all horses are ho-ho-backs)), Ooh-pah (water- the sound made when one drinks), ha-ha-he-he baws (monkey bars) to name a few.
Levi 2 1/2
Greg and I have been faced with several spiritual challenges this year as well. We've learned lessons we never knew we needed on grace, forgiveness, boundaries, facing the tough stuff and loving through it all. I don't know what we're going to do with any of it yet, but I know when the time is right God will show us.
Love and God's Peace, Greg, Rachel and children
“Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother; And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy name.”
(O Holy Night, Adolphe Adam, 1847)
At the totem pole at our park in Kalama
