Christmas Letter

Dear Friends & Family,

Let's just say it's been a big year.

For the ninth year in a row, Shane planned, organized, and led a whole bunch of faith-building gatherings, activities, and trips for the youth at our church. After lots of meetings to upgrade this job, he is now running a young adult ministry and occasionally preaching. In search of an additional new job, he filled out applications, revised his resume, acquired his teaching certificate, went to interviews, put in lots of training days, and took tests. Long story short, he's now also working for the US Postal Service part time as a mail carrier. Shane played on a basketball team and a softball team. We mentored some kids and I led a small group for high school girls. I continue to write and design publications for the World Mission Prayer League. We celebrated some birthdays and holidays with our families and our first anniversary. I got pregnant and then both of our sisters got pregnant. We settled into our apartment and are learning how to live together. I do the laundry and Shane does the dishes a lot. I cook more now than I ever have before. We pay for rent and utilities and health insurance for the first time in our lives. We did financial planning and organized our assets and giving commitments. We participated in a financial small group. I got many new kinds of ID. Many of you traveled to visit us, and we traveled to visit you. Our cars quit on us a few times. We went to Ames a lot to run errands, go disc golfing, go to the dollar theatre and as many dates as possible, go to the chiropractor, and to the hospital for toe stitches, foot issues, a kidney stone, OB appointments, baby classes, baby delivery, pediatrician visits, and post-partum problems. We have never been to the hospital so much in our lives. We went skiing, golfing, horseback riding, bowling, to yoga class, to garage sales, to the rec center, to a Martina McBride concert, dog-sat and house-sat and babysat, to a water park, made pottery, to a musical, and had grill-outs and surprise parties with our friends. We voted. My Grandma died, and it will be strange not having her with us. We watched The Office and a lot of sports. We made a lot of new friends. We went to Florida where Shane officiated a wedding and went to some wedding receptions. We went to Tony's graduation. We went to bridal and baby showers and an anniversary picnic, a Sara Groves concert, a drum corps show, July Jubilee, baseball games, football games, disc golf tournaments, and played disc golf in random towns. We stayed in several hotels. Shane and the youth raised money all year and did a mission trip in South Carolina for a week. We went up north with my family and to Lake of the Ozarks with Shane's family. Shane took the junior high kids to Kansas City. Now we have a son and he fills our days with wonder and joy. If you are blessed like we are, know that every good and perfect gift comes from your Father because of what Jesus did to make us his children.

Love,

Kati, Shane & Ezekiel