Merry Christmas & Happy New Year:)

Greetings, friends and family! We hope this message finds you well! 

We have a hard time believing how much the girls have grown since last January! They were still fighting quite a bit at the start of the year--we couldn’t even leave them in the same room together yet! It has been incredible to get to watch how their relationship has blossomed this year. 

We can’t remember exactly when it started, but at some point we noticed the girls start to laugh together. Usually it involved Cayla saying her favorite word of 2013: “poop.” Not only did she say that word to Ana, she said it in the grocery store, she said it to Jerod’s basketball team, she said it at family gatherings, and pretty much toward any other living and breathing thing. 

It wasn’t long before the girls were singing together and reading books to each other. They loved taking baths with each other and soon started saying they missed the other one. We have cherished every bit of it. It’s been a long and difficult road to friendship that has involved much prayer, but it has been the highlight of the year for us. Eliana is often a mother to Cayla, taking care of her and putting blankets on her so that Cayla can get cozy at her favorite place: in front of Ana’s humidifier. 

They still act like sisters at times, but we have been able to actually let them play in the same room for a few months now and often hear the sound of laughter as they play. Is there a better sound on earth? Before Eliana was born, we asked God to give Cayla a sibling that would understand her and look out for her. As the year comes to an end, we are so happy about where they are heading together. It is a wonderful thing to hear one of them say, “I love you” to the other one.

On the professional front, Leah made the move to Executive Branch Director of Bethany Christian Services of South Central Iowa. She continues to advocate for children with the same passion as ever, but she now handles more of the administrative duties. Leah recently headed the 3rd Annual Dessert Gala which raised over $50,000 to help men and women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies.

Jerod is still teaching high school social studies at Pella High and coaching girls’ basketball and loving them both. He also went to his fifth straight NCAA men’s tournament with a few friends, including his brother-law-John Mangan. They had a blast in Kansas City but have still yet to see a buzzer beater.

Other quick highlights:

*Cayla has had trouble sleeping so we tested her for sleep apnea. After months of wearing a bi-pap device we cleverly (or so we thought) named, “Ellie the Elephant,” Cayla’s tiredness had not improved so we gave up. She was a trooper, though. She went from throwing it off after 10 seconds the first night to leaving it on a couple hours at a time.

*Ana did a phenomenal job potty-training this year! She also has become quite the little chatterbox, telling long-winded stories before bed, possibly in an attempt to delay bed time. :)

*Both of the girls continue to learn the violin and piano and are doing great! They both love to sing and dance and music is pretty popular in the house or car.

*Cayla also started horseback-riding lessons with Gramama this year. They go to Jester Park where some fantastic ladies work with Cayla. She gets to brush, feed, and ride the horses. We often hear about it later than night. She absolutely loves it! 

*We were able to travel to St. Louis to see Jerod’s sister this summer as well as visiting Jerod’s friend Travis in Kansas City to take in a baseball game. (Go Red Sox!).

We cherish all the prayers and support we’ve received from many of you! May you feel blessed this Christmas and as you begin the new year.

In Him,

The Garlands