Thanks for stopping in to check up on us! When we started this blog over 6 years ago, we never intended that it would turn into our annual Christmas letter site. We actually had strong intentions of maintaining a regular blog, and we actually did a pretty dang good job for a couple of years. But as the kids have added up, well… the last blog entry was last year’s Christmas letter. New Year’s Resolution: add a few entries! With that being said, here we go.
January and February consisted of lots of time in gyms in the area. The girls LOVED going to Jerod's games and often wore matching Pella shirts! Leah managed watching three girls during a game while still trying to enjoy the game, but it wouldn't have been possible without our wonderful family who often helped during the chaos. Cayla loved coming into the locker room after home games and hammed it up for the girls, often saying slightly inappropriate things to get laughter. By the way, it's really hard to talk to your team when your daughter has just yelled, "Tooted!"
It was a great season that saw the team win 17 games in a row and come oh-so-close to making it to state (triple overtime)! Jerod was sad because he enjoyed the girls and his coaching staff so much and hated the time together to end. Cayla and Ana were sad because they loved everything about going to the games. We love to think that our girls are making countless memories watching basketball games and cheering on the Lady Dutch! (And making a bunch of teenage girls laugh by pointing at them and yelling "tooted!").
The winter months also consisted of the girls getting sick a lot, a bout of lice, and some fun in the snow. We were excited that Cayla did such a great job with Zoey. It was definitely a rough go when Eliana was little, and many of her pictures of that time consisted of scratch marks and various other wounds to her face! However, from the very beginning, Cayla has been so sweet with Zoey, and we often have had to pull her away from kissing her youngest sister so much. After lots of stress with Ana, the transition with Zoey was a huge blessing.
In March, Jerod went on his annual NCAA basketball tournament trip with some buddies. This year was in Omaha, and once again, was an amazing trip. The hotel the guys stayed in was also the Wisconsin team hotel, which was the second time they've picked a hotel with a team (Wichita State two years ago) staying there. The weather was great, and the guys saw some great basketball, with Jerod and friends finding their way into some amazing seats once again. Brother-in-law John Mangan joined them once again, and it was great catching up with him, too.
Just before Jerod left for the tourney, Leah headed out on a trip of her own. Her and her two sisters (and Zoey!) drove to Galena to have a fun girls getaway. Other than Zoey not sleeping well, Leah had a blast touring the town and getting pampered a bit! Some shopping, some time in the spa, and great time of bonding made the trip special.
In May, Jerod finished his Master's Degree from Drake University. After many weekend classes and trips to Des Moines, some online classes, lots of research, and many pages of papers, he got to graduate with his cohort in the Knapp Center and finally take a break from classes for a while. Ana was there to cheer him on with Papa and Grandmama, making him feel special. Although on the way home, he rear-ended a truck in Pleasant Hill, and the new van was then a little less "new." Still a great day!
Summer came, and life slowed down a little. We took a family trip to see Jerod's sister and family in St. Louis. It was such a great time and hard to come home again. The time always goes too fast! The girls love their cousins, and it has been a great annual getaway for us.
Summer also meant that the girls enjoyed time at the park and jumping on our trampoline. They were big fans of watching themselves jump up and down in "slo-mo" on our phones.
Leah was accepted into the MBA program at Drake and has been working toward that goal this fall. She has already finished the so-called "toughest class" in the program and did a great job. Leah is hoping the program will help her become better equipped as she continues to serve as Executive Branch Director for Bethany Christian Services of South Central Iowa. She has been able to see many lives touched in amazing ways and continues to love her job.
Fall started, and it was time for school. Cayla entered First Grade this year!! She continues to enjoy school, and she is very proud when she comes home with good reports. She has made great strides with behavior this year, which is very exciting! We post her great reports on the wall at home! One of her notes a few weeks ago mentioned that she led her lunch table in prayer before eating! Eliana started Pre-School this year, and actually has the same teacher (Miss Amy) that Cayla had in pre-school! She was very timid at first, but she is opening up as the year goes on. She enjoys playing with boys at recess. Uh oh. Something to monitor for sure.
Leah and Jerod decided to start a Small Group at church this fall. We have four other couples that meet with us every other week, and it has been wonderful getting to share life with them. We named our group "The Beautiful Mess" because we think it describes our lives pretty well. We advertised in the bulletin by saying "no perfect people allowed." We weren't sure if anybody would want to join. Turns out quite a few resonated with the message.
When it comes down to it, we are imperfect people with lives that are at various times filled with frustration, joy, anger, gratitude, tears, laughter, and chaos. Our life is messy. Yet we are continually amazed that the God who knows us and our imperfections so perfectly sees our mess and still calls us beautiful. He is with us on the mountain top and with us in the valley. He has enough mercy to somehow bless the two of us with three incredible daughters, great jobs, and an amazing family and friends.
So may the God who leaves footprints in the sand (when we are hanging on by a thread) bless you this Christmas!
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