Greetings!
Let’s pretend this is a homemade (but glitter-free) Christmas card, containing a personal written note, a picture of the fam, and a stamp turned up-side down for love.
In reality, business is slow, and spending a few bucks on cards and postage for mucho-addresses was something we just decided to skip this year. In addition, our family picture was a disaster. We are all rather yellow and constipated looking (surely a lighting issue). Keep last year’s picture, friends! Meanwhile, we are totally loving all the cards and pictures arriving from friends and family near and far, and feeling guiltier w/every new mail delivery!
To recap our year, we first must mention the very sad passing of my paternal grandfather, Parker Scoville, in November. Our prayers are with grandma to whom he was married for well over 60 years. It’s hard to fully comprehend such a loss.
It’s a year of new stuff for us all. It became clear to us that Rich needed more help in the office (in our home), and that the best person for the job was…. yours truly. I am sure this has nothing to do with the fact that he doesn’t have to pay me anything, and that I have a vested interest in the business thriving ;-). Homeschooling five children well is not possible for us if I have to also be focused on the business, so we enrolled the four youngest children in a local Christian school, which eventually settled into three enrolled, two homeschooled. Looks like a good situation all around. We still have some big adjustments to make and projects to catch up before this is working like a well-oiled machine, and I have a lot to learn. Meanwhile, my hard-working husband continues to work hard, though business for Covenant Home Improvements is pretty slow for the first time in years. We’re hoping things pick up here pretty soon.
A significant experience we had this year was the fostering of a little baby boy. He was born drug addicted and we were in the hospital with him for some time before he could come home. We had him until he was 17 weeks old and love him very much. While it was tiring, profoundly sad, joyful, and maddening at times, caring for this sweet baby also made the main things in life and death far more clear to us. We became more determined to not waste our lives on meaningless things, and became even more confident in the power of the gospel, that is, the “good news,” as effective for every situation on earth in which we may find ourselves. The message of the cross, this good news, is the ultimate answer for sweet baby, for his parents and all involved, and for us. It is the same message of Christmas: that Jesus Christ came to free people from their sins, pay the debt we owed to a holy God, and to give a new life of purpose and hope for God’s glory. He has saved us from a “futile way of life” and, in Christ, has provided hope eternal, life everlasting, and a road map for the rest of our days on earth. All who have a burden of sin and need a Savior can freely receive his gift of salvation, for which He paid the ultimate price.
A quick, disjointed update on the kids:
Lydia (just turned 16): homeschooled junior, started to drive this year, worked for the hospital all summer, and is looking fwd to a possible missions trip to Honduras in 2010. She’s been busy crocheting, playing guitar, and sewing on top of a full academic load (Spanish 3, Functions/Statistics/Trigonometry, Anatomy & Physiology, Test Prep Course, and World Views #3&4).
Jubilee (14) has benefited from the school change, and we all agree that in her case, it has been strengthening for our relationship to have homeschooling off the table this year. She’s really growing up! Jubilee is looking forward to being in the Christmas program at her school. She looks forward to doing the Dare To Care program at Mount Ascutney Hospital and volunteering there this year. Still devouring books and loves to sing.
Valerie (turned 14 last week) is thrilled to be back in her art class with Linda Hammond now that she is homeschooled again. Still baking, painting, crafting, and loving her pets (which now include only a lizard and a kitten). Went through the Dare To Care training at Mount Ascutney Hospital and volunteered many hours on the critical care unit feeding patients and wheeling people around. Loves to sing w/her sisters. Along w/her sisters, Valerie was an immense, immense, incredible help when we had our sweet foster baby.
Jesse (10) has not lowered his energy level and continues to need a short leash and parents who are 5 steps ahead of him! Still doing karate. He loves school and is not lax on class participation :). Jesse has spent a lot of time splitting and hauling the nearly 20 cords of wood we use each winter to heat our big old house (two woodstoves), and somehow he still has the energy to be our chief entertainment.
Benjamin (6) has bloomed the most this year. Much of his therapy has been discontinued, and he is just routinely evaluated for speech. It is hard to believe he’s been our son for only 1 1/2 years. He seems completely attached, is delightfully funny, and except for having a pretend friend named “Mary,” he’s marginally normal :-P Ben is doing karate as well, and competed in his first tournament this Fall. He’s memorizing the book of James along with everyone else and making good progress.
Looking ahead to the new year, Rich and I are looking forward to celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary (March 2nd). It’s hard to believe it’s been that long! We still love each other a super big awesome lot :-)!! God is gracious.
If you made it this far, bless your heart. Hope you all enjoy your Christmas and New Year! We’d love to hear what’s up with each of you so drop us a line! With love, Anna for the family
