Christmas Letter 2016

Hello Family and Friends,

As I think about recapping our year, I’m drawn to showing our experience in pictures. In all honesty, I don’t think Sarah and I took enough pictures, but we try to capture memories at every turn. Time marches on, and we certainly feel it as we watch our kids grow and realize we aren’t as young as we used to be.

Each kid spends a portion of two grades in the year. For Jace it was 2^nd and 3^rd grade. For Gwyneth it was K and 1st. And for Quinn it was her 1st and 2nd year of pre-K.

One of Jace’s 2^nd grade works of art was featured in an art show put on by the school system.

We attempt to give the kids a dabbling in a variety of activities that we pray helps to broaden their experience and help them to develop as whole persons.

Jace enjoyed basketball in the winter.

Gwyneth and Quinn did a dance class together and are pictured here with their instructor.

Jace and Gwyneth sang in the New Creation Choir at our church, and we are expecting another big Christmas show in which their choir is participating the second week, this December.

For the kids’ Spring Break, we headed to IA for a week to see Sarah’s side of the family. Sarah’s sister, Hannah, gave us a photo shoot on a frigid, rainy day. We didn’t have summer tans, but we were thankful for the opportunity to have family pics from a seasoned photographer.

Sarah and her mom.

Jace played his last season before Little League baseball and enjoyed his Pirates team.

At the end of summer, we rescued a greyhound from the racetrack in FL. We later found out he has run around 41 races, won 5, and placed in most … He was a sick dog at first, but Sarah has done a great job changing his diet and getting the worms out of his system.

At the end of the summer, we enjoyed a short trip to KY to visit Grandma Lee and Aunt Esther. Natural Arch was the chosen destination for a picnic and hike.

School arrived too quickly after a summer that the kids spent with our nannies Alyssa Cummings and Sarah Benson. They did an awesome job, and the kids had a lot of fun!

Alyssa

Sarah

Here are first day of school pics for all three….

Jace/3rd Grade

Gwyneth/1st Grade

Quinn/Pre-K

All three kids played soccer in the fall. This was Quinn’s first time playing soccer. We enjoyed watching the games.

Thanksgiving was spent at my sister Becky’s home. 

Sarah and I are full of gratitude for friendships, a good church, jobs we enjoy, and a relationship with God through Jesus Christ that sustains us. We hope you have a BLESSED Christmas season with your family.

John, Sarah, Jace, Gwyneth, and Quinn

Is. 9:6 "For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Christmas Letter 2012

 

Our Christmas Tree, pictured on Black Friday after we decorated with our parents and the kids...

Dear Friends and Family

C- Christmas Joy, and Christopher Pop-in-kins- He’s our “elf on the shelf” who finds a new place to sit every evening after the kids go to bed, and they excitedly look for him when they come down the stairs for breakfast. With decorations, desserts on the counter, and Christmas music streaming from the internet, a festive feeling is in the air. Jace recently inquired about Santa, saying, "Does Santa bring presents to big kids too?" To which Sarah replied, "Yes, of course--the ones that are good. That's a lot of pressure isn't it?"J Life is filled with a lot of laughs from the way our preschoolers relate to one another, and to us. We are in blessed days, and thankfully, we are aware of it.

H- Happiness, Helping, and Heaven- While adjusting to three kids has been a challenge, there is much laughter and joy in our home.  Gwyneth is an active, happy little girl who is celebrating her third birthday this December.  She tends to want to do the opposite of what she is told to do, but will quickly help in any way she is asked.  This may involve smothering the baby in burp cloths or pushing a large storage bin at church.  Jace, at 4 ½ years, is smart enough to sit back and let her help him at every opportunity.  Jace is currently taking tae-kwon-do classes and we are seeing improvements in confidence and coordination.  Being a thinker, he recently had a day when he was focused on heaven all day. Right around bedtime this culminated in a crying little boy who told Daddy he didn’t want to go to heaven without his blankie.  Another comment that made us chuckle was his desire to have a “peanut butter and jelly casserole” – according to Jace “it’s a dessert”.  It is wonderful to watch the kids enjoy life and we do all we can to savor this stage.

R- Rest- We look forward to a little more…

I-Iowa- We had a chance to visit Sarah’s family, from the Des Moines area, in September. She scheduled an internship to complete a portion of her certification as an acupuncturist. Sarah’s sister, Hannah, took some of the pictures you see, while we were there. Thankfully, we’ve been able to see all our immediate family in IA, KY, and IN. The times with our families fly by too quickly and are immensely enjoyed, but with a seven-month-old baby, two preschoolers, and Sarah’s full work schedule, trips take some planning.

S- Stay at home dad- John builds his skill at doing laundry, keeping the house clean, reloading and unloading the dishwasher, and doing everything again and again… He continues to make it to the gym three times a week, read and write on the side, and recently has enjoyed volunteering for the Clergy Education and Development Division of the Wesleyan Church by calling pastors to pray for and encourage them. John helps to teach a preschooler Sunday School class, host a small group with Sarah, and greet on occasion at Harvest Church on Sunday mornings.

Grandma Packard and the kids...
 

T- Thanksgiving- It was a privilege to go to John’s sister, Becky Perkins’, home for our Thanksgiving Dinner. All John’s side of the family attended, and Sarah’s mother, Linda, graced us with her presence as well. It was terrific to have both sets of grandparents in our home for a few days following the Thanksgiving holiday to connect and bond with our kids.

M-Miracles- This family believes in them. David and Anna Verne Lee (John’s parents) have both battled cancer over the past years, and all is clear in both of them! We thank the Lord for the birth of a new daughter as well. Quinn Michelle, as referred to by Jace and Gwyneth, arrived on April 24 and is growing up quickly. She is a happy baby who knows how to demand our attention when something in her life is a little off kilter. Sarah recently began introducing her to solid food. She’s beginning to master sitting on her own and she is more mobile than her siblings were at the same age. We are aware of God’s blessings through the journey, and don’t want to be blinded to anything new God wants us to see.

Thanksgiving, with all the grandparents here...

A- Acupuncture- Sarah is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. It is very rewarding to help pets live a high quality of life whether conventional medicine has failed or the owners desire a different form of treatment.  She has also developed additional skill in herbal medicine to supplement the needle treatments. Her schedule is busy and her clients are faithful. We still enjoy Fridays when she is home, and our shopping day on Tuesday, when we get to go to Costco as a family and enjoy all the samples

S-Savior- We are thankful for Jesus, who brings hope and light into our lives. He saves us from our sin and sets us free to serve others. In a VBS this summer, Jace went forward to signify that he wanted to make a commitment to a relationship with Jesus. We try to foster that relationship with Christ in ourselves and each one of our kids.

Have a blessed Christmas! John, Sarah, Jace, Gwyneth, and Quinn

Isaiah9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (NIV)
 

 

Merry Christmas

Dear Family and Friends,

2011’s end is already in sight!  They say, “Time flies when you are having fun.” We must be having funJ! God’s blessings have been evident throughout the past year.

Gwyneth is two. Her words and verbal cues are becoming clearer to us each day as her vocabulary rapidly grows. She’s a “ go- getter,” and has a way of exasperating Jace in her forceful and sweet manner. Her feet don’t reach the pedals of our tricycle yet, but Jace made sure she doesn’t miss out on an occasional ride. She already tries to be caregiver for her big brother and it is a blessing to see her personality bloom on a daily basis. 
                                         

Jace consumes any new book he can get his hands on. By that, I mean, he has his parents read the book to him. He’s been riding a bike with training wheels, having fun with his train table, and learning how to express his emotions. Jace has a great ear for music, noted by his ability to sing on key and his concentration on the instrument that is being played in a song. He’s an intelligent little boy who is a joy to watch mature and flourish.

Sarah has recently completed course work for a certification in acupuncture. She knows that the therapeutic results for animals are significant, but human friends and family have reaped benefits as well!  We are so thankful for the way that her job has provided for the family and we are still able to have significant family time each week. The kids erupt with excitement when she is at home, and she still gets tagged to read by both kids over dad when she is home.

John continues to be a stay at home dad. He worked part-time as a waiter for The Fort Grille through six months of the year and was grateful for the hours he was able to work when Sarah was at home. He continues to send resumes and serve at Harvest Church. We pray that in God’s time he will find a place of employment to flourish, grow, and provide. When he interviews he is up against hundreds of others in the same position. He needs your prayers for God to guide him to resources and experiences for his own personal development until the next major transition into full-time employment.

We’ve been blessed with being able to see family throughout the year. Sarah’s sister, Hannah, took pictures of our family after Thanksgiving. Some of the shots you are looking at on this blog are her handiwork. We apologize for the grainy pictures (Hannah didn’t take thoseJ) since our camera was set incorrectly at the time. But, you can see that we enjoyed time with Grandpa (Boo) and Grandma Lee, as well as Grandma Packard.

This update comes to you in hopes that you have a BLESSED Christmas season! Blessings to you!

John, Sarah, Jace,  Gwyneth

(for more pics scroll down)

 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. " Isaiah 9:6 NIV

Grandpa Lee ("Boo") with Gwyneth

Grandma Lee with Jace

Grandma Packard with, you guessed it:).

Gwyneth was dedicated to the Lord in March of this year at our church.

Best buds on a walk at a park near our home.

It was a blessing to take a vacation this past year. This was a pirate cruise that we all enjoyed.

Halloween 2011

Christmas Letter 2010

December 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

We just celebrated Thanksgiving on the Lee side of the family with a feast here, in our home. It was great for all to be together and for Jace and Gwyneth to spend time with their immediate relatives. They’ll have the same opportunity as we travel to the Des Moines area to visit the Packard side of the family this Christmas, a much needed extended break for Sarah.

The year 2010 has been a great year amidst the ups and downs of life.

Gwyneth is pulling herself up on furniture to stand and quickly crawling around the house in pursuit of any sound she hears. She adores her older brother and insists on being in the middle of anything he is doing. She has been a delight with her bright smile and cheery attitude. This bundle of energy in our lives has been such a blessing, and we are enjoying watching her explore and grow.

Jace’s vocabulary continues to grow as he constructs more sentences on his own. His activity level has picked up as well, and the occasional Friday night movie has opened up his world to the characters in “Cars” and “Toy Story.” It’s amazing how he finds these characters on almost any product imaginable as we shop for necessities. He’s able to memorize quickly, and we are taking advantage of this time in his life to help him memorize John 3:16 and The Lord’s Prayer.

Sarah continues to work as an associate veterinarian for Fishers Veterinary Associates and has begun studying for certification in acupuncture. She anticipates having her diagnostic skills expanded as well as further her treatment options for the dogs and cats. Naturally however, the highlight of her week is any and all time she gets to spend with her kids and family.

John is learning much about parenting toddlers and waiting on the LORD for the next step in the journey. Right now, the step in the journey is to be a caregiver for Jace and Gwyn, so he dutifully changes diapers, cleans the house, fixes meals, and keeps his eyes and ears open for an opportunity to flourish, grow, and provide. Rather than take any position available, it seems wise for us to wait on a door that we sense God opens that fits. He continues to apply for international relief and development or spiritual formation employment opportunities and stay open to any new venture into which the Lord may be leading.

Through it all, 2010 has reminded us that God is still on the throne and has us in His grip, especially when we don’t try and wriggle free. May you sense HIS great faithfulness to you in the Christmas season. May your time with friends and family be just what you need to renew and recharge for the new year. May He guide us all to be faithful to take the next step. For HIM, John, Sarah, Jace, and Gwyneth

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Is. 6:9

 Jace's reaction to Santa...                                                                            And, Gwyneth's...