Once again, we take some time to celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus, on this 25th day of December, 2008. We’re another year older, and thousands of blessings richer, as our God and King continues to cleanse and grow us into more and more useful vessels in His house:
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
2 Timothy 2:20-21
We have much for which to be thankful, through all the months of the year. We’ve tried to highlight some of the, um, highlights for you, our dear friends, family and random passers by. Feel free to click through any of the links that catch your fancy. As always, we are so honored to have you visit our blog.
January
Kathy starts the year with a bang, seeking to duplicate last year’s Project 365 by planning to blog with at least one picture every day. An unusual snowfall transforms our mundane cul-de-sac into a winter playground. David takes up piano playing, thanks to lessons procured by Grandma. Sarah learns to put her face under the water in swimming class at the YMCA. Kathy loses her diamond ring, but finds it again. Homeschool co-op resumes, with Kathy teaching three classes.
February
David turns 7, in spite of promises that he would ‘stay our sweet little six-year-old’. Mamie and Grandad come to visit, but don’t stay quite long enough. Rachel, Daniel and David perform in a home-grown piano recital, with both sets of proud grandparents looking on. Kathy learns to delegate some of the work, and enjoys a women’s Bible study at church. Tim learns to be more diligent in backing up data for a client.
March
Tim learns to be content, even when his annual raise is much lower than hoped or expected. Tim and Joshua enjoy a weekend away together, to work through the Passport 2 Purity curriculum. Tim and Daniel work together on a scheme involving tomato seedlings. Kathy reflects on integrity and continues in her weight loss efforts. We attend a Marriage seminar and enjoy a visit from Uncle Mark.
April
Spring is welcomed by all. Sarah graduates from kindergarten. Tim and Kathy begin an unprecedented budget plan, in which we live within our means, in flagrant disregard for all popular custom. God provides funds to begin immediately to chip away at significant credit card debt. Daniel turns 11, amidst much celebration. Joshua learns to cook, and blesses his family.
May
Joshua and Rachel travel to Norway with Grandma & Grandpa to visit Uncle Mark, Aunt Liz, Timothy, Rebecca and Samuel. A good time is had by all. Tim encounters a mystery. Tim and Kathy hone their parenting skills and celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary. The family works on the garden together. A few Tomato Plants are sold.
June
We make significant progress in paying down our debt. Tim becomes a tomato farmer in earnest. Cousin Timothy visits from Norway. Kathy visits her friend Nancy (who lives near the lake) as often as she can. The children visit with their grandparents, but come home in time for Father’s Day.
July
Sarah turns 6, Kathy inches her way toward 40 (gasp!). The family enjoys Day Camp at Wilderness Northwest, as Sarah can finally participate and Joshua graduates to the lofty role of Counselor in Training. Days at the beach and lake are enjoyed. Tim learns about convergence while pretending to be an ice cream vendor.
August
Thanks to a generous inheritance from Great Grandma, the family makes a pilgrimage to Fort Clark, Texas, where we enjoy almost two weeks of poolside relaxation with Mamie and Grandad. Much low-cost ice cream is happily eaten at the local Pico’s convenience store. Daniel narrowly avoids arrest at the San Antonio airport, in spite of bringing a toy gun through security. Joshua’s childhood friend comes to visit from Michigan, but Kathy puts him in his place. Rachel enjoys a week at horse camp thanks to the generosity of some good friends. Tim displays his wood-craft and olympic-class physique at a father-son camp-out. Some tomatoes are finally harvested.
September
The family returns from Texas to find the house decorated and provisioned, thanks to some kindly friends. Tim and Kathy watch their 401(k) vanish in a puff of smoke, and reflect on the transience of wealth. Kathy and the kids enjoy a day at the fair, but somehow miss the animals. School and Home-school Co-op resume with a vengeance.
October
Joshua turns 15, Tim turns, er, more than 15. Birthday decorations and cakes abounded. The family harvests a serious quantity of tomatoes. Blogging frequency drops off considerably, as the homeschool pace increases. Tim and Kathy keep plugging away with the budgetary efforts.
November
Joshua joins the Swim Team, Tim finishes a side project. We celebrate Thanksgiving all alone for the first time in our family history, since Tim’s folks were away visiting Tim’s sister Posie. Tim discovers that he is fat, and starts a six-month diet plan. Kathy ponders about shoes.
December
Rachel becomes a teenager, after what seemed a decade of being ‘almost a teenager’. After ignoring clement weather all year, low-budget outdoor family pictures are taken in the midst of an unprecedented cold snap. The family is briefly and happily snowed in. Tim scores a role as a wise man in a Christmas Eve service.
I’m sure there were many other blessings our family enjoyed, but I’ve tried to highlight some that were representative. As they say, “If God blesses us, but nobody blogs about it, does He receive glory?” Or maybe it was something about a tree falling in a forest?
Merry Christmas to you all, and we wish you a happy and blessed New Year!
Tim and Kathy
Joshua, Rachel, Daniel, David and Sarah