Friday, December 21, 2012

the christmas letter



December 2012

Loved ones,
B.J. signed a contract to teach at the new Protestant Reformed Christian High School in Loveland, Colorado, last January.  The months immediately following our decision blur.  In late spring Leah came home with a worksheet.  She and Mrs. Van Den Top had read Jan’s New Home at school.  Jan doesn’t want to move: her house, her school, her friends will change.  The final question on the worksheet reads, “What did Jan learn about her new home?”  Leah’s answer?  The important things stayed the same.
We left our little white schoolhouse the day after Memorial Day.  Three generous men and two of their sons drove from Loveland to transport our belongings.  After walking through our empty home one final time, B.J. and I held each other in the doorway and cried.
We now own a comfortable red brick ranch.  Leah is no longer the only student in her class.  Instead of fields and gravel roads, neighbors surround us.  We don’t have chickens, goats, or a dog anymore.  I used to be able to see Mom and Dad’s place out the kitchen window; now there are mountains.  Many things have changed.  But the important things?  They’re still the same.
Leah is a social bug at school.  At home she usually has her nose in a book or is busy coordinating play with her younger siblings.  Of all the kids, she most misses Iowa and is looking forward to visiting there over New Year’s. 
Willem began riding his bicycle without training wheels this summer.  When he rides, he sits rigid on the seat, every muscle taut, and pedalspedalspedals.  The only brakes he applies are his shoes on the cement.  He approaches life the same way: at a furious pace and often without knowing when or how to apply the brakes.  He’s three months into kindergarten and I can no longer S-P-E-L-L some things to B.J. in his presence and get away with it.
Hardly a day goes by without 4-year-old Marie donning something sparkly and pretending she’s a princess.  Conveniently, Prince Charming also resides here.  Never mind the fact that he’s a towheaded 2-year-old who wears Thomas the Tank Engine undies.  Cinderelly has learned that if she hollers hard enough he just might leave his LEGOS long enough to retrieve the dress-up shoe she deposited on the living room floor before making a hasty exit.  Truth be told, Nathan charms everyone from Daddy’s students to the thrift store clerk with his big blue eyes and beautiful smile.
Dark-haired Eli Caleb arrived two days into the school year.  At 3 ½ months old, he sports chubby thighs, a darling grin, and – if you can catch him when he’s in the mood to be tickled or play peek-a-boo – a delightful giggle. 
B.J. enjoyed working with the Walrite concrete crew this summer.  Now he’s busy teaching 6th-11th graders science, algebra, drafting, and PE.  We are always happy to see him walk in the door at the end of the day, and Leah and Willem look forward to hearing him read from the Tolkien books at bedtime.
I am honored and humbled to be wife and mom to this bunch.   I’m thankful for prayer on the days when I feel homesick or inadequate and on the days when I’m overwhelmed by the Lord’s goodness to us.  I’m thankful for our church family and for the preaching that motivates us each week.  I’m thankful to know that our Father does all things with purpose.  Whether we move many miles or weep when family members forsake the faith, He is the Important One, and He stays the same.
­We pray that the Lord will bless you as you remember His advent and stand at the beginning of a new year.  May we be among the wise men who still seek Him, His Word the star that guides us until the day we see our Savior face to face.

B.J. & Sarah Mowery
Leah, Willem, Marie, Nathan & Eli

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