December 2018
To Our Dear Family and Friends,
I hope our Christmas tidings find you as well as can be. I recently heard a message recounting the importance of writing down family stories and sharing them with future generations, to serve as a reminder of where we’ve been and where we’re going. I figured our annual Christmas letter can suffice as a cliffs’ notes version, so bear with me as I create a record for 2018…
Nick has been traveling at break-neck speed, literally and figuratively, this year. His company, Exym, has just tripled in size with the acquisition of two additional software companies that also specialize in mental health documentation. Since July, he has been splitting his time between New York, Austin, Los Angeles and home. He is presently facilitating relationship-building between the founders of the original companies to begin developing a super-product with the best of each of their software programs. He celebrated his 38th birthday this year in the Philippines for his childhood buddy, Mike’s, wedding to Nannette. He has a new-found appreciation for airline status!
Emmy is thriving in third grade, she is still an imaginative story-teller, and it turns out, is also pretty darn good at math. She has taught her three younger siblings the multiplication tables through song as she is militant about finishing her homework and insists it’s not completed if she doesn’t sing out loud, with impressive volume. She is a teacher at heart, whether it be math, teaching Hannah to knit, ballet classes, and sometimes things she is still learning herself. She’s always in charge and a master delegator, though we had a “come to Jesus” talk about how it’s not ok to delegate to me. She has come alive with ballet classes this year, and her younger sisters have naturally followed her path. I was admittedly uninformed when I agreed to let them audition for the Nutcracker production in September, and we have been deeply immersed since then!
Hannah is a leader in her own right, her approach is more subtle and simply by example. After years of growing her hair (after a severe self-haircut) Hannah donated her pony tail, this August to Children With Hair Loss. Before the last snip was completed, Julia (once VEHEMENTLY opposed to sharing her cherished golden tresses,) had set the date for her own donation. It was a beautiful picture of sisters inspiring sisters, and quite literally holding eachother’s hands through the process. Hannah loves to exercise her body and is the first one to throw down in physical challenges, doing the splits, cartwheels, burpies, and her favorite is wrestling with Daddy and James.
Julia is as fierce. She’ll tell you so. But also incredibly tender-hearted, practical and playful. She loves horses and joined Hannah and James for “horse camp” this summer (my budget-friendly solution to horseback riding lessons) and it was clear to that sweet horse who was in charge. Julia has a long history of beginner’s luck, and has an accidental midas’ touch. She made the wise choice of selling Rice Krispie treats at the bake sale Emmy organized this summer and sold out nearly immediately, raking in the dough, leaving her siblings questioning their business choices. Needless to say, we are charged with striking a balance of encouraging her while also imparting humility as her parents.
James is Julia’s biggest cheerleader. He is a fixture at the ballet studio every Tuesday afternoon for all of his sisters’ dance classes, and was therefore asked to “walk on” to the Nutcracker performance. He agreed under one condition, that he dance with Julia. He began his own classes this year, learning Judo and grappling (and self-confidence, and discipline and commitment…) God blessed him with a strong body and I’m afraid the days are numbered before Daddy’s back wont be able to handle James. He’s been feeling the only brother status more this year, and established his own Lego creation, Bandit Town, next door to his sister’s Lego City “Blossom.” The war-crimes that ensued precipitated the sign on the refrigerator reading “Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, true or necessary?” We’re learning big life lessons over here!
Me included. God has been working on my wayward heart this year. He has been imparting His wisdom through His word each day but most especially each Tuesday through my beloved Precepts Bible study. He’s also positioned experts in my life in an eerily timely manner. I got parenting large families advice from Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (who have 19 children) and advice on loving everybody, always (most especially difficult people!) from humanitarian Bob Goff. I still can’t believe it! He has been teaching me humility, like managing my family’s nutrition, taking into account gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian (Emmy!), general and conflicting pickiness and parking lot picnics for meal-time extra-curricular activities. But He is also granting me rest, in so many undeserved ways, like a 5 day trip to Maui with Nick, where our only conflict was sunbathing vs. swimming. Nothing like watching the power of the ocean waves crashing, to serve as a tangible reminder that if He can calm the seas, so too can He handle the burdens of my heart. Which just brings that much more gratitude and joy into our impending celebration of Jesus’ birth this Christmas.
As I type this, I am praying for you and your families that you might feel overwhelmed by His grace, His comfort and His peace and know you are loved, you are loved, you are loved. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
With love,
Nick, Ali, Emmy, Hannah, James & Julia
To Our Dear Family and Friends, I’ve had our Christmas cards for a month already, but a frustrating case of writer’s block has delayed their...
Spirit Day at school! Emmy rocked Daddy's Elf pajamas! Ice skating with her friends after school! All the while Auntie Kristi is host...
Nick was officially "Farewell-ed" from the Night Stalker organization, specifically his company of "Hooter Brothers," la...