Thanksgiving Family Letter

Thanksgiving 2012

Dear Family & Friends,

Greetings and salutations! As this year draws to a close, we hope and pray that this letter finds you all doing well. It has been some time since we last sent an annual Thanksgiving letter, and so much has happened this year in the Lord’s providence, that we wanted to reach out and keep in touch.

In October, we were blessed with a lead from dear friends to find a new home. After six years of living in Warrenton, VA, we moved to a house in rural Culpeper County, VA, next door to a dairy farm. We have found here friendly neighbors, beautiful sunsets and peaceful times.

We also had occasion to rejoin Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beltsville, MD. Though it is a long drive, we are so thankful for our church family. We were members there from 1998-2004, and rejoining Trinity in 2012 has been very much like a homecoming for us. We have been extraordinarily blessed by the love, welcome and kindness there. Truly we can say with the Psalmist, "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!" (Ps. 84.1).

In August 2011, Andrew ended a period of unemployment by taking a job as a delivery driver for Domino’s Pizza in Warrenton, VA. It was a great provision for our family, and Andrew continues in this job part-time to this day. Meanwhile, he has also accepted a paralegal position at a law firm inCharlottesville, VA, which is also a great answer to prayer. Additionally, he works part-time milking cows at the next-door dairy farm.  The family loves to sit around the table in the evenings to hear about his life in the office, his farm adventures, and his funny pizza delivery stories.  Truly, Andrew has become a jack-of-all-trades and we are very thankful to God for this tremendous blessing of employment. After six years, he ended his tenure as editor of the Matthew Poole Project, but continues to enjoy research and has other editing and typing projects in the works.

Jessica also keeps very busy with her successful home business, Sugar-n-Spice Boutique. With customers all over the world, she takes delight in designing and creating bows for little girls everywhere, including our own little Katie. She has recently branched out into hair accessories for women by becoming an Independent Consultant for Lilla Rose, Inc. Besides her many other responsibilities as a full time homeschool mom, she also enjoys cooking, reading, and photography.

Jackson (11) has a long-abiding interest in animals, and a book of his animal illustrations was published by a dear friend earlier this year. He, like his sister, is an avid reader, and has a great imagination, often writing and illustrating stories.

Katie (10) helps her mother take care of the baby, and holds her own among her three brothers. She reads voraciously, enjoys dancing, and loves to learn about new places.

Sammy (6) loves to take things apart and learn how they work (putting them back together is another story!). He is a bundle of energy, and loves to play with his little brother. He is said to be Henry’s twin – separated by five years!

Henry (14 months) is beginning to take his first steps. His laughter and smiles are contagious, and we are thankful for the Lord’s gift to our family.

As we look back on the year past, we are especially thankful for the love and support of family and friends. We take note with sorrow of the passing of our dear friend Jerry Crick, and with his wife and daughter, we miss him greatly, albeit rejoicing that he is now with his Savior. The last year has not always been easy. It has been full of hardships, sadnesses, and struggles. Yet the Lord has sustained us, provided for us, comforted us, and upheld us in profound ways and as the year comes to a close, we can say with confidence, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Ps. 119.71). We end the year with great thankfulness and joy in our hearts. And as we look to the year(s) ahead, counting each day as a blessing, we echo the words of William Shakespeare, who wrote “O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!”

We are thankful for all of you, dear family and friends, and write to express our love and best wishes to each of you. Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless you richly in the New Year!

Love, Andrew, Jessica, Jackson, Katie, Sammy and Henry