Family Photo Album: 2007

Christmas Greetings from North Carolina!

A great adventure for our family began a little over a year ago when we decided to include locations outside of our long-time home in Idaho in Jack’s search for new employment. We were hoping to relocate closer to family, otherwise near friends, so we wouldn’t be all alone in a strange land. The Lord blessed us with a new job in the Raleigh, North Carolina area! Several families we knew in Idaho have moved here over the last few years, our church in Idaho has a sister church here, and we have extended family in western NC, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and New York. It’s already starting to feel like home!

Our home in Idaho is still for sale, so we are living in a cozy three bedroom apartment, and enjoying a simple life. Ask Jack if he misses mowing the lawn or shoveling snow! We were thankful to find a brand new apartment complex where we have a second floor apartment with a small deck overlooking a forest of evergreens and autumn colors.

Our arrival in mid-July was greeted with lightning bugs, croaking frogs, cardinals, scampering gray squirrels, and an occasional deer, fox, or possum in the neighborhood. We quickly made new friends the first two weeks visiting the apartment swimming pool daily as temperatures were in the 100’s accompanied by never-before-experienced humidity.

When we weren’t in the swimming pool we were out shopping for school uniforms and school supplies. Yes, after more than 10 years of homeschooling, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to enroll the girls in a wonderful Christian school. Although we miss our peaceful mornings sipping hot chocolate together or snuggling on the couch as we began our lessons, we are all enjoying the academic challenges and the extracurricular activities at school.

Traci enjoys the classroom discussions with teachers and fellow students. Her favorite classes are anatomy and literature. She has worked diligently and was rewarded with a place on the all-A Honor Roll for the first quarter. Her passion is theater and she has the role of Harriet in the fall drama production of Jane Austin’s Emma. When she isn’t studying or rehearsing she writes a blog, reviews teen books, and is on the nominating committee for the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards (Cybils).

Amy accompanied Jack when he drove our van from Idaho to NC. They made the trip in 3.5 days! The day after she arrived she started volleyball camp. She was excited to make the middle school Gold (‘A’) Team, and had a great season as she learned to “bump, set, and hit.” Amy finally measured six feet in October! Needless to say the coaches are thrilled to have her on the middle school basketball team. At first school was simply a way for Amy to pursue her passion, athletics, but she has worked very hard and is even enjoying her classes (and her teachers love her).

Laurie’s friendly smile has won her many new friends, and she is enjoying the school social life. She discovered a new talent this fall – cross-country running, finishing 9th in the all-area middle school meet at the end of the season. Laurie chose drama for her elective class and had the role of a fairy in the middle school production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Romeo, a humorous jaunt through time and literature.

Kari loves 2nd grade! She is working hard on weekly Bible memory verses, spelling words, math facts, cursive writing, reading, and NC geography and government. We are amazed at all the second graders have to (and can) learn!

Lisa is working as a Teaching Assistant in Kari’s class. She is thankful to be with Kari every day, and to have opportunities to see the other girls at school, too. She thinks 2nd graders are hilarious, the teacher she works with is amazing, and the job is rewarding because she knows it is a blessing to the teacher and the children. Lisa’s current hobby is helping children with homework.

Jack loves his commute to his new job. He drives 30 minutes on a rural, tree-lined, scenic highway. His work involves developing ways to retrieve and make useful the millions of pieces of data stored by the company. Jack is still a big Boise State Bronco football fan (Did you see the Fiesta Bowl last January?!?!?!?!), but many of our new friends are trying to persuade him to cheer for UNC, NC State, or Duke! Jack helps Kari study spelling, math facts, and her Bible memory verse every night, faithfully walks our dog (who is sharing our cozy apartment) morning and evening, and is looking forward to teaching a class to the men at church beginning in January.

We trust this greeting finds you well and look forward to hearing about your family over the holiday season. As we prepare for Christmas, we are reminded by the seasonal hymns that He is our song and salvation, by the lights that He is the light of the world, by our feasts that He is the bread of life, and by worship that He has given us reason to rejoice, O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.