Our Gratitude

Merry Christmas! (Jen writing)

It is a beautiful Christmas Day here in Wisconsin. The ground and trees are covered with snow, and the sun is streaming in the windows. As a child I remember loving these days, especially if they were a Sunday. I would lay on the floor in front of the windows in the living room of our house in Muskegon. The sun would stream in on my back as I went back and forth between watching Sunday football and sleeping. Oh I loved those days!

Today there is not much napping going on, unless you are under 15 months. We are all enjoying being together and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the last few members of the family! We have always loved spending time together; however, in the last year this has become even more important to us.

As a family we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to so many of you, our family and friends, for all that you have done for us. We have been showered with gifts to enjoy as a family. In addition to the cookies, candy and Christmas treats, we have been blessed with gift cards for food and gas. Your monetary gifts that ensured that our family could be together this Christmas have overwhelmed us with thanksgiving! Mere words do not seem enough to express our gratitude to all of you! God has blessed us by putting you in our lives. We wish you a Christ-filled Christmas and God's quiet presence in the New Year.

With Love,
The VanEssen Family