Christmas Letter '11

2011 brought tremendous spiritual growth & renewal — Now More than Ever

We all spent the first part of the year in a continuous cycle of illness. No fun! To make matters worse, we were greeted with the Blizzard of 2011, which dumped 17 inches of snow in 2 days. It was quite an experience digging ourselves and our neighbors out! An early spring was definitely prayed for. We also felt God calling us to switch churches, so we did. Right away, we got plugged in: small group and Men’s & Women’s Bible Study. We felt spurred on with a sense of awe of what a truly BIG God we serve and understanding who He really is.

May came and we were excited to have a Hurd-Billman Memorial Day weekend get-together. We BBQ’d and hung out while the kids played and played and played some more. It was such a blast; we might have to make this an annual thing! Along with that, we also found out that baby #2 is on the way.

With no big travelling plans, we spent the summer enjoying lots of local outdoor activities. Going to Iowa State Fair, visiting parks, hiking and swimming. Ethan even ran his first Jr. Bix race. He’s a runner in the making—just like his daddy! We also visited Brian’s college roommate in Wisconsin over the 4th of July and a few good friends in the Kentucky/Ohio area over Labor Day. Those were some sweet reunions.

Fall arrived and it was time to give our basement a much needed facelift. We painted the walls, installed new carpet and even got some new furniture. Definitely made it a lot homier for us all down there, including Kaika. Doggie pillow no longer needed; now he just sprawled out wherever he finds a space.

In November, Ethan turned 3 and what a big year it was for him. He moved into a big boy bed and was also potty trained in a week. He started going to preschool every Friday and absolutely loves it. I must say I love it too—the three hours away to run errands is a huge blessing! He knows his ABC’s, numbers and verses from AWANA (children’s church program). He became even more independent and is always talking, singing and dancing. The best part is watching Ethan as he develops into a kind and a much gentler soul. He will be such an awesome big brother!

With a full house, Thanksgiving was extra special this year as we hosted both sides of the family. My parents stayed the week to spend some quality time with Ethan. We also spent the night away with a pre-birthday celebration for me. It was refreshing and much needed!

We have had a wonderful year, and we hope you have too. May our Lord, Jesus Christ be glorified in this Christmas Season! Wishing you many blessings in 2012!