And while a little late, here it is. For the record if nothing else.
Eskestrand Escapades: 9th Edition
Merry Christmas to each of you. The Lord’s blessings abound around us, but at
this time of year we focus especially on one of the greatest blessing of all:
the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope His
peace is yours this Christmas season and forever.
Scot is very glad to have this past year behind him. After many hard transitions he has found a
routine with work and is able to be home more.
He’s getting involved with church and has taken up running and tennis
with the occasional pick-up hockey game.
He pleasures reads when able, but a great joy is being involved with the
boys and seeing them in action. He enjoys
our family hikes, day-trips, teaching the boys the art of chess, and after 10
years he still enjoys going on dates with me.
The boys continue to astound us with their growth, both
in physique and maturity. I didn’t know
life could move so fast, but apparently it does. Evan, now 6 1/2, is witty, thoughtful, and an
eager learner. He loves to help out and spend
quality time with us. Drew, almost 5, is
cuddly with a huge imagination and determination to boot. He likes to sing, pray, and make us laugh.
While different in personality, they enjoy the same activities. They love coloring and legos almost as much
as climbing trees, kicking the soccer ball, and riding their bikes. They love being read to, tool-time, and when
Scot lets them help mow the lawn. Their highlights: VBS, camping/hiking, swim
lessons, and frequent visits to my folks’.
They are still eachother’s best friends and we feel very blessed.
We’re still homeschooling and I love it. It’s more
structured this year, but we find time for fieldtrips and friends, which makes
us all happy. It’s challenging to balance
and keep things simple, but we try. I love having Scot home for daily life and watching
him with the boys. I’m blessed and
encouraged by the ladies Bible study I’m in, friendships near and far, and so grateful
for the sweetness of family close by. I
am finding a new norm in the absence of a routine and trying to relish life,
both the ups and the downs.
Our biggest news is that we bought a house (complete with
an apple and cherry tree)! The Lord was
very gracious and everything happened very quickly, but smoothly. We’re enjoying making the house our own,
putting down roots, and getting to know our neighbors and community. If you’re ever in the area, please let us
know, we’d love to see you.
Merry Christmas
and a very happy New Year,
Scot, Sarah, Evan
and Drew
