Posting our Christmas Letter as an update to 2011.
A Christmas hello to say we hope you and your family are doing well, to let you know that we think of you often and to thank you for being a part of our lives.
A Christmas hello to say we hope you and your family are doing well, to let you know that we think of you often and to thank you for being a part of our lives.
As I was thinking about what to share this year in our Christmas letter, these thoughts came to mind. The truth was too great and vast for us to comprehend or believe and so God made it simple. Conceived through a miracle, born to a young girl of common means, a tiny helpless baby, sent by our loving Father to be the “true light” of the world and of our lives. The Christmas story is a reminder that the” simple things” are the ones we hold most dear, that “faith” is entrusting every journey in life to the "One" who holds “all” in the universe, that we will continue to see “miracles” that will warm our hearts, and that the greatest gift of all is “love.” Without love, there would not have been a first Christmas. May we celebrate the wonderful blessings that have come to us through Jesus, God’s perfect gift of “love.”
And following the tradition of our Christmas letter, we would like to share a few family highlights of 2011.
This has been an exciting year for Michael and Amanda. In June they were married on a beautiful beach in Destin, Florida. Though the groom had an appendectomy several days before heading to Florida and a storm was in the forecast, everything came together and they are now husband and wife. The rain held off, the beautiful bride stayed dry and the ceremony turned out perfectly. The overcast skies and cool breeze before and during the wedding ceremony was a welcome blessing on a hot summer day. Most of the guests (excluding Bradley who thought it would be a good idea to ride his scooter to the ceremony) made it to their car before the down pour and off we went to the reception at a cute little “lighthouse themed” restaurant. Their days are busy with work and the girls but both Michael and Amanda are thankful for their jobs and good health and are enjoying their new life together. We are blessed that Amanda agreed to become a part of our family and Kate and I are excited to have another shopping buddy and someone else to laugh with on “girl’s night.” We also have other exciting news from them as well. Next summer we will have “two” new precious babies to cuddle and rock. Yes, they are having twins! A double blessing for our family!
Hannah turned 9 in September and is in 3rd grade this year. She is doing excellent in school and making “straight A’s” on her report card. She played soccer this year and her team won 1st place in their age group. When she scored her first goal, we were a bit overexcited and I’m pretty sure that everyone in the complex had no doubt that “we” were her family. As most young girls do, she loves stylish clothes, shopping and Justin Bieber.
Lilly will turn 5 in January and is in pre-Kindergarten this year. She is doing well in school and it is amazing what she has learned over this past year. She has an incredible imagination that makes us smile and reminds us of that magical time of childhood. She loves horses, dolls and playing with her big sister Hannah.
Brad and Kate are doing well and keep busy with a variety of activities. Brad still loves to run and fish and this year he has taken up a new hobby of carpentry. He has built several “floating shelves” for their house and has plans for future projects. My son the carpenter! Brad still works as a pastor and teacher at “The Gathering Place” and Kate works alongside him there in several ministries of her own. In May of this year, Kate graduated from college with a teaching degree. We are very proud of her and her accomplishment. She was hired at Beasley Elementary School and is teaching 3rd grade this year. Both are thankful for that huge blessing! On top of all their many activities, Brad and Kate make time for Hannah and Lilly. The girls adore Uncle Brad and Aunt Kate and always look forward to fun outings and time together.
Barry and I are enjoying our days near the kiddo’s and our beautiful granddaughters! We invite ourselves to hang out with the kids as much as we can and love every moment of our time together. This summer after the wedding, our family enjoyed a week relaxing at the beach. We had a great time with the girls and I think we spent most of our time in the water. They loved riding the waves in the ocean and also enjoyed the awesome pool. Barry is working hard and seems to enjoy “most” work days, has learned to drive “defensively” in the Dallas traffic and loves being a “Paw” and playing with Hannah and Lilly. I occupy my days helping with the girls, looking for projects to keep me out of trouble and having breakfast and lunch with friends. I am SO thankful for these years of my life! We are still looking for our dream home in the country and are certainly taking our sweet time finding the perfect place. Hopefully by next year’s Christmas letter we will be living on “The Ogle Farm” riding our horses at sunset and my dream of raising chicken’s that lay “colored eggs” will have become a reality. We are excited about the new grandbabies and look forward to the many exciting adventures of 2012. Our lives are truly blessed!
“Wishing you the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love this Christmas and always.”
Love, Barry & Tina Ogle
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