As I sit and think back to this past year and all the suprises and gifts it brought, I am humbled.
It brought us a funny and animated Corban! He has the vocabulary of a three year old! It is so wild to have a glimpse into a one year old's mind through his words. Just the other day I told him it was time to take a nap. He rolled his eyes at me and said, "Gimme a bwreak!" We find it hard to not laugh...he is so adorable!
Tavi has found her passion...gymnastics. Or as she told me the other day, "I think I'm addicted to gymnastics!" She has taken rec gymnastics for two years, but was wanting to stay at the gym longer and longer. She tried out with a new gym and the coach placed her in level four and said she'd be ready for competition within the year. She has three days of practice a week, at three hours a pop! She is loving it and very dedicated!
Zeb has found his place at his new school. (Tavi and Nahum also go here.) He has been a junior coach, assisting all classes during lunch in organized recess games. He was also chosen to be on a junior engineering team, designing a roller coaster out of recycled materials. He is thriving at this school! He is counting down the days until travel baseball tryouts!
Nahum has also fallen in love with his school. He thanks us almost daily for finding this school. He is on the National Academic league and his team is undefeated! He loves his history teacher, Mr. Ruby, who has made scoping the globe interesting and fun! He loves writing and it shows in the imagination that comes through his stories! He is still aspiring to follow in Devon's footsteps and be a chef!
Kaya is finding the balance between the rigorous requirements at his school and extra curricular activities. He has a long day, 8-4. Half of his day is spent in acting classes and the other half, in academic classes. He loves his school more than he thought he would! He just wrapped up the show, Les Miserables, with CPM and a traveling show of Pocket Full of Rhymes at the Baltimore Museum of Art. This year has brought much change in his life, between going to high school and meeting his biological dad, Bart and half sister, Taylor for the first time. He has handled it with grace and strength. Bart is quickly becoming a part of the family and we stand in awe of how God has worked things out for His glory.
Devon's business, Ripristino Remodeling is thriving and growing! He had to hire numerous people this year just to keep up! (We're so glad Marc made his way up from GA a couple of times, just to help out!) He loves what he is doing! Last week he just settled on our first investment property in Brooklyn, MD. It has two houses on it. One we will renovate and rent out and the other, we have dedicated to God as a house of prayer for Baltimore. We are not sure how God will fill it and use it, but we step out in faith knowing that He has a plan!
I started a business with my friend Chris Ann this year. We are in the middle of writing a cookbook memoir based on meals we have shared over the years (using Devon's recipes of course!) We also started a blog http://www.lovefeasttable.com/ to begin to journal our thoughts on love feast. I am so excited to have this outlet and to be walking this road with Chris Ann! We have had a lot of fun and laughs already. Who knows where it will take us. As we say, "We're big in our own minds!"
Safe House, the missional community we are a part of, has transformed this year! God has taken us on many adventures that are outside of the walls. We have thrown down love feasts for skateboarders, for ladies in the neighborhood and given out Thanksgiving dinners. He is teaching us about unity, love and service. We are blessed to have such a diverse and creative group to do life with!
It has been quite a year! Really too much to share in a single letter. Hopefully this gives you a glimpse!
I was reading this morning and was struck by a passage in Ephesians 5:2 "...live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
That's our goal as we enter into this New Year, to live a life of love.
May Jesus pour out His love and fragrance to you and your family this year!!
In love,
Devon, Kristin, Kaya, Nahum, Zeb, Tavi and Corban
