Dear Family & Friends,
As another year ends, we take a few minutes to reflect on
what 2016 meant to us. The good, the bad,
the mundane and the exciting – every part counts. The older I get, the more I realize that life
is full of seasons and that “exciting” is overrated!
We did a lot of traveling this year. Our family trip was spent driving over 4,000
miles through the New England states. We
saw some of God’s wondrous beauty as well as some man-made beauty! It was a great trip, filled with lots of
memories (most of them good!). Matt and
Kaitee visited Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas for their father/daughter
trip. They revisited the Laura &
Almanzo Wilder home (MO), Eureka Springs (AR) and Amelia Earhart’s home
(KS). As a family, we also visited
Michigan, Chicago, Springfield, IL (lots of Lincoln history) and Wisconsin.
Kaitee is 14 and a freshman in high school. She loves high school life. She has a few clubs that she participates in
on a weekly basis when time and homework permit. Homework consumes most of her time, spending
4-5 hours studying most days. In her spare time, she loves everything Harry
Potter, Nancy Drew (there’s always a mystery to figure out!) and Hamilton. Her & Alex both volunteer their Tuesday
evenings at Awana as well as a few weekends helping at church with the younger
kids.
Alex is 12 and in her 2nd year at the middle
school. She keeps busy with band (flute),
choir and sports (XC and Track). She
loves to run! She is looking forward to
learning the saxophone over the winter so she can participate in the jazz
band. After working diligently this past
spring, she received her Timothy Award in Awana. She had to complete 2 books in one year to
accomplish this! Getting baptized last
month was a highlight for her – for all of us!
Will & Maddie will be turning 11 in January. They are in their last year of grade
school. With their last year comes a lot
of responsibilities (patrol, student council, band), which keep them busy. Will chose to play trombone this year. While he loves playing, he doesn’t like
practicing. If not playing Legos or
reading comic books, Will often asks, “What can I do to help, Mom?”. Unfortunately, he doesn’t care for my usual
answer of “Well, you could go clean your room”! The biggest highlight for both
Will & Maddie was attending their first week long church camp (by
themselves). They loved it and are
counting down the days until next June!
Maddie keeps us on our toes mentally. Not a secret can be kept when she is around! She has become very astute at listening (eavesdropping)!
She loves to keep us on task when we forget to do what we promised! She decided that she didn’t want to play an
instrument but keeps busy with artwork and crafts. She loves playing with her Shopkins and Legos
(often making up games that include using her collection of bouncy balls). She and Alex still help lead kid’s worship
once a month – they really enjoy doing that.
After more than 10 years with Option Health, we made the
very hard decision to change jobs this year.
Matt started with Northwest Respiratory Services in September. While the company and paperwork are
different, he is still delivering oxygen (solely) and doing what he loves most (interaction
with patients and driving). He is still studying Hebrew with a friend and
keeps busy with church & family commitments.
I took on the role of chairperson for the 5th
grade class this year. There are
fundraisers to coordinate as well as end of the year activities to plan. I was very overwhelmed by the prospect
initially, but have found my grove and am enjoying it! I am still working 15-20 hours/week in the
office at Chick-fil-A. I am definitely
keeping busy running to and from work, school and activities. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
We often say to the kids (as we send them out the door in
the morning), “remember to bring glory to God in all that you do today”. This goes for the good, the bad, the mundane
and the exciting times! We are blessed beyond belief and hope that you know the
True Love of God – sent to us on Christmas Day as a baby in a manger.
We pray that you have a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful 2017!
With Love,
Matt,
Becki, Kaitee, Alex, Will & Maddie Hart
2321 25th
Street
Moline,IL 61265309-764-2347
www.hartx6.blogspot.com
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