Merry CHRISTmas

Welcome to the 15th Annual Westphal Christmas letter

Merry Christmas one and all. When we last left our heroes, the Westphals, they were struggling with the demands of the young family. ( I do like the word “young”). This year still finds them there. Twin two-year olds has been more work than imaginable, but lots of joy too.

In February, Mark and Luke turned two. They are continuously talking, running, discovering, and playing. They rarely stop moving, but they do like books and they love to “help” with anything. They are at last potty-trained (Cue: Hallelujah chorus). For the first time in six years, there are no diapers at my house.

In April, I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP). Yes, this is my dad’s eye disease, and no, I am not going all the way blind. However, it has added a few things to think about and limited the night-time driving. My life is getting a little fuzzier. So if I don’t recognize you in a crowd, just come a little closer and wave.

In June, Sarah turned four. My little blue-eyed wonder loves to color, run, and have “tea parties” where she pretends to be a grown up. She tilts her head and tells me the adventures of her four children. It’s quite eye-opening.

In September, my little red head turned six. Timothy plays games, loves numbers and soccer, and likes to tell stories. We are home educating (this is the new buzzword for homeschooling). We get to play games and read books all day long. Don’t worry, we also do writing, math and science. Tim has started reading small books, and I am so excited I have to be careful not to overwhelm him with the eight parts of speech just yet. Maybe next year. Tim is a big help to me.

Ryan is still working at Automatrics. He enjoys his work and values those customer and vendor relationships that lead to mutual benefits at the best price. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Seriously, Ryan is good at what he does and grateful that God is providing for our growing family. It can be difficult to juggle work, family, church, time with wife, and fixing various things around the house, and Ryan does a great job. He likes to take the kids on trips to the store or the YMCA, or over to the coffeehouse to play games.

That’s it. The idyllic, peaceful life of the Westphals….okay, not exactly.. We are not only grateful to God for being with us, but we also love the life of walking with Jesus every day. Having that personal relationship with Jesus is the best commitment Ryan or I have ever made, and that relationship has shaped all of our decisions in the past and will continue to shape them in the future. I would encourage you all to seek Jesus this Christmas season and discover a life-changing savior.
Merry Christmas Everyone. See you next year.