Since I can't send out Christmas cards and letters to everyone (and I REALLY wish I could!), here is our Christmas card and letter from this year. I've said this before, but this is one thing that I MUST do each year. It's non-negotiable! My mom sent out a Christmas letter and card from the time I was born, so it's just a family thing that's special to me. I also love having a condensed summary of each year that we've been a family. So pretend this arrived in your mailbox today! :) As an important sidenote---we have an adoption update! CLICK HERE to read the news!
Merry Christmas from the Lancaster Family!
2010 has been an incredible year for us! In February we celebrated our precious, perfect Evy Kate's first birthday! We had small family parties, and the birthday girl was her adorable self. In April, Kurt and I traveled to Boston with my family to see my Dad run the Boston Marathon! Evy had a wonderful time staying with Kurt's parents, “Mia” and “Randad!” We saw amazing sites like Old North Church and Paul Revere's home, which was amazing. It was a life-changing experience to behold the marathon and Boston as a family, and we will never forget it!
June brought about some BIG changes. We said goodbye to our first little home as well as many years' worth of memories and friendships and moved from Mississippi to Cape Girardeau, Missouri! It was like coming home for me, and Kurt was excited to get started in his new position at St. Francis Medical Center. He still had to finish up residency, so we lived apart for several weeks (it was so difficult!). I went back to Mississippi at the end of June—on Kurt's birthday!—to see him graduate from medical residency. What a moment! Residency was a long journey and chiseled us in many ways. I sat with Kurt's parents and I know we were all beaming with pride! He was spoken so highly of by his educators and colleagues. After that weekend, Kurt joined Evy and I in Cape where we got settled in! We are loving our home, neighborhood, church, and especially having family nearby. God has been so gracious and good to us!
On July 22, God did a HUGE work in my heart and changed the course of our family forever. Through reading a friend's blog, the Lord clearly called me to international adoption. With tears streaming down my cheeks, and a good dose of apprehension in my heart, I said “Yes!” to God's call! I shared what had happened the next day with Kurt, and he committed to pray about adoption. On September 24, we were in agreement that this was God's plan for us in bringing our second child into the family! We are in full adoption mode, and working to adopt an infant from South Korea! Praise God! We don't know the full timeline of this process, but we will begin our homestudy in January, which is a big step. We know God's plan is perfect. Adoption is such a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. We have been adopted through Jesus Christ and are now able to inherit God's Kingdom. We are so excited to follow the Lord's will for us and bring a precious baby home!
The fall was a busy season, as we were involved with many church activities, traveling to see family, and still getting into a good routine. In October, Kurt and I had a wonderful getaway trip to Disney World! It was a great week, and we just loved spending the time together. Evy was loved on to pieces by both sets of grandparents! We had a beautiful Thanksgiving here in Cape and we were so excited to celebrate with lots of family. Evy is always the star of the show(as it should be!)!
Currently, Kurt is is adjusting so well to his new job and really enjoys his colleagues. He has already made great decisions while on the job (he would never say that, but I'm a proud wife!). He has more time now to read, sing in the church choir, and landscape around the house. I love having him home so often compared to residency! I am still blogging, and the Lord has really blessed me through that hobby. I had the privilege of being asked to interview Lisa Whelchel (from “The Facts of Life”) and I've gotten many emails recently from people simply asking for godly counsel. I'm always praying that the Lord just speaks through me, because I want His message to be heard. I'm also involved in the music ministry at church, which has been so enjoyable! Kurt and I have really loved serving together. Most of all, we love being the parents to Evy Kate. She is just so full of life. Her little personality is coming out more and more and we are constantly laughing at how adorable she is! It's amazing how each day our love for her grows. She is our biggest blessing!
Now that the Christmas season is upon us, we're enjoying decorating our new home for Christmas, making travel plans for the holidays, and creating traditions for our family of three. A major goal for me is to keep this season less chaotic and simply celebrate Jesus! One of my favorite Christmas hymns is “What Child Is This?” In one of the lesser-known verses, there's a stanza that reads, “Let loving hearts enthrone Him.” In all that we say and do, our goal as a family is to enthrone our God and make Him known. He holds all of our lives together (Colossians 1:17) and for that we give Him praise forever!
We love you!
Kurt, Ashley, and Evy Kate
