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Christmas Letter 2009

Greetings all! Most of you will remember that we have shifted into an electronic video format for our Christmas letters. I invite you to watch our 2009 Christmas Video and our Christmas videos from years gone by. Also, here is our Christmas letter from Dixie:

Hooray! I am getting my letter written BEFORE Christmas this year! Last year I felt like quite the slacker having to post it after Christmas. I've been a little more on the ball this season, it looks like. Wonders will never cease, it looks like.

Our 2009 has been full, as I imagine yours has been as well. I'll try to sum up quickly so that you can hurry up and get to the slide show, since that's all anyone really is interested in, right?

Isaac is now in 3rd grade and has just turned 9! He has moved to the upper elementary school (Highland Elementary) and will be there for 3rd-5th grade. This school is not in our neighborhood so I no longer get to walk him to and from school. He's happy to be with the big kids though, and is excelling in school. He has a great teacher for whom we are very thankful. Isaac's basketball season has just started with practices. He is so excited about playing in UPWARD again. He's decided that he will probably be an NBA player...if only such things were attainable by sheer desire. It's good to have a goal though, and he practices in the driveway whenever it isn't raining. Isaac is a pretty avid reader and I'm happy that he’s content to read lots of things.

Ethan is 5 ½ and has had a big milestone this year. He is now in kindergarten! His first day was exciting and not accompanied by the same tears (by me!) as was Isaac’s. I am so familiar with his school and all the teachers and the principal, I just had no doubt that he was going to have a blast. And he has. He really loves school and he loves his friends. His teachers are wonderful and one of them goes to church with us. She was his 2 year old bible class teacher and her grandkids are friends with all my children. The icing on the cake though, is that his best friend from church, Bella Rose (our Youth Minister’s daughter) is also in the same class. So he was well set up for a smooth transition into school. Ethan also has become a great reader. He was reading some before starting kinder but has just really blossomed as a reader. In fact, he has recently started reading silently, which I think is really neat.

This leaves Jaylie (who is now 4) and I home alone together. It is quite different having just one child at home during the day after all these years of having several. She plays so much differently than the boys do. I am thankful for our neighbors across the street who have a little girl just Jaylie’s age. Jaylie and Greta play together quite a bit. Jaylie started ballet this fall. It is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. She LOVES ballet. Of course, I think she’s a natural at it. Since she’ll have one more whole year at home before she starts kinder, I think ballet is a good outlet for her. Jaylie’s hair continues to be super curly, and it is getting longer (much longer) and thicker and altogether quite difficult to comb out. She’s real patient though, which is nice. Jaylie is also the most gregarious of our kids. She seems pretty confident to talk to just about anyone. She recently performed a solo at our children’s Christmas talent show at church! She sang Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and threw in some sass with it! It was cute.

Eric is currently between semesters. It is so nice when he doesn’t have school on his mind constantly. This semester he had 4 trips to make to Nashville! Crazy, but it’s over. He has enrolled for his final semester this spring and we are all looking forward to his graduation from Lipscomb in May. He’ll receive his Master of Arts in Theology! I’ve teased him about being a theologian after he graduates. I know I’ll not be winning any biblical arguments, that’s for sure (as if I have in the past!). Eric is also perpetually busy with things at Meadowbrook. In March we will celebrate 4 years of ministry with the church here. We are grateful for this body of believers who are striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I am keeping up with the kids and house and Eric as best I can. Since Jaylie’s ballet class is on Tuesday mornings, I am not attending Ladies’ Bible class like I have in the past. I miss the fellowship with those ladies but have met some real neat moms at ballet. It’s nice to have my circle getting bigger, sometimes I feel like the only people I know are those I go to church with! I am still on the PTO board at Ethan’s school and really enjoy that. It’s fun being ‘in the know’ on so much of what goes on. It also helps me with that circle I was talking about. Some of you know that I have struggled with a low B12 problem for a few years. Well this continues to be a problem for me; a thorn in my side--literally since I have to give myself weekly shots to help compensate! I wish my levels would stabilize and I’d not have to do these injections but that keeps not happening. I think I’ll be 80 and still jabbing myself with a needle every week! In the grand scheme of things, it’s a rather small problem to have, I suppose.

Right after school was out at the end of May, we went with my parents to Galveston for a week. It is nice that we get out of school before Memorial Day because the beach was deserted. We had a great time. At the end of that week, Mother and I went to San Antonio to help my Grandmother move into her new place there. In July, Eric had a summer class that was a whole week so we went to Nashville and had fun with Dawn and Brad and the girls, as well as Grandma and Grandpa. In September, the Nashville family came to visit us for a few days, which is also always fun. We are planning to leave on my birthday (2 days after Christmas, for those of you who don’t know!) to head to Missouri to visit Eric’s grandparents and aunts and uncles. We’ve not been there for a while and we’re looking forward to catching up with them.

Most of you will remember that my Granddaddy passed away last Thanksgiving. Well my Grandmother entered into hospice care last week. Ever since we moved her to San Antonio, she has had severe health issues, all surrounding her bone marrow. It has quit making platelets and white blood cells. After numerous treatments and regular transfusions, she has decided to cease treatment and go be reunited with Granddaddy in the presence of the Lord. Mother has gone to be with her. Your prayers will be appreciated as our family faces another major holiday with the pall of loss hanging over it. We are joyful for the prize she is gaining, just sad that we will miss her so.

In all things we give thanks to God for the love he has showered on us. It is our prayer for you that you will feel the nearness of Christ always, but especially during this season of Hope, and Peace, and Joy and Love. The season of Christ’s first coming. May He come again quickly!

With our love,
Eric, Dixie, Isaac, Ethan and Jaylie

Eric’s blog: www.ericnlivingston.com
Dixie’s blog: www.lookaway-dixieland.blogspot.com
Email: ericdixie@yahoo.com
And you can find us on facebook too!

Orchestra & Art

As part of our God Of This City campaign, Meadowbrook is rediscovering the arts as a way to glorify God. The Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra has agreed to give a FREE performance at Meadowbrook on November 21 at 1:00. Everyone is invited! Doors open at 12:30.

Immediately following the concert, we will hold an Art Exhibit/Sale in the Education Building to benefit our Children's Art Festival, which will be in April of 2010.

Christmas Can Still Change Our City

At Meadowbrook, we want to do Christmas differently this year. We are bombarded by the commercialism and consumerism of our culture's Christmas, but we want to firmly remain in the Christmas we find in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The God of This City is inviting us into His story of love, compassion, and redemption.

In November, we're embarking on an adventure of sacrifice and gift-giving. In an effort to help Stewpot's Matt's House and Sims' House shelters, we are asking folks to sacrifice something this month so that we can share our resources with those in need. What can you give up? What can you share? Do you believe that Christmas Can Still Change Our City?

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