“Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year.”
Yes, a favorite time of year. Always busy and happy and cheerful and fun. It is a great time to reflect on the continued blessings in our lives. Here are some highlights…
In January, we “cashed in” on a Christmas gift we gave to the girls. We got a dog. A brand new puppy. Buddy (named after Buddy the elf from a favorite Christmas movie – ELF) joined our family on January 13th. I soon had second thoughts – puppies and pregnancy don’t mix well. But it was a good reminder of what having a newborn was going to be like. It didn’t take long for our family to become big fans of The Dog Whisperer. We all like to think we have a little pack leader in us. Buddy’s grown from a mere 4 pounds to about 30 and has been a fun addition to our family. (Did I really just devote a whole paragraph of my Christmas letter to my dog?) Wow!
Sarah turned 4 in January (turning 5 soon), and has really grown up this last year. Graduating from speech therapy in February, her teacher found her a spot in a preschool class on the same campus. The afternoon time slot didn’t work out for us, so her preschool stint only lasted a short little week, but it left a big impression. She is definitely ready for school. Sarah got to take a road trip in the spring with Boppy and Grammie (my parents) to visit with Auntie Amanda and Uncle Andy in Sacramento. She’s quite the traveler; she made the same trip with Papa (Brandon’s dad) to visit more family up north. Sarah has a ‘slight’ obsession with boxes, and she enjoys chatting it up on her pretend phone with any number of friends and family members. This is Momma’s last year with Sarah at home as she will begin kindergarten this coming fall. What a blessing it has been to have her home. She’s a GREAT big sister and helper!
Spring break took us to Palm Springs. Our last little vacation before “homeboy” was born. We had lots of busy work to take care of before June. We were able to remodel our laundry room and a bathroom, as well as get some painting done. It makes me wonder if impending birth is the key to getting things done at this house? Hmmmm…
Obviously, June brought our biggest blessing of the year. Judah Nichols Cash was born June 6th. He was a healthy 8 pounds. With the girls home for the summer, momma had lots of helpers. I was sad to see them back to school in September. Judah is now six months old, sitting up, and eating baby food. He has a very happy disposition and is constantly smiling, showing off his two bottom teeth. It goes so fast! I think ahead to next year’s letter – he’ll be running through the house. Right now, I just count each day as a blessing with this sweet baby boy.
Judah’s birth was just the start of a great summer. We made another trip to Palm Springs as our annual Lake Mojave trip was cancelled – boo hoo. Also, Abigail and Esther performed in a production of Oliver over the summer. Abigail auditioned for an orphan role, which demanded more work from her, but she enjoyed it. She turned 9 in August and is continuing to grow up into a little lady before our very eyes. Theater has become a passion of hers, although we threw her onto the soccer field for one more season this fall. Her skills continued to improve throughout the season and her team did well. Abigail may have been on a soccer field, but her mind was on another upcoming theatrical performance. In November, she performed in The Sound of Music, where she earned the role of Marta Von Trapp. The pressure was a bit more intense this time, but she enjoyed it immensely. Abigail also took up an interest in golf, buying her own set of golf clubs and hitting balls with dad when time allows. Fourth grade is treating her well; she just made the honor roll. We’ve had a bumpy ride with allergies this fall, and after an allergy skin test, we found out that she’s allergic to just about everything! She started allergy shots last week and we’re hoping for a better spring.
Esther, who recently turned 7, has become quite the dramatic one, too. In addition to an orphan in Oliver, she played sweet little Gretl Von Trapp alongside big sister in The Sound of Music. She did an amazing job singing her solos and memorizing lines. Her beloved second grade teacher tells us of her dramatic readings and expressive storytelling, too. We’ve always known her to be a character, now she’s putting it to use. This summer, Esther took a big step into deepening her relationship with God, and was baptized as a believer. What better way to be baptized than by your own daddy in the ocean. Very cool! Esther also played another season of soccer, and got some aggression out on the field. She leapt and threw her body over as many shots on goal as she possibly could. A highlight for mommy and daddy was to hear from her teacher that she displays a caring and encouraging heart towards others in her class. It is a true blessing to hear that your child is modeling God’s love.
Brandon continues to stay busy in his PHD program at Fuller Seminary. He’s hoping to take his comprehensive exams next fall. He’s constantly got his nose in a book, which is rubbing off on the girls – Esther and Abigail can often be found tucked in the corner of a couch reading. He’s a very helpful dad, and is really enjoying Judah in his new, more active stage of life. Newborns aren’t very exciting for dads. J The church is doing well and the congregation continues to grow, which is always a blessing. Brandon was given the honor of preaching at a Talbot chapel this fall. The experience was humbling and a bit unnerving as many of his former professors were sitting in. I tried to convince Brandon that they were there to witness the success they had a part in. (At least that’s my humble opinion.) He added to his already busy schedule by coaching Esther’s soccer team this year. He was a good coach despite their losing record. Our marriage reached the 11-year mark this summer, and we both consider ourselves blessed with a loving and healthy relationship.
News flash – Courtney is a mother of four! You can imagine what I’ve been up to this past year. However, amidst it all, I still found time to fill a role in The Sound of Music as Sister Berthe and share the stage with my daughters. (A nursing nun? Go figure!) I’ve been on ‘maternity leave’ from the praise team at church, but will be starting back with Christmas praise this month. With three beautiful daughters and one charming little boy, I enjoy my all-encompassing role as mom. Although it can be a bit tiring, and thankless, I treasure this stage of life, and I thank God, every night for each blessing that those four bring me.
Every year I’m reminded that God’s blessings are abundant. And though I often lose sight of them in the ‘busy-ness’ of life, the holidays provide a wonderful opportunity for all of us to gratefully reflect on the goodness of God and His grace in our lives. As I reflect, I can’t help but to agree with the psalmist, “Surely I have a delightful inheritance!”
If you want to hear from us more than once a year, check out my blog – it’s a casual account of the day to day craziness of our life. www.courtneycash.wordpress.com
Christmas time is here
We’ll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
With all of our love,
Brandon, Courtney, Abigail, Esther, Sarah, and Judah
