Happy Thanksgiving!

As I sit here with a sleeping babe on my lap, I'm not only cherishing the moment, but also reflecting on how I can't just take the afternoon to get a bunch of stuff done anymore. A mountain of laundry waits in the other room, and birth announcements that arrived in the mail on Halloween sit on the coffee table, still unsent. Having just calmed down from an afternoon cry (Lars, not me), I am reluctant to put Lars in his crib or rocker just yet. If I want him to have a good afternoon nap (if I want to get those birth announcements done), I've learned to rock him on my lap just a little bit longer. He loves laps, and who am I to deny him my lap when he still fits on it? He won't always want this much mama time, so I cherish it. So the pile of laundry and announcements will have to wait. But until then, I will work on this blogpost, which is going to double as our "annual Christmas update letter," but under the guise of a Thanksgiving letter. We have much to be thankful for as we look back over 2012.


Steve - last Spring was promoted to "Interim Assistant Director of Residence Life" here. He continues his responsibilities as Resident Director of the campus houses, and as the housing coordinator. We are thankful that his hard work was recognized with the new title.


Laura - In May I graduated from here with my MA in Religion, with a Christian History and Theology focus. I am thankful for the opportunity to complete my dream of attending seminary. We are also thankful for scholarships that enabled me to finish without any extra debt. Looking forward to how God will use my time there in a future ministry.


Lars - The best for last! Last January, we were delighted to find out that we were pregnant! This was some long-awaited news, and we were thrilled! We are so thankful for a healthy pregnancy, and for healthy baby boy Lars Michael, born September 23rd. He is such a joy, and getting bigger and more expressive each day. We are in love.


We were blessed during the first month of his life to have a whole stream of visitors. Lars got to meet his grandparents (Nanny, Papa, and Mormor), Auntie Em, and Uncle Bjorn & Aunt Aly. We can't wait to take him to MN to meet the rest of his family over the holidays.

So there you have it, a year of thankfulness. We are also blessed by our community of friends and church here, while we live far from family. We are thankful to God for providing our every need, especially the need for friendships. We hope this letter finds you well, dear friends and family. We are thankful for you.
Happy Thankgiving!
Blessings and Love,
Steve, Laura, and Lars


PS...to finish out 2012...We are thankful to be able to be in Minnesota for both Thanksgiving and Christmas...a first for us!

7 weeks old!