Christmas Letter 2011

As I type this Christmas letter,

I am chuckling to myself over here.

The reason for my chuckle is that the majority of you

who received Christmas postcards from me,

{which were few, due to budget cuts}

will not receive the intended photo

that was supposed to be on the front.

So, let me help to complete the puzzle.

Here was what was should have come

affixed inside of those cute little photo corners:

Ok. Mystery solved.

Sticky back and glue fail.

Lesson learned.

Now, on to our letter.

It's no secret that 2011 has been quite challenging.

After separating from my husband at the start of the year,

this has been a time of looking around

at what's left and attempting to thrive despite the mess.

Some days were more about survival.

But thankfully, we also experienced days of great joy together,

my little girl and I.

The Lord has been faithful in this time

to surround us with really good people.

{including but not limited to these lovelies}

He has given me the gift of photography

as a creative outlet that lifts me up.

And it's allowed a passion and hobby to grow

in to what I hope becomes a successful business.

Check out the website if you haven't yet:

www.imagophotography.net

Selah has really grown from a baby into a "big" girl.

{Dare not call her little, as she takes much offense... }

She has, after all, made it on the the growth chart

at the pediatrician's office at a whopping 10th percentile. :)

{Here she is this past January}

And fast forward almost a full year to last week.

She's dressed as an angel for her Christmas play.

And posing with our decorated little Christmas tree.

It's crazy to watch her grow at rapid speed.

Speaking and problem solving as if she were 10.

She is loving her preschool, which she started back in April.

She goes 3 mornings per week and LOVES to do "projects"

both at school and home.

{She's crafty like her momma. :) }

All of her other spare time is spent

doing something involving either princesses or fairies.

Dressing like them, dancing like them, singing like them,

pretending to have tea with them, etc.

It's all princesses all of the time up in here.

I'm still working part-time at the nursing home as an O.T.

with a truly awesome bunch of folks.

We have been blessed with several trips this year

to visit loved ones and have time away:

Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia

have left us with lots of good memories.

Thank God for those sweet southern states!

----------------------

I really don't know what the future holds.

But, then again, none of us really does.

As I reflect today on this past year,

I'm thankful for the many beautiful gifts

that I have been given.

And I am hopeful as I anticipate

how my good and loving God will work out our story.

His story.

How he'll make beauty from the ashes

that still smell very fresh like fire.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas full of the peace

that Christ was born to bring to our hearts...

~The Grover Girls <3