Not sure what to say

Aaron has been growing out his beard and it reached a point of craziness that I could no longer stand. He is now sporting huge chops and a mustache which is not my favorite, but it's better than the mayhem of that huge beard.

In the Northwest the term "indoor park" is one we use often in the fall/winter, even spring. Here is Asa at one of the many indoor parks we attend.

Well, I haven't been sure what to write. Family-wise, we are doing pretty well. We are heading towards Christmas with little to no stress. Oh how I love living in the Northwest. The culture is so completely relaxed. At times this drives me crazy (like when you need people to RSVP to an event), but during the holiday "rush" it's quite nice. We also aren't in a place financially to make a big huge Christmas happen, so we are keeping it super simple. We got a few gifts for each of the kids and think that as long as they are fairly oblivious about presents we might as well not go overboard. Plus, we really want to keep the focus on the birth of Christ, not on presents and parties.

The other reason we've been keeping it simple is because of my health. Sadly, I have taken a bit of a downturn and I just can't handle a lot of stress and running around. Everyday tasks have become hard again and symptoms I haven't had for a couple of months have returned. This is hugely disappointing to me. I am trying to not let the illness and the discouragement intertwine. If they do, they tend to make each other worse. I could use your prayers for my health, as usual. I continue to believe that Jesus is beginning a healing process in me. I need to believe this and not give up hope. I have been meeting with a Dr. in Seattle who has run a gauntlet of blood tests on me. She is one of the first doctors who really believes how sick I've been and doesn't dismiss it as "stress" or "anxiety." I think she will really help me get to the bottom of things. I will see her again late next week and will post an update if I learn anything new.

My children continue to grow and grow. Asa has kept me laughing through these hard days. When he gets dressed in the morning he says that he is "getting a new paint job." Putting on clean socks is "putting new tires on his wheels," and putting on clean underwear is "getting a new exhaust pipe." When we brush his teeth he says he is "cleaning out his grill." What a kid.