Christmas letters...

Who do you send your Christmas letters to? Family (immediate, extended, step, in-laws, thrice-removed?).. I was thinking about this on my way to meet a friend for lunch today. For the past two years I have sent out a Christmas letter to update our loved ones on our married life here in Nebraska. It dawned on me that this Christmas my list of who to send to is going to grow a lot as I start sending those letters out to our friends here in NE.   I am brought to tears thinking about how my only connection to these wonderful people may turn into just Christmas letters and birthday cards here and there over the years. I am so sad to know that I won't see these people every day anymore, or every Sunday at church, or just be able to walk down the street and walk in the door.  Sure, I know I'll meet amazing people in AK... because I believe that God is faithful and will provide. But these friends are people I'm not ready to give up yet, not ready to say goodbye to... people I just met barely two years ago but have changed and touched my life in ways they may never know.

To all of you:

Thank you for everything you have been to Jordan and me during our short stay in the midwest.  Thank you for being the shoulder to cry on, the instant friend when I needed another band wife to connect with, for introducing me to French Silk ice cream, for giving me the chance to love your children (all of them!), for being role models to both of us of what healthy, Christian relationships look like, for influencing me and inspiring me to go into ministry, for giving me the opportunity to be a youth leader, for the fellowship in Jamaica, for pergola building, for photo shoots, for the many dinners at ours and yours, for sharing your love of jet-skiing with us, for teaching me everything and anything I need to know about being pregnant when that day comes (and then some), for an amazing Life Group, for being awesome mentors to me at school, for the opportunity to get my feet wet in the teaching world, for believing in me, encouraging me, and loving me. Thank you for who you are, who you've made me want to become, and for your gracious friendship when I needed it most. You are all way more than an address on my next Christmas letter, and I will never forget the memories we have made here. You all are imprinted on our lives at our first station in the military.

So I'll just get it out of the way now... Merry Christmas you guys:)

Love,

Amy