Christmas Greetings
We are diaper free
in the Doughan House at the end of 2013! Maybe I shouldn’t have led with
that, but it is a sign of things changing at the Doughan house. Little
people are growing up. Our conversations at the supper table now include
topics like: spelling tests and Mom/Dad’s policy on owning an IPOD. But
this kind of change is good. Corinne seems more prepared for it than I
am. She pulls me along and helps me to loosen the reigns from time to
time. Here’s your 2013 Doughan Family Update.
Micah (age 5) learned to read this year. He will
surprise his Kindergarten teacher next Fall by already reading small chapter
books. It is still a little surprising to have him read road signs in the
car. Micah has built a great friendship with his sister since the two them
rule the roost now most days. His comedic timing grows by the day.
His laughter is usually the contagion that has the whole family laughing over
supper together. Micah is addicted to checking his own books out at the
library, eating his chocolate dipped biscotti like its chocolate corn on the
cob, and enjoying being scared by stories about large African cats with big
teeth.
Anora (age 2) is a blue eyed little lady. As mentioned
above, she is diaper-free and very proud of that fact. She asks her mom
questions about heaven, “Will there be toys there?” She runs around the
house in her super hero costume in pursuit of her caped-brothers. She
carries her baby doll with her on their adventures. Her brothers lack
such a sidekick! She makes me smile every day, giving the best “knee
hugs” when I come home from work, “Daddy’s home!” Anora is addicted to
helping Mom make supper, knowing where the contents of the dishwasher are
stored better than her dad, and bossing her brothers around when they are
healthy and offering to take care of them when they get sick.
Corinne (always 29) grows more beautiful every day. She
gives herself to our children and to our Church. I am such a lucky
man. This year, Corinne is learning to play the guitar and trust God in
all things. She has become a regular singer at Church – I love hearing
her sing on Sunday morning. The kids don’t know the quality of their
nightly lullabies. In May, Corinne surprised me with a trip to Colorado Springs Becky for watching the kids!).
Colin has completed his MBA (December 2013). Boom – ten
years in the making! Thanks honey for letting me live at the library so
many nights – now you can go back to school for your nuclear fusion degree…if
you want to.
God is teaching us
so many things during 2013, but none more so than how to lead others you care
about through trials and struggles – when to offer solutions and when to just
love on them. What a beautiful thing it is to live in community.
God’s grace and provision are so evident and even…tangible. Our prayer
for you, our dear ones at the other end of this letter, is to seek the Lord (the God of Heaven born in a
manger) and do life with a community of people you love…even though it is messy.
After all, that’s what God did for us.
The Doughans
