Christmas 2023

My social media posts highlight the happy moments of 2023 and we certainly have much to be thankful for. But 2023 has also been one of the hardest years for our family. We are walking through a really difficult season and honestly, some days we have had only an ounce of hope. 

But God gives us good gifts even in the most difficult times.

Katerin has been with Heartlight Ministries for almost a year and it gives us great pride and joy to see how God uses her to minister to the girls in her care. She has learned so much and we love every minute we get to catch up with her, whether it’s a couple of days or just a phone call.

Emily and her boyfriend, Zach, are celebrating a year together and have just transitioned into a long-distance relationship as Zach took a job in Arlington. We have enjoyed getting to know Zach this past year. Emily moved to a new apartment this past summer and has roommates again. They have been so kind to take care of Daisy on the weekends Emily goes to Arlington.

Marian is in her 3^rd year of caring for an elderly client. She has enjoyed some travel this year—Las Vegas for her birthday, Alabama for a wedding, Thanksgiving in Oklahoma, and she is headed to Mexico for NYE! We love having Marian close and enjoy our time together when she is not working or off having fun.

You can see from our family photo below that we are excited to announce Wesley’s engagement to Sarah! The wedding planning is in full swing as we look ahead to April 27^th. We could not be more thrilled to welcome Sarah into our family! Wesley is finishing college this month and walking the stage in May! He is studying hard for the CPA exams and he and Sarah plan to move to Dallas where he will start a job with Mazars next summer.

Omar is in his Senior year at Tomball High School. He is in class half days and then works at Houston Oaks the other half as a ranch hand. He loves to work, which comes in handy since he bought a truck last Spring! He is planning to study Agriculture at SFA next Fall—go Lumberjacks!

Saimon and Savannah are both Juniors and both are going to high school out of state. Saimon’s school has 8-man football and his team was undefeated and took the State Championship! Savannah is just getting settled at her new school and we look forward to seeing her soon!

Going to high school out of state was not what we planned for or wanted. But for different reasons, and with heavy hearts, we made the decision in effort to help meet our kids’ crucial needs during this time. Together is where we want to be. Even though we cannot be together every night right now, we are trusting the Lord to hold us all close, even closer to Him.  And we try to make the most of the times we do get to see each other.

We hope you have a beautiful Christmas with loved ones and pray that in whatever path you are on, you may know the Lord more deeply and feel His amazing love and goodness every single day!

With love, The Evermons

Christmas 2022

 

For my Christmas letter this year I adapted a previous post....it was a different kind of Christmas, so I decided to do a different kind of card:

In celebration of the Astros winning the World Series, here’s what it would look like if our family was a professional baseball team…

Top of the line up...

CF: Jeremy! There are days when this guy probably feels like he's batting .230, but from my view in the dugout, he is an all-star. One of the highlights of this year has been cheering him on and joining him (somewhat) in getting healthier. When Jeremy makes up his mind and sets a goal, he is undeterred. His self-discipline and dedication to losing weight and exercise has been fun, rewarding, challenging, and admirable. I am super proud of him for making some healthy changes! But what I appreciate more, and what I too often take for granted, is how he always chooses me. We have had our share of foul balls and strike outs, but that's not the end of the story. By God's grace, we come back together and work it out….even if it takes extra innings. He's definitely the MVP on this team.

Next up...

2B: Me -- yes mom gets a spot on the team too. I am the author of this Christmas letter and manager of this team so I get to be 2nd in the line up. Often times, the 2nd batter is a good bat handler and needs to be one who can take pitches to allow the leadoff hitter to steal. I don't know about handling the bat, but I do know how to take some pitches. And I often sacrifice bunt so that makes me good for batting in the 2 hole.

3B: Marian can throw across the diamond with strength and accuracy, and she can quickly react given her close proximity to home plate. She is not surprised by bunt attempts that come her way either. Marian demonstrated her strength (and courage) on a recent, memorable trip to Colombia.

LF: Saimon -- this kid is our power hitter so he's 4th in the lineup to drive us home. He’s also a switch-hitter—he’s able to hit the ball hard from either side of the plate. I do not know anyone who works out more than this guy. He lifts weights up to 5-6 hours a day. He is one strong dude.

1B: We have another power hitter, Omar! Omar often has to scoop one-hop throws from an infielder or pick low throws out of the dirt, but you will never hear him complain. He does look forward to being granted free agency in May 2024 upon his high school graduation.

SS: Wesley - Wes is one of two left-handed batters on the team (mom being the other). He has leadoff-type skills so he gets 6th in the lineup, and he makes a good shortstop because he takes charge on balls hit in the air as well as communication among infielders. Wesley is fast approaching graduation at College of the Ozarks with just 2 more semesters.

RF: Emily! When asked what position she wanted on the team, without hesitation Emily said, "OH, I want to be way out in right field, out where the dandelions grow." Emily is enjoying College Station with her friends, church, job and cat.

Catcher: Crouched behind home plate, Savannah primarily is responsible for receiving all the pitches thrown at her, but she also has a lot of duties on defense. Preventing stolen bases, suggesting pitch selections, and framing the strike zone make for a lot on her plate. Savannah is 8th in the lineup because she is also a patient hitter. Savannah shows her patience and stamina as she manages responsibilities in AP classes and Athletic Training.

And last but not least....

P: Katerin is batting 9th in the lineup because of her leadoff-type skills. And as pitcher, Katerin is a swingman because she may be used as a starter or a reliever. Katerin has lived in Waco for nearly two years but is now looking for a job elsewhere. We have enjoyed having her visit more this past month as she is starting her job search.

With every great baseball team, there are even greater fans. We have the best support around us with our family and friends! Even when we are the losing team, they are cheering us on. We could not take the field without them.

And of course, what’s a team without ballboys? Cocoa and Hiccup make the best ballgirl and ballboy!

Whether you cheered for the Astros or all the other teams they beat, we hope this Christmas your family experiences the joy of being on God’s team…always the winning team.

Merry Christmas from the Evermons