We’re just a few days away from Christmas, so I wanted to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. During this busy, beautiful time of the year I like to reflect on the grace God has shown in our lives. 2012 has been incredible in so many ways. We have definitely grown and changed as a family and as individuals,but one thing always remains a constant. We are saved by Jesus’ grace! I take great comfort in knowing that no matter what ups and downs life throws at us, that will never change. May you experience the joy and peace of Christ this season and in the new year!
And, in case you missed it, here is our annual Christmas letter:
The Petersons :: Christmas 2012
As I sit down to write this year’s edition of “Keeping Up With The Peterson’s” I am humbled and amazed by all that God has blessed us with this year. This year we’ve experienced new life, grown up a bit, and had exciting adventures.
Perhaps the most significant event of this year was the birth of our second son. Jacob Daniel was born on July 26th in Seattle. We had a somewhat difficult delivery, but in the end Jacob was born healthy and happy. I call him my dream baby because that’s exactly what he is–dreamy! He’s adorable, cuddly, and sweet all the time. He’s been sleeping through the night since he was 8 weeks old (the best gift this mama could get!) and he’s growing like crazy. We love our little Be-Ba (the nickname David gave to Jacob when I was pregnant) and feel incredibly blessed to have him in our family. Even though he’s only been with us for 4 ½ months, it’s hard to remember what life was like before he arrived and we can’t imagine our lives without him.
David turned two in October, and he’s amazing. He is a wonderful big brother to Jacob, so gentle and loving. I guarantee you have never met a boy like David. He’s smart as a whip and OBSESSED with balls. “Oh, my boy loved balls when he was little, too!” you’re saying. Not like David. I promise. He practices dribbling, throwing, kicking, catching, bouncing and spinning balls all day long. All. Day. Long. And when he’s not playing with a ball, he’s pumping them up, counting them, singing about them or talking about them (we know David’s awake in the morning when we hear him chanting the names of balls from his bedroom). God has a real sense of humor giving this little jock to me and Jon who literally could not name a single player on a single team of any sport in the country. Guess it’s time for us to learn to love watching football and cheering for basketball teams!
I (Allison) stay home with the boys as a full-time mom/wife/house-keeper/chef/teacher/secretary. I love my job and there’s literally nothing in the world that I’d rather be doing right now! In order to give my life some structure and some other adults to talk with during the day I have a number of activities that I’m involved in during the week. I attend Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), Stroller Strides (a fitness group for moms), and have several friends that I regularly meet with for “play dates” with our kids. I also try to fit in running when I can (I ran in a few half-marathons this year, including one in Southern California last February with my sister and parents). Life is good!
Jon is busy, busy, busy! He continues to work as a Systems Architect at Cypress Semiconductor. A recent promotion has meant long hours and interesting problems to solve, and we are so grateful that he has a good job that allows me to not have to work outside the home. Jon is also a Community Group leader at our church and has been involved with our mobile church’s set-up crew on Sunday mornings. This year has been a busy travel year for Jon with several trips to Europe for work.
We Love, Teach, Grow 