Christmas Letter 2007

Needless to say, I had a rather difficult time getting this year's Christmas Letter out in early December. It didn't even get to anyone before Christmas, but I guess that's good enough. Now I feel behind in everything, especially since Luke and I just got home from Wisconsin this afternoon. I have a mixture of feelings - being happy to be home and back with Chris but missing my family and nervous of getting back to real life. Simon was an absolute doll while at my parents (and ANGEL baby, Nic!), so he'll hopefully keep that up! I hope to be back to the blogging scene soon . . .

December 22, 2007
Dear Family & Friends:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I’m having a hard time getting this year’s letter to you – my time has been monopolized by my children lately. Yes, we now have children - two boys!

Simon Clarence Bruno was born on December 3 at 5:17 a.m. He weight 8 pounds, 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. We praise God for another healthy and handsome boy. Simon means “hearing” in the Hebrew language; we pray that Simon will hear and obey Jesus Christ at an early age. In giving our son the middle name Clarence, we pray that he will be grow to be loving, sensitive, compassionate and diligent. We pray that he will love Jesus with complete trust and perseverance with faith during life’s valleys. We pray that he will one day be a kind, humble man – like his namesake – my grandpa, Clarence Salesky. Simon Clarence may have an “old fashioned” name, but those who knew my grandpa – and knew all of these qualities to be true in him – will, when they hear “Simon Clarence,” smile and understand.

Luke has handled this big transition very well – an answer to many prayers of my own. He loves his baby Simon and is often very helpful. He had his 3rd birthday in July, so now is almost 3 and a half. He is very creative and imaginative, full of energy (which can easily turn problematic if he doesn’t get some hard wrestling in with his dad) and also sweet and loving. A highlight for him this year was our family vacation to Mackinac Island. He loved going on the ferry, watching fudge being made (and eating it!), and staying in a hotel just with Mom and Dad. He also loves reading (weekly trips to the library for new books is a must), coloring & painting, swimming and anything that involves running or jumping – inside or out!

We are not sending this letter to you from Scotland – where we expected we would be at this time last year. Shortly after Chris received his acceptance letter from the University of Aberdeen, God changed our plans; and by April, we were looking forward to moving to IL – where Chris was accepted into the PhD program at Wheaton College Graduate School. After a year of living near Chris’ family – a blessing in so many ways – in late July, we moved into our condo in Carol Stream, IL – just a couple miles from the school. Chris has enjoyed his time at Wheaton so far; we are very thankful for God’s leading us here. We also enjoy this very central location to all of our family (a 5-hour drive from everyone). We anticipate being in this area for at least 3 years – which means that our address will be the same for a little while! (This is our 6th address in our 6 years of marriage.)

We pray you are enjoying the goodness of God through Jesus Christ this Christmas. Our home is a bit more hectic right now than in Christmases past, but we are so very thankful for the Lord’s kindness to us. It has been special to watch Luke learn about Christmas and God’s redemption story, which certainly didn’t begin or end with Jesus’ birth. And having our sweet Simon – in all of his fragility and dependence – gives us fresh thanksgiving and amazement at the love and humility of Christ to become human, and in many ways fragile and dependent, like we are. We pray you have a very merry Christmas.

With much love,
Chris, Katie, Luke and Simon Bruno