Hello to all our family and friends:

As Chris, Kayla, Kallel and I bring in this New Year together I thought I’d share a few thoughts with all of you.  

This year has been a long and trying one that at times most of us did not think we’d make it through together as a family. As God has continued to grace us we’ve made it through 2 moves – one initial one to Colorado Springs, CO and then permanently to Denver. Kallel returned to Cleveland to stay with his father and family while visiting us on holidays and summer vacations. We’ve made it through hard stretches financially, emotionally and spiritually.

Kayla has grown – A LOT! She is in preschool learning ballet, reading, Spanish and sign language. The girl comes home talking to me in Spanish and I have no idea what she is talking about! It has made me enroll in a Spanish course this semester during my pursuit for my Bachelor’s degree, just so I can understand her. She is an upbeat, feisty ball of energy that keeps us going constantly! Kayla also took her first plane ride this year. She flew out to see her brother and father in Ohio. Chris said she was a perfect road buddy and took everything in stride; until she got to O’Hare airport. They missed a flight due to Denver’s long security, so they had to switch flights in Chicago. All the people, announcements and bustle got to her and she got frightened. But once they we’re back on their way she was awesome!  

Kallel is doing great at his dads. His reading has improved significantly and he’s acing all his spelling tests! We are very proud of him through out all the change. He is already half my height (which isn’t saying much at all =) and ready to come spend the summer so he can take karate and boxing classes. He played flag football this year and his team the Rams made it to second place.

As for Chris and I– we’ve had a long year! Between the moves Chris took a position with National Cinemedia, a cinema advertising company here in Denver. What you ask? Ya know the Twenty and advertising that plays before the movies you go see (If you’ve made it on time?) they are the company that put that advertising together for all Cinemark, Regal and AMC theaters. Chris’ job as a Project Manager and Trainer is to travel all over the U.S. and audit theaters to make sure the programs are running properly and advertising is up where it is suppose to be. To make a long story short – he loves his job! He also completed and edited his first novel – Heaven Falls and is currently working on the second in the series. He has endured long nights and bouts with hell to get the first one done. I am very proud of him and continue to support and believe in him. In January we sent the manuscript off to Sundance for reviews.  Stewart – we owe you a lot of praise and thanks and will be calling soon for dinner!   

I have begun finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Sociology. Yeah I know – my dad told me I was crazy too. But let me explain… I took a sociology class this year and found that I LOVED IT! I had to do several Power Point Presentations: Bringing Peace in the Middle East and Designing a Political Party which allowed me to ace the class and my professor asked me if he could use the power points for his next classes as examples. So I changed my minor to sociology. I found that all the years I spent just living in this world through my own closed tunnel, I had not paid attention to what was going on around me – past and present – once I got really involved with it this semester, it changed me. Chris and I would sit up and talk for hours about the world, generations, poverty, classes and the war. (He was a Sociology Major as well) I have to stick with the Marketing because I will be handling the majority of our business transactions and PR for our company Sanford House Press.

I also want to tell you guys about my new job. I am going to work for a company called Pride Marketing. Pride is a premier group of over 125 distributors of restaurant equipment, foodservice equipment and kitchen supplies; they are relocating from New Orleans due to the horrible Hurricane Katrina. I will be their Marketing Department Manager. I am proud to be going to work for this company and beginning a long term career. Pride has been vastly affected by the devastation in LA, most of the employees relocated to Houston shortly after and set up a temporarily location until Rita hit. The CEO’s decided they we’re tired of running from hurricanes and disasters and chose Denver as a safe, dry spot. I had an opportunity to meet and spend time with the remainder of the Marketing Department’s staff last month in Texas.

I have to say I have never seen a group of people more determined to rebuild a company, and their own lives, in the mist of the tragedies. I know we all watched the news on CNN and saw some of the disaster but for me to hear their stories first hand, watch the tears fall as they remembered and then smiles as they told me how their vendors gathered together to help them rebuild, donated food, clothing and personal items just for them to get back on their feet was amazing to me. What I realized was whatever I had been through in this year was trivial compared to them. I am extremely excited to go to work for this company and I hope that you all will pray for me as well as Pride and its members for a prosperous New Year.

Finally, I want to share with you the end of our year. Christmas Eve Chris and I left to take the long 21 hour trip to Ohio and pick up the kids so they could be home in time for Santa. On Friday night, Chris hit a deer in Iowa. The VUE took a hard hit and Chris was pretty shaken up. As I stepped out of the car and called 911, I stood there shaking – not in fright of what happened to the car or to the deer or if we we’re going to make it to Ohio, but because I realized that as I slept and Chris drove – I could have woken up to him possibly being dead after the accident. All of our trials over the last few months and our struggles went out the window. Nothing mattered more then God saved us. Help arrived a few minutes later (amazingly – if we were in the city we’d waited hours… LOL… but then again there are no deer in the city. =)

A tow truck driver was sent as an angel since we couldn’t reach our insurance company by phone – their office was closed – he came and took us to his shop that happened to be next to a hotel. We took a room for the night and the tow driver told us not to worry for the night, we’d settle up in the morning. I walked in the room and prayed. Calm came over me as I realized that everything was going to be ok. We didn’t know how, when or what was going to happen or get us to Ohio for the kids, but I was peaceful. Chris came in shaken still and I told him what I felt – how I prayed and what I thought we should do the next morning. We woke the next morning and both of us just got busy. He called American Express and they found us a rental car in Des Moines – an hour away from where we were – all of our belongings we’re in the car and we couldn’t find credit cards or anything! I called our bank and family- everyone came through for us and helped us get through the holiday weekend so we could get kids and come home. Saturn came and towed our car to Des Moines and got us to the airport so we could get our rental car. All in all, we lost about 12 hours and we’re very, very blessed. Everything just fell into place with God’s hand. We drove all night through, rain, fog and determination to get to Cleveland. We arrived at 5 am Christmas morning and picked up the kids. They we’re overjoyed and worried. Kallel told me –“Mommy I didn’t think you’d make it.” I told him “Never doubt when I tell you something and have God on our side.” We turned right around and drove a few hours outside of Toledo until the fog got too thick to continue. The next morning we finished our road trip home happily. We arrived home on the day after Christmas and the kids rushed in the door to see that Santa had not missed them. It was one of the best feelings of the year!

So as we close this year, we are feeling extremely grateful and blessed despite financial and emotional burdens. We are starting the New Year together, as a family, with God in our hearts and love for all of you on our minds. We pray for those less fortunate and realize that we are not as bad off as we could be. Please take a minute of your day and thank God for the blessings that have been bestowed upon you and your family this year. Know that we hope our events can show you that anything is possible. We miss you and wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Chris, Amanda, Kayla and Kallel