Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas letter 2011



MERRY CHRISTMAS!




2011 brought some wonderful changes to the Finn household. On January 3, 2011, Eleanor Ruth Finn made her appearance in our world and our family grew to FIVE! We did not learn her gender before her birth, so the announcement "It's a girl!" was an overwhelming joy that day. Baxter and Georgia quickly took to her, loving on her and trying to help take care of her. Spring of 2011 gave us a lot of chances to adjust to life with three littles. Baxter and Georgia took swim lessons to prepare them for some summer travels, and Nathan taught a full load of classes at the seminary. After the spring semester was completed, Nathan traveled to South Asia for a mission trip. His time overseas was fruitful and encouraging to him, the students he traveled with, and the workers that he met while there. Right after he returned, we drove to Florida for our first ever Finn Family Beach Trip. We stayed for a week in St. Augustine with Nathan's parents and brother, sister-in-law and their daughter. The kids loved the time at the beach and the pool, and especially time with extended family! We decided to add an inflatable pool (big enough for all the kids, and for grownups who are sitting down) to our backyard to beat the heat and provide some summertime fun. Before the summer ended, we took a trip to Edisto Island for a getaway for just the five of us, which was fun. The fall flew by, as Nathan taught a large number of students and Leah took her first class in years (an online class at SEBTS). Birthdays abound in the fall, with Baxter's birthday in September and Georgia's and Leah's in October. The Finns celebrated Thanksgiving with friends here in North Carolina, and started potty-training Baxter around the same time as well. The Christmas season has been a time filled with parties, decorations, fun activities and eager anticipation of Christmas Day. We enjoy celebrating the fun of the holiday season while also participating in Advent, the season if longing and anticipation of Christ's coming to earth. It is our prayer that your year has been filled with blessings and evidence of God's grace in your lives. We pray that the peace of Christ would fill your hearts and lives, and that you would celebrate Jesus' birth with us! We love you all!

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-5, ESV 

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