CHRISTMAS LETTER 2007

Merry Christmas 2007! We’re all doing well. I’m learning that people either love or hate Christmas letters. Here’s hoping that you love reading about what and how our family is doing year after year! After all, it’s only a select few that we have chosen to share our lives with! If not, don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon!

Owen turned 3 in September and is quite the strong-willed boy! He is adorable, loving, sweet, talented, outgoing, and smart! He loves pretend play, especially with Jared, and he loves ALL animals, live and stuffed! Everything is “so cute!” -- even Mommy! I just asked him what he wanted me to tell people about him. He said, “I’m a dog!” So, there ya have it! When someone asked him recently what he wanted for Christmas, he very confidently said, “I want a laptop and a guitar and a roller coaster!” And when he’s in a whiny mood, he tells me “we need BLUE Play-Doh” -- which he'll get in his stocking!

Jared is 8 and will be 9 in February. He’s Owen’s favorite playmate and Nathan’s favorite wrestling partner! Jared loves board games, football, baseball, singing, and drawing. We are so thankful to a dear friend from church who is teaching the boys the basics of art. She’s so encouraging to them, and he thrives on that! He’s always active and on the go. He has quite an imagination, and still enjoys pretend play. Did I mention that he’s also adorable, loving, sweet, talented, outgoing, and smart?!

Nathan, our oldest, will be 11 in March! His two favorite passions are cooking and football! He discovered Hardy Boys books this year and is reading them like crazy, along with a variety of other books! He also enjoys history, baseball (Go Red Sox), socializing, and Contemporary Christian Music. He’s learning to play guitar. He, too, is adorable (ok, “handsome” is probably a better word at 10 3/4!), loving, sweet, talented, outgoing, and smart!

Jim is hanging in there. He is still at FedEx Freight, driving nights. Sleeping days and working nights continues to take its toll on him. We remain hopeful that God will move him to days in the near future! He has recently begun working with a chiropractor and a naturopath to improve his overall health.

I am still passionate about scrapbooking, memory keeping, and paper crafting. We purchased a digital camera last spring, and I’ve been taking pictures almost daily since! It took me a while to go digital, but I finally did, and I love it! I recently started a BLOG, sharing ideas, pictures, experiences, etc. I add to it pretty regularly. Check it out at www.just1joie.blogspot.com

This has been a trying year for my family. In March, my father had his 2^nd hip replaced. In July, he had both knees replaced, plus he had shingles pretty badly at the time and a number of months after that. Then he just recently lost his brother.

We feel blessed to have all of you in our lives. We only wish we could see each other more often, but, in some cases it’s just not possible, so Christmas greetings will have to suffice.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2008!

Warm Christmas blessings,

The DeFayette Family

Jim and Joie, Nathan, Jared & Owen

Recently I discovered this Christmas song, and I just had to share it! Just click here so you can hear it!

It’s not just about the manger where the baby lay.
It’s not all about the angels who sang for Him that day.
It’s not just about the shepherds or the bright and shining star.
It’s not all about the wise men who traveled from afar.

It’s about the cross, it’s about my sin,
it’s about how Jesus came to be born once so that we can be born again.
It’s about the stone that was rolled away,
so that you and I could have real life someday. It’s about the cross.

It’s not just about the presents underneath the tree.
It’s not all about the feeling that the season brings to me.
It’s not just about coming home to be with those you love.
It’s not all about the beauty in the snow I’m dreaming of.

It’s about the cross, it’s about my sin,
it’s about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again.
It’s about the stone that was rolled away,
so that you and I could have real life someday. It’s about the cross.

The beginning of the story is wonderful and great,
but it’s the ending that can save you, and that’s why we celebrate!

It’s about the cross, it’s about my sin,
it’s about how Jesus came to be born once so that we could be born again.

It’s about God’s love nailed to a tree.
It’s about every drop of blood that flowed from him when it should’ve been me.
It’s about the stone that was rolled away,
so that you and I could have real life someday. It’s about the cross.

Here are just some of my favorite pictures from this past year. Nathan and Jared with the canon is from the trip we took to the Wilder farm near Malone, NY. Almanzo Wilder was the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was his childhood home. The boys are watching an emergency call from the front porch screen door!
There are so many more pictures that I love from this past year, but I have to stop somewhere! Have a blessed Christmas and a healthy and happy new year! joie