Christmas Letter 2008

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

It’s been an eventful year in the Peterson house.
Here are a few highlights:

Sweet baby Benjamin Jacob was born on September 15th. Weighing in at 7lbs 10oz, he was one and half pounds lighter than his sister at birth, which made delivery a breeze! We are just starting to catch glimpses of his personality as he smiles and laughs at us. He found his voice
early, and loves to serenade us on a regular basis. We are so grateful that God has blessed us with another baby to love, and we are excited to watch him grow up.

Natalie turned two in August and has the personality to match. There is never a dull, or quiet, moment when she is around. She has become quite the little mother, imitating me as I care for Ben. It is amazing to watch her imagination work. Recently she has been narrating conversations between her toys, or sippy cups, or anything that she can hold onto. Her bright smile and contagious belly laugh light up our home.

Jake and I had a great year. We found out we were pregnant in January (with Ben); Jake made his fifth trip to Puebla, Mexico in March; in July we hosted both our families in our home, and recovered from their visits by heading to a cabin for a relaxing, kid-free vacation with some dear friends; and in August we celebrated our sixth anniversary. Now our energy is focused on figuring out how to be the parents of two children—I think we’re up to the challenge.

We are excited about the opportunities to be ministers of the Gospel of Christ as a family in 2009. There are some great things happening with Jake’s ministry with College Students at Bethel Church. He is currently preparing to bring another team to Mexico in March.

As we stand here at the end of another year, we can’t help but marvel of God’s unrelenting goodness in our lives. And the greatest goodness He has shown mankind is sending His son Jesus to save the world. It is our prayer that you will experience God’s presence in the person of Jesus Christ in your life this coming year.

Merry Christmas!

Jake, Amy, Natalie, and Ben Peterson