MERRY CHRISTMAS to our friends and family here, near and far!!! Oh how we wish we could catch up with all of you over a cup of Starbucks (yes, we are coffee snobs; but it tastes better cuz it's free) Christmas blend, but our simple little blog will have to do for now.

We rejoice in the celebrated birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as he came as a tiny,completely dependent baby so many years ago. It seems so hard to slow down in this fast-paced world we live in and truly appreciate the little things that provide so many blessings (we have tried to do this more often as of late).

Daryl just finished 2 classes this semester at Moody Theological Seminary. The learning and training time is so valuable to him and he looks forward to each class. He wrote a very impressive (50 page) 6-week small group study of Genesis for his last project! We are hoping to "test it" with our own church small group soon. Daryl is still working for Just Energy and plugs away in the outdoors going door-to-door protecting fluctuating gas rates. It's been a slower season than we were hoping, but he perseveres...

Monica continues her time at Starbucks, but is keeping some options open for something a little more stable. But in the meantime, she pereseveres...

We are soooooo excited to be going home to see Daryl's family for 4 days between Christmas and New Years. This will be the first time we have gone home for the holidays in 2 years since we've moved to Illinois. We can't wait to see everyone, even if it's short-lived.

The ground is already covered in snow here and we've had some days with negative temperatures, so it seems winter is here to stay for a little while. We are thankful for a warm house, a comfy bed and food to eat. God is good all the time, even if we don't always recognize it! Thank you all for your pray and support. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Daryl, Monica, Zenon, Zebrina, Zurg and Zagnut.

Fall of 2009

On September 18,2009 we celebrated our 10th anniversary!!! It's so hard to believe that this much time has passed already! We went camping at Illinois Beach State Park right on the beach of Lake Michigan (there are actually waves). Having some time away to enjoy nature and the sunshine was great for us and camping always seems to to relax the mind and body.

In early October my family was able to come and visit us before they head south for the winter. We enjoyed a week with them (even though we had to work) staying with us. It was so nice to have them visit since we didn't think we would see them for another 6 months. My mom just sold her house this fall and will be looking for another house sometime in the spring. Daryl and I are hopefully planning a trip to visit in March while they are in Orlando.

I also am a new vocalist for our church's worship team and I just finished singing for 2 of our weekend services! It went really well and I'm looking forward to the next time.

3 days after my family left for PA, Daryl's mom flew out to spend the weekend with us! It was so nice to have family visit since we don't get to see them very often. We were able to take her out for dinner and a movie, which was a nice treat for all of us.

Daryl contiues to enjoy his classes and is looking forward to which classes are available for next semester. So for now we, continue to hold down the fort in Chicagoland...