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.