Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!  We pray that this will be the most memorable and happiest of times for you and your family.  May the joy, peace and love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ be with you and inhabit your life each and every day.

 

Erin Hope's family has been very busy these past couple of months.  Erin Hope's parents had their 13th wedding anniversary in November and the whole family went to the mountains of Tennessee for several days.  We all enjoyed the cabin we rented and the view was spectacular.  It was so good to get away from our routine to just be together.

 

The family also went to the Victory Junction Gang Camp's ( www.victoryjunction.org )  open house.  We met the Pettys and other great people there.  Erin Hope's sister also got to go to camp recently on a "sibling's weekend".  She really enjoyed it and came back exhausted from all of the fun activities.  We were also invited to the camp's first annual Holiday Party with lots of fun things for the kids, really good food, and visiting with our new friends/family.  We were able to meet Richard Petty this time as well as visit again with the Kyle Petty family.

 

Erin Hope's home church has recently completed building a new Family Life Center.  We are so excited about it in many ways, but especially the "Playroom of Hope", a beautiful playroom inside the building named in honor and in memory of Erin Hope.  Outside of the Playroom on the wall is a display of several drawings of Erin Hope's with a picture of her and a dedication message from the family.  Inside the playroom are multiple mural paintings of a story that asks, "Ever Wonder About Heaven?", a story of what heaven could be like for a child.  Also, there is playground equipment for the young ones to jump, climb, slide, and have a great time!  It is so beautiful!  We will post pictures soon.

 

Our Christmas decorating has been slow but almost complete.  We could not bring ourselves to go through the old decorations this year since we know there are many that Erin Hope made herself through the years that we always put on.  Instead, we bought all new tree decorations and stockings.  We did make a special ornament of an angel with the inscription, "Erin Hope 1st Christmas in Heaven 2004".  It was also our turn at hosting the Christmas celebration for Erin Hope's Dad's family but Erin Hope's aunt offered to host this year.  We were so thankful.

 

We miss Erin Hope so badly, as do many of her friends.  This holiday season will be extremely difficult but we know the Lord Jesus will grant us grace, as He always does.  He is our only true HOPE.  Through all of the hustle and bustle of Christmas, please take time this season to spend with your family and let them know how special and loved they are.  Share the true story of Christmas with someone this holiday season.  May God bless you!  We love you!

 

God is good...ALL the time!!!