Dear friends,
Christmas greetings from East Central Alberta!
They say that the days are long but the years are short, but—especially since the birth of our fourth—it seems like the days are too short, too. Suddenly it's December 23 and we haven't sent out any Christmas cards. So here's a little attempt to get back in touch and give an update.
This is our third Christmas in Alberta, but with the strange Covid-y world we were in, there are still many firsts. First off (and nothing to do with Covid), it's the first Christmas for a new person: Elizabeth Lucy Jackson, "Ellie," born January 18. The kids have loved having a baby, and Eva especially has loved having a sister. I'm amazed when I think about God's generous kindness in giving us these four kids to raise. Nevertheless, the year has given me a few dozen more gray hairs and at least one screw loose (yesterday I found a block of cheddar cheese in the drawer with my oven mitts...and then couldn't remember why I'd opened the drawer).
After two years of border restrictions and bizarrely-timed obstacles, my parents have finally booked tickets for their first trip to Canada after Christmas. The separation from family has been painful this year. Thankfully, we were able to go down in July to introduce Ellie to her grandparents and aunts/uncles/cousins, and her great-grandpa. The visit was a sweet gift, but not nearly long enough.
Last week we celebrated one of Dan's dreams in moving back to Alberta: a church Christmas drama/program at the theater our church owns, The Living Room. As the world has been coming back to normal, Dan has had more and more opportunities to help at the theater, and he is loving it. I am sure we have the best sound system in a small movie theater in East Central Alberta, and the lighting is also coming along.
It was a good year for the farm, despite (sometimes because of?) the volatility in grain markets around the world. Once again, the kids loved ride-alongs at seeding and harvest. And, once again, we watched the miracle of life unfold: soil, seeds, rain, sunshine, growth, abundance, harvest (also weeds and gophers). There are always more projects than Dan can get to, but it is clear he is in the right place.
The Lord continues to provide good friends and warm community here. This year we were able to plug in more with local homeschoolers and start Eva (7 [how is she 7???]) in piano and swimming lessons. She is flourishing with school and reading anything she can get her hands on. Ben (4) is ready to start reading whenever his parents are ready to spend just a little bit more time on it. He is taking after Dad with a mechanical mind and is already starting to explain to me how things work. Sam (2) is probably behind most of my gray hairs; he's a busy guy with a huge personality and a million ideas. He can't wait until he can go to work with Dad at the farm. Ellie is a sweet, mostly easy-going baby, except that she believes her bed is a prison. She's getting close to walking, and I foretell she'll be giving Sam a run for his money in the race for who can give Mom more gray hairs.
In June, I stepped down from my job as Legal Writing professor for Oak Brook College of Law (something I'd been doing since 2006!). I have been hosting a Bible Reading Challenge with some dear ladies here and trying to find other ways to exercise gifts that mesh better with my current vocation. Someday soon I would like to write something other than the odd Facebook status. Not a lot of reading happened this year, but my top authors were Wendell Berry and Rod Dreher. Favorite Bible book was Ecclesiastes. Make of that what you will.
The expat experience (and just the general process of getting older in this beautiful but badly bent world) continues to teach me about the longing for Heaven. And Advent this year has been more than ever about echoing that story of the First Long Wait, longing like the prophets of old for another coming we can scarcely comprehend. O come, O come, Emmanuel. Come and dwell with us again.
And, while we wait, if you ever want to come check out Alberta, small-scale-large-scale grain farming, or historic small town theaters with epic sound systems, we've got a seat at the table/tractor/theater for you!
Love,
Emily
PS - Freed from the strictures of Canada Post and the USPS, I can now send you a song! https://www.youtube.com/
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