Christmas with the Campbells

First of all, please take note of the open box on the right hand side of the screen. This has been very helpful for me with other blogs I follow. You simply type in your e-mail address, and Feedburner will e-mail you whenever we update our blog (which I promise to do a lot more often this year!!!).

In addition, Ryan and I have both become active members of Facebook. It is a fantastic way to stay connected to friends on a regular basis, as well as post pictures and videos that we would like to share. Please consider becoming a part of Facebook.

Ok... now to our Christmas. We made it out to Denver on Christmas Eve without many problems. There, my parents were anxiously awaiting our arrival, as well as my brother Jeff and his family (wife Erin, and sons Carson (almost 4), and Kyle (almost 4 months)). We had a great Christmas morning, with so much going on that Carson and Jadyn actually were "tired" of opening presents. It was great fun! My youngest brother Scott and his wife Therese (who live 20 minutes away from us in IL) arrived in Denver on Friday, so we had a little family reunion, and had some family pictures taken. Here are just a few of the good ones.


After pictures, we celebrated a small Christmas with Scott and Therese, ate our Christmas dinner, had a late birthday party for Jadyn and an early birthday party for Jefff, and just enjoyed time with everyone together. Sunday morning, Jeff and his family headed back to Lincoln, NE, and Scott and Therese left early Tuesday morning. We are still in Denver, heading back to Chicago (and real life) on Friday evening. Please pray for our travels!

Our Christmas Newsletter

Ryan’s Report

It’s been a busy year. Thankfully our Mundelein house sold and the Lord led us to Waukegan, closer to my work at the State’s Atty’s Office. Balancing family, work, and ministry is tough, but God is faithful. I’m so thankful for each of you and how you have been a part of our lives. I’m thankful for a good marriage, growing family, and every need being met through Jesus. It was stressful and gratifying to work for the re-election of my boss as Lake County State’s Atty. Through much prayer and effort from many, he prevailed in a tough election. It has also been great to see how Christ has worked through his people in our criminal justice system. Our Lake County Sheriff took the radical step of incarcerating himself for a week in his own jail to bring attention to prison ministry and corrections reform! My sincere prayer for 2009 is to be brought low at the Cross and filled with fresh joy in knowing who Jesus is and what He has done. Along those lines, my understanding of Christ and the Cross has been most powerfully shaped by John Piper’s classic message “Boasting Only in the Cross.” If you get a chance, I would encourage you to check it out at: www.desiringgod.org May the Lord Jesus be our highest treasure and delight in 2009!

Michelle’s Matters

The blessings of this year have been many, and in God’s perfect timing. Moving into a house big enough to hold our then growing family was enough, but the Lord gave us a snowstorm so that I would not have to report to school the day we were moving! Having Andru was a quick adventure. He was born the evening of my last day of work before my maternity leave started, so I had 17 weeks home with both kids before the next school year began. In addition, Andru came with only 2 hours of active labor and less than a 48 hour stay in the hospital! In amazing timing, we found the perfect person from our church to watch our kids this year as I continue to teach part time. God changed the hours that I work as well, allowing for a natural wake-up in the morning, and arrival at home just in time for naps. That has been a huge blessing!
Coaching has had to take a temporary hold, due to my new hours at school and the kids. Though a huge passion, it was a good time to leave as many of my varsity athletes were hurt and the weather caused complication. Again, God’s perfect timing! So hobbies, like saving money and reading have again resurfaced, and I am looking forward to what the Lord has for us in 2009!

Jadyn’s Journey

This year really has been a journey. Since the beginning of the year, I have changed houses and changed bedrooms twice. I went from sleeping in a crib to sleeping in a big girl bed. And, after many traumatic moments, I am now potty trained! I also have learned almost all my letters! Mommy says soon I can learn to write my name!!! I enjoy spending time in my “Dora” room, going to church, coloring (inside the lines), playing with my friend Josh, watching “Clifford, the Big Red Dog,” playing CandyLand, going to the park, and listening to Bible stories from Daddy. I’m going to be 3 soon and am so excited about opening presents.
I am already looking forward to going to school. At least once a day, I put on my Dora backpack and ask Mommy and Daddy if I can go to school. Mommy and Daddy just hope that my passion for school is this strong once I actually get there. You can pray that it will be. Adios! (I’m learning a little Spanish too!)

Andru’s Account

Hi, I’m Andru Jarred. I was born on April 25, 2008, so I’m 7 months now. I can now sit up on my own and love to laugh and smile, especially when my big sister Jadyn runs in circles around me! I’m a very happy little guy who loves to spend time in my crib, especially when I’m tired. My Mommy just wishes that my sleep patterns during the day were a little more predictable. My friend Nathan and I get together almost every day. He’s a little older than me because he can walk, but I’m learning a lot from him.
I can’t wait until I’m older when I will be able to play catch with Daddy, ride on the tractor with Grandpa Barry, and cruise in a convertible with Grandpa Ken. For now, I’m eating my fruits and veggies (except peas!) with my cereal, and watching everything that goes on around me. And I have a new cousin, Kyle, who is younger than me, whom I get to meet at Christmas time. I’m excited!

The Dogs Deal

This is Carmel and BJay. We’re feeling a little neglected these days. Since Jadyn arrived 3 years ago, we have ceased to be the main attraction. When Andru came along in April, life as we had known it was officially over. But . . . we found a way to get even. We refused to learn how to use the doggie door to the back yard of our new house! And they thought that door would save them lots of time with us! Our victory was completewhen, a couple of weeks ago, the doggie door was officially removed for good. A small victory for small dogs! Overall, life is still good. We still get to take long car rides down to the farm. Things just aren’t as focused on us as they were before Jadyn and Andru invaded our world!

Summer of 2008

This has been quite a summer for the Koehl family, as we adjust to adding Andru to our family. But we had a lot of fun! We just wanted to share with you some of the fun things that we did.

Great America
Jadyn went to Great America with her Uncle Scott and Aunt Therese. There, she rode many rides, like the merry-go-round, the octopus, the ballons, a roller coaster, and even met Scooby Do.

Colorado
We all headed out to Colorado for a week to visit Grandma and Grandpa Campbell. The weather was very hot (record setting), so we tried to find some "cool" things to do while there. Jadyn had a blast playing with in the water in Grandma and Grandpa's back yard. Andru enjoyed just observing everything that was going on.
We found an indoor amusement park and children's museum that Jadyn had a blast at!
We also spent a lot of time just hanging around Grandma and Grandpa's house. There, Andru bonded with Grandpa, while Jadyn just had fun being cute!

Around Home
In our new house, Jadyn and Andru spent a lot of time at the park, walking in the stroller with Michelle, and just playing with the many different toys in the house. Here are some pictures.
Michelle has started school already, so the school year is going to be busy, but we are all looking forward to getting into a routine, and counting the days until Christmas when we get to go back to Colorado!!!