December 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19
We pray that you are enjoying this Christmas season, resting in the comfort of God's grace, and celebrating the gifts that only God can give.
This year has been filled with many new adventures, as only life with an active little boy can. We began the year with a baby and now have a very creative, smart, and active little boy. Liam has indeed become the center of activity in our home, and we are so blessed that he is our son. Almost every day, Liam adds a new word to his vocabulary, which means we must be selective with what we say. Liam loves to help mommy with all her chores and especially loves to cook in the kitchen. Bath-time continues to be one of his favorite activities. He would stay in the water all day if we let him. He has become quite good at rearranging things around the house and hiding things. He loves to play with daddy and runs to the door to greet him when he comes home from work. He is sweet and gentle with Daisy and tolerates her kisses. We are so proud of all his accomplishments. His cheerful disposition is contagious and he leaves an imprint on the lives of everyone he meets. God has great plans for Liam and we are excited to see what those are.
Dave continues to work with Thrivent Financial and enjoys what he does. He started the year by settling into a new office, which has been a great blessing. He touches so many lives, not just by helping people plan for the future, but by genuinely caring for all his clients and viewing his profession as a ministry. Tiffany started the year by helping with choreography for Concordia High School’s production of “West Side Story.” She also substitute taught in first and third grade classes for teachers who went on maternity leave. It was good to teach again, but made her realize she is not meant to work full-time right now. She is blessed with a part-time job this school year as a Special Education teacher at two Lutheran Schools. She is hired through Lutheran Special Education Ministries and teaches two mornings at Suburban Bethlehem and two afternoons as Ascension Lutheran. Tiffany loves being able to stay home with Liam the majority of the week and still teach. She is also finishing up her Masters in Special Education and is set to graduate in June 2012. She is in the middle of writing her thesis/special project. The whole family will be grateful when she is done with classes!
We made many family memories this year. When Dave turned 30 in March we celebrated with an 80’s themed surprise party. We also spent a weekend in Chicago, and left Liam overnight for the first time. Liam was in good hands with his Uncle Rick and Aunt Anna. In addition to numerous trips to the park and zoo, we took a family vacation with Tiffany’s family to Branson, Missouri in June. Liam was great on our road trip. Some of the highlights were “Noah’s Ark” the musical, a dinner cruise, a couple’s massage, plenty of time in the pool, and the children’s museum in Saint Louis. In November, Tiffany joined the 30 club and we celebrated with a weekend away to a spa in Detroit. Liam stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Kusch and was spoiled, of course. Even the ordinary, daily routines are an adventure for us. Liam adds such enthusiasm and joy to everything we do.
We look forward to all the ways that God will use our family in 2012 and anticipate the new adventures He sends our way. We are currently on a waiting list to adopt again. We trust that God’s timing and plan are perfect and He will bless us with another child when the time is right.
We wish you a very merry Christmas and happy New Year.
With Love,
David, Tiffany & Liam Herman
