Volk Family Pictures

A friend's son was taking pictures for a fundraiser. I rarely buy fundraisers, but this was one I didn't mind paying $30 to help with his robotics team. The photo session was 5 minutes so it was short and sweet. I smiled as I watched each of my kids smile for an individual shot. I'm so grateful for these pictures and my family I love dearly. 

Adelaide age 3

Eleanor age 5

Austin age 8 

Eli age 10

While I'm here, I thought I'd include a copy of our family Christmas letter for this year! My only regret is that I didn't include that Austin got baptized this year. He got baptized in March and I wanted to include that in the letter, but I forgot. 

Eli (10) – 5^th grade, viola, flag football, summer swim team, piano, reading, teasing siblings

 

Austin (8) – 3^rd grade, Pokémon, Legos, soccer, piano, summer swim team, trading fidgets at school

 

Eleanor (5) – kindergarten, dance, artistic, learning to read, tried soccer, but danced on the field instead

 

Adelaide (3) – music class, story time, errands with mom, asks when she can go to school

 

Amanda – turned 40!!, homemaker, Barre (even talked Aaron into joining her a couple of times), loves any reason to bring people together 

 

Aaron – still in his 30s, learning guitar, teaching early morning seminary, Thailand temple dedication, traveling for work

 

As we close out the year, we reflect upon the birth of Jesus Christ. Like most families, we kept the less admirable characteristics of our family out of our letter! Who wants to hear about how much we fight and insult each other? But, like most families, we do that from time to time. We find ourselves in constant need of forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Thankfully, we can find all of that through and because of our Savior! And so can you and your families! We echo the testimony of John the Revelatory who said, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9). The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow declared, “The dawn is not distant, nor is the night starless; Love is eternal! God is still God, and His faith shall not fail us; Christ is eternal!” We honor Christ for His infinite and atoning sacrifice which strengthens us in our weakness and makes us whole again when we do wrong. We invite all to know the joy of following Christ! Merriest Christmas! Love, the Volks