Our 2008 Family Christmas Letter

What a wild ride the Ferguson family has enjoyed in 2008. We've experienced new life, new lessons learned, new highs and new lows, and new appreciation for all God has given us...

Of course, the big news of 2008 was the birth of our first daughter, Brynlee Sage, in July. She is a beautiful baby girl as she now approaches the six-month mark. She has a wonderful smile and laugh that fills our house with joy, and her engaging blue eyes will grab you from across the room. She has been spoiled already from the amount of time that mom holds her and the amount of attention that the boys pay to her. Thankfully, she has been a good sleeper and a good eater. She has truly been an awesome addition to our family.

Kale continues to be the ham of the family, making everyone laugh every day. We have all decided that he is the one most likely to be a musician when he gets older. His favorite toy (right after his stuffed animal Buzz) is his guitar - not a day goes by that he isn't playing that guitar while he watches the Wiggles and sings along. He's not crazy about the new guy on the Wiggles, but when we find old videos with Greg, Kale will sing and dance right along with him. It is hilarious to watch. Kale, even though he is only two, talks like he is eight. He can articulate what he wants so well that we sometimes forget that he is only two. He has had a great year growing up into a little boy with more personality than he knows what to do with.

Kamden is the compassionate one in our family, who always wants to make sure that we do things "together." He desires that no one be left out during any activity, and this expands to include his friends at school (Mother's Day Out) and his friends from church. He is the thinnest of the boys, but he can put away some breakfast, usually eating more of daddy's pancakes than anyone else. Kamden is a night-owl like his dad, which leads to some funny moments when Mom can't get him moving in the morning and can't get him to quit talking in the evening. It is very common for mom and dad to find Kamden sneaking into their bed around 10:00pm in order to share a detailed story that he thinks we need to hear about. Kamden turned three in 2008, and he is truly a joy to all who know him.

Kade is the leader of the crew, and having turned five in 2008, he believes he has now reached the age where he officially knows what is best in every situation. And not only will he tell you what he believes the right decision is, he will give you his list of 14 reasons why his thinking makes the most sense. Kade's personality is so strong that he can sometimes clash with his parents and his teachers, but he can also lead others to do what is right when his heart is in the right place. Kade continues to amaze everyone with his sharp intellect and quick wit, and he is going to constantly push mom and dad to make sure they are teaching him something new. Kade's passions this year include the transformers and his friend down the street, Madeline. Everything else stops when he is watching the former or playing with the latter.

Barie continues to request prayers for her daily sanity and patience as she supervises the craziness that is four small, growing kids at home. She is continuing to learn how to multitask at every increasing levels - whether it is helping the kids with arts and crafts, getting them dressed, making meals, cleaning up after them, playing games with them, or just enjoying a quiet moment reading them a book. Barie continued to expand her social network in 2008 as God opened doors for her to meet and connect with even more women in our neighborhood and in our community. With the small amount of time that she has left after shepherding four kids, spending time with her husband, and connecting with other ladies, she enjoys blogging, photography (especially of her kids), scrapbooking, and falling asleep during movies.

Keith continues to pastor Hill Country Bible Church Round Rock, which started in September of 2007. We celebrated our church's one-year anniversary this September with lots of great memories shared and cupcakes for everyone. The church has continued to grow throughout 2008, and our elders have decided to plant our first church in 2009 (by the date of our second anniversary). We are so thankful for a great church family, and the many lives that have been impacted in 2008. Keith was able to travel to central Asia in April with two other church leaders to teach spiritual leadership to first-generation pastors from one of the closed countries in the region - what a powerful experience. Keith's strangest experience of 2008 was his week-long stay in the hospital in October after he suffered a seizure as a result of a sinus-infection gone wild. He is continuing to see the doctors in follow-up visits, but so far everything has gone well.

2008 has been a year on incredible growth, both in the size of our family and the size of our faith. God has reminded us continually that He is in control and that our primary challenge is to trust Him as He leads us along. May this Christmas season bring you greater faith in the God who loved you enough to send His Son on your behalf. Merry Christmas!