Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends! This year has been a roller coaster, but ultimately one of celebration and new beginnings for us. We are grateful to all of you who kept us in your prayers and supported us through our time in Wisconsin while Josh finished school. We have been patiently waiting on the Lord and working hard to get to the point where we were both finished with school and ready for the next chapter of our lives together. This year we celebrate many exciting memories and the relief of getting past the not so exciting ones!

May 17, we celebrated Josh's graduation from Concordia University! We enjoyed having family join us for the ceremony and celebration of this wonderful accomplishment. It was also Josh's 30th birthday this year. So the day after graduation Josh, and his brother Mike, celebrated their big 30 by taking a hiking trip along the coast of Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks in the upper peninsula. (There were still ice formations on the shore!) Of course even with graduation, the journey was not quite over. Josh still had to pass his boards. So after a fun hiking trip, Josh got back into study mode for the next 2 months, with only one small interruption...A JOB!

In June, we celebrated Josh getting his first job as a Physical Therapist at a clinic in northern Illinois. He started part time and then moved to full time in July. Nonetheless, we had a busy summer as Josh was commuting to Illinois for work and studying for his boards. I was still working full time at the counseling clinic and earning clinical hours towards my license. The past year had been very stressful at work for me, so I was counting down the days until we would officially move to Illinois.

The beginning of August, we celebrated the news of Josh passing his boards! There was hugging and I think I did a little jumping in the middle of the living room. Of course I knew he could do it, but the stress of your job dependent on the passing of the boards was a bit much for both of us. There was a big sigh, a great sense of relief and a readiness to look to the future that evening!

August 25, we celebrated our 6th Anniversary by sleeping on an air mattress with just the necessities for one week in our apartment and 2 weeks between visiting family and hotel rooms. September 13, we celebrated moving into our new apartment in Illinois. The smallest of the living arrangements we have had, but filled with the most joy we have experienced in many years! Josh has been very busy at work, but enjoying his work. I have not found work yet, however, I have been celebrating a much needed break that has been a blessing and refreshment to say the least.

December 25, we will enjoy Christmas just the two of us, celebrating our Savior's birth and the amazing year that we have had experiencing His blessings! We look forward to the new blessings we will share in 2014. May your Christmas be filled with His presence and your New Year with many blessings and celebrations!

Blessings,

Josh and Jenean Moore