Our Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe another year is done! We can look back on this year thanking the Lord for His goodness and enduring love. We wanted to give you a glance at what happened in our lives, so here’s a quick summary of some of the major events of our year.

January- At the end of the month we found out that Tim had testicular cancer.

February- Tim had his first surgery. We were so thankful for how flexible my school was with giving me the time off I needed to be with Tim at his appointments and for his surgery, even though my requests were last minute.

March- At the beginning of the month, we called family to let them know that we were pregnant! The doctor gave us a due date of November 2nd. We also enjoying having Beth visit us during her spring break. While she was here, we were able to take a trip to Jamestown. Another fun event was our trip to Washington D.C. to visit our friends, Garrett and Amanda Lee. It was absolutely beautiful at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

April- Tim had his second surgery. The lymph nodes taken out tested cancer free. We praise the Lord for his goodness! During this trying time, God used the church family at Colonial Baptist to surround us with God’s love and encourage us to look to God. We so much love our church family down here!

May- We enjoyed being able to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Tim also finished off the school year.

June- This was a busy month for us as I finished my fourth and final year of teaching, and Tim attended a summer school class. One highlight in June was that I had my first ultrasound, and we found out we were having a boy. Thankfully, we were able to get the ultrasound before heading up to Michigan to spend time with our family. We also celebrated our one year anniversary. (How time flies.)

July- We spent the 4th of July in the U.P. with Tim’s family and enjoyed the parade, cook-out, and fireworks. Tim had the opportunity to preach at his home church, and they also threw a surprise baby shower for us. I was thankful that my parents were able to come up for the baby shower.

August- Tim began his last year of seminary.

September- We enjoyed having Sarah come visit us, and she was able to come to the baby shower that the church threw for me. Tim had his three month check-up to make sure he is still cancer free. We are rejoicing at his good report! We also began our childbirth classes at the end of the month, making the coming of Micah seem so much closer!

October- We waited for Micah to come! We finished all of the little projects to make sure we were ready for baby.

November- The highlight of the month was definitely the birth of Micah James Hill on November 11th. He weighed 8 lbs. and 4 oz. We are thankful for a healthy baby boy! We enjoyed visiting with Mom and Dad Ahtila when they came down to meet Micah.

December- Micah had his 3 week old appointment, weighing in at 10 lbs. (He loves his food!) He’s a healthy, happy baby. We look forward to having Mom and Dad Hill and Beth come visit us and meet Micah at the end of the month.

Looking Ahead- Tim has one class left this coming semester, followed by graduation in May. We’re praying about the possibility of going on a trip to Israel with the seminary shortly after graduation. We’re also seeking wisdom as to where God wants us to serve Him after Tim’s graduation.

And that’s a quick look at our year. God’s mercies sustained us, and we’re looking forward to the joys, challenges, and grace that He will give for 2009!
Merry Christmas!