As For Me And My House...

It's about time!

2011-01-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends! Here it is, the end of January and I am finally placing our family update on my blog. Go ahead, say it! IT'S ABOUT TIME!! ;-) Our family hopes that you were blessed you with a wonderful Christmas holiday and a great start to the new year. Even though we, as Christians, tend to focus on the gift of Jesus' birth at Christmas, it is important to remember it all year. We thank God for the gift of salvation offered through the miraculous birth and sacrificial death of his only Son Jesus. It is through faith in this gift that we are given the chance to have a personal relationship with Him and a promised eternity in heaven with Him.

I, Sharla, first started to think about writing this blog back in November. At first glance, life at the Kartak house seems a bit mundane and uneventful. As a result, I didn't think there was much reason for a Christmas letter. However, as I sat and rummaged through our 2010 photos on Christmas day, I realized that there really is a lot to share with you. So here it is, the end of January 2011 and well...It's about time!

Life for me, Sharla. has been pretty basic. Perhaps this is the reason that it took me so long to get this update out. I am blessed to be able to stay at home to raise the girls. I appreciate this more each and every year as the girls are growing up faster and faster it seems. My world revolves around the girls activities, appointments and household responsibilities. For the past few years, I have been able to be a part of a community bible study through New Hope Church. In April, we completed a Beth Moore study and this fall we enjoyed a Patricia Shirer study - both of which I highly recommend. I have also been delving into our family's genealogy. It has been a slow but intriguing process.

Jason celebrated his fifth year at Audio Logic Systems. We are so blessed to be a part of such a great company. As the senior designer he has been extremely busy. This past year has brought a lot of traveling for Jason. Among some of his trips have been Florida, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In July he spent three weeks in Connecticut at which time he also ventured out to New York. In addition to his full-time job at ALS, Jason continues to work at Eagle Brook Church one or two weekends a month. When he is not working, he enjoys ice skating and tball with the girls. In August, he again joined his dad for their annual trip to the NHRA drag races in Brainerd.

Last year was probably the most exciting for Rebecca. For Christmas 2009, she recieved her first pair of ice skates and in January 2010 she began skating lessons. Ice skating quickly became a favorite activity of hers. In the spring, Rebecca learned to ride a two wheel bike. In May she completed her first year of AWANA Sparks and in June she "graduated" from kindergarten. This summer was filled with tball and swimming lessons, vacation bible school and lots of play. In July, Rebecca got her ears pierced which seemed to be a real right of passage into becoming a young lady. It was a special time as grandma Liz was able to be there and share in the experience. This last fall, Rebecca started first grade and learned how to read. Thankfully she love to read. Between September and October Revecca lost four more teeth which robbed the tooth fairy blind ;-) Rebecca also started her second year of AWANA Sparks and joined Pioneer Girls. November brought Rebecca's 7th birthday. We celebrated with a friend's swimming party and a nice family party at our house.

Jescelyn's year was a little less eventful but still exciting. The beginning of the year brought us to physical therapy for her low muscle tone and hyper-flexibility. These issues are ongoing and will be something that will require regular attention. Spring brought gymnastics classes which continued throughout the summer. Jescelyn loves them and will be participating again this year. In April, she turned 3! Due to illness, we needed to postpone her friends party to June but had fun nonetheless. In the fall, Jescelyn started AWANA Cubbies and loves it! Her big sister is her inspiration. Jescelyn wants to do all that Rebecca does. As a result, we have gotten her our on ice skates. On Christmas eve, while mom was helping prepare for Christmas, Jescelyn skated without help for the first time. (I'm a little sad I missed it.) We are excited to see what 2011 holds for her.

On June 3, Jason and I reached our 10 year anniversary. Although we weren't able to do anything specific to celebrate our anniversary, we are thankful for the last ten years together. In August, all four of us traveled down to Okoboji, Iowa where we were able to enjoy the Okoboji Lakes Bible Conference together. My mom was able join us for a good portion of the time there. Having grown up attending the conferences, it was so fun to watch the girls experience what I was able to experience as a little girl. We are already looking forward to the conference this year.

Another joy for our family was to have my brother Darren and his family in the Twin Cities for the summer months. It was a great time to reconnect before their move to Beresford, SD at the end of November. We spent the holiday with the various family members and then traveled to Darren's in Beresford for a few days before the new year.

Thank you to all of you for you friendship. Life is full of ups and downs. It is so good to know that there are friends out there to laugh with you in the good times and help support you in the tough times. No matter how often we talk, I feel so blessed to have such precious people in my life. Blessings in this new year.

Happy Birthday!

2009-12-16T11:52:00.000-08:00

Today is a little bit sweet for me. Seven years ago today I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Kayli Elizabeth-Helen. She was the tiniest most beautiful baby I had ever seen. At just 14 oz 10 inches, her loving Creator had created her with a purpose and designed her for heaven's glory and perfection. For those of you that may be visiting this blog and do not know the story, our precious Kayli was delivered stillborn at just 27 weeks gestational age. As I remember my precious daughter, I am reminded of all of the ways that God, the Creator, has everything under control and that there is always a reason for His allowance of the circumstances in our lives.

I am a bit stunned to realize that it has been seven years already. In so many ways, it doesn't seem that it has been that long. Our lives have continued and my husband and I have since had two beautiful daughters that I love more than life. This does not mean however that on this day each year, I do not find myself reflecting on the events that took place so long ago.

I guess for me the story begins in the summer of 2001. A dear friend and mentor of mine was on her death bed when I shared with her the sense of my heart that our first child would be a girl and that we had chosen the name Kayli Elizabeth. I informed her that we desired to add Helen to the name in honor of her. As tears welled in her eyes she gladly accepted. One year later, almost to the day, we learned we were expecting our first baby. Weeks later we learned it was indeed a girl.

Around November 5,2002 Jason and I learned that our precious baby girl was not growing properly and that she suffered from intrauterine growth retardation (IUR). After the perinatalogist ordered moderate bed-rest and additional testing, we were granted permission to spend that time resting in Florida - a two week trip that would prove to be just what we would need to get through the next month and beyond. Not to mention, pictures and memories of carrying Kayli.

On December 5, 2002 we learned that our precious baby had suffered an intrauterine stroke and that she had less than 5% chance of survival. At our appointment on December 10th, we learned that she had died. Given the option of a DNC or to wait for my body to start labor on its own, we chose the latter. My blood pressure began to spike and I was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia and on December 14th labor was induced. The pre-eclampsia was definitely severe and my labor was stopped and restarted twice due to the danger of stroking. Much of the labor is lost to me as I was so ill. Thankfully, forty hours later, in the early hours of December 16, 2002 I delivered Kayli Elizabeth-Helen without a C-section. Due to the fact that she had died several days before there was the possibility that we would not be able to hold her or even see her. This devastated me! God answered prayers! Born fully in tact, Jason and I were able to hold our baby for several hours. One of the first thoughts that came to my mind was that our precious Kayli was created in all of God's love and perfection. There was no sin or imperfection. Kayli was just as Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden... perfect, beautiful and without sin or blemish. We were able to capture her in pictures and fill our empty arms even if just for a while. Her grandparents and her aunt and uncle were able to see her which was such a treasure. Through our pastor, we chose to dedicate her by acknowledging that our intentions were to have raised her in a Christian home. At the same time, we acknowledge that we were placing her back into God's hands for His care.

Although we knew her spirit was not there but with her Creator... knowing that she had been created for Heaven... giving her tiny body to the nurse for the last time was devastating for us. I don't know if anything that is quite as difficult as leaving the hospital empty handed - knowing that your baby will never be coming home with you. It wasn't until weeks later that we began to see and understand God's reasoning behind giving Kayli to us for such a short time and then bringing her back home to heaven. Autopsy results showed that I have a rare blood disorder that had caused the blood to clot in the placenta. This had caused the IUR and ultimately the stroke that resulted in Kayli's death. Most women with this disorder suffer many miscarriages and never carry the baby long enough to know why. We on the other hand, now knew why. Not only would this discovery prove helpful to me in future pregnancies but also to others in my family as this disorder is genetic.

Six weeks after Kayli's stillbirth I went in for my postpartum check-up and told the doctor that I felt I was pregnant. Saying that it was most likely just my body was probably still a bit confused and trying to get back to normal they had me come back two weeks later. It was at that appointment that Jason and I learned that I was pregnant again... six weeks to be exact. Around 8 weeks (2 months) I was placed on strict bed-rest and given a medication to help with my blood disorder. At that time, they were not sure how things would work out but it was worth a try. After six months of bed-rest, ultrasounds and testing every week labor was induced. On November 5, 2003 - exactly one year to the date we learned Kayli was sick - our daughter Rebecca was born, four weeks early but healthy. In spring of 2007 our youngest, Jescelyn was born...five weeks early but also healthy. Praise God! Had God not brought us through this process, we would never have known about the blood disorder and we may never had been blessed with our other two daughters.

In my journey, I have come to realize that God brings us into different circumstances for a reason. Sometimes it is for several reasons. In many cases, we will never know what the reasons are until we get to heaven. I believe all of the circumstances are brought into our lives to challenge us to grow into better people and/or our relationship with God. Some circumstances have come so that we can help others. We have been blessed by the chance to realize some of God's reasoning within the first year Kayli's death. It prevented the death our other two children and will potentially help to identify problems down the road as this disorder is hereditary. In other ways we are still realizing God's reasoning.

Today as I reflect and remember my precious Kayli and all that we went through seven years ago, I thank God for being the all-knowing, all-loving God that He is. He knew that Kayli would be able to give us the answers we would need to prevent this from happening again. He loved us so much that He chose to bless us with the promise of a child. I feel so priviledged to have been chosen to be Kayli's mother...a child created in all of God's wisdom and perfection. Happy Birthday Kayli!!! We all love you very very much!

Thank you Jesus for my beautiful little girl! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our story of loss and blessing with others. I pray that you will use this story to encourage someone today. Give her extra love today from her mommy and daddy.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2010!

2009-12-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas greetings from our family to yours. Although we, as Christians, strive to make our relationship with Jesus Christ a priority throughout the year, this is the time that we celebrate His blessed birth. Do we dare to imagine what this world would be like if God had not sent His one and only Son to come to this world to die and be the sacrifice for our sin? I dare not. What a blessing it is to know that Jesus came as a precious baby, grew to be the perfect man and willingly died to take our sin, all out of our Creator Father's love for us. Amazing Grace!
May you and your family enjoy a wonderful Christmas as you reflect on this gift.

This year has been an exciting one as we have watched our daughters grow. In May, Rebecca graduated from Crossroads Preschool. She had a difficult time leaving her teachers Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Peterson as she really grew to love them. Rebecca was a busy girl this summer as she was able to participate in both swimming lessons and T-ball. She made both her mommy and daddy proud as she did so well in both sports. T-ball was extra special as she got to do that with Jason. They both really loved having that time together. In September, Rebecca started kindergarten. Her newest achievement has been learning to read. It is really fun to watch her developing those life skills. She has also been part of the AWANA program at New Hope Church. This year she got to start SPARKS and has been doing really well learning her verses. In November Rebecca turned 6 years old! WOW! Our baby girl is growing up so fast. It seems so hard to keep track of it all. She is a social butterfly and loves spending time with her neighborhood and church friends.

Jescelyn turned 2 in April. God has given her such a tender spirit. She loves to do anything Rebecca is doing and then some. This summer she loved to go to Rebecca's t-ball games and swimming lessons. She has no fear of the water. I call her my little dolphin because once she gets in the water she's off "swimming". Her favorite things to do are to play with her neighborhood friends, take care of her "babies"and yes, cuddle. A while ago Jescelyn was diagnosed with low muscle tone and hyperflexibility. As a result she has been in physical therapy for three month periods to help build her muscle tone. Jescelyn has gotten so much stronger and although she is only 2 1/2 years old, one can see she is much more confident in her abilities. I am continually amazed by what she is learning and how she is growing into a such sweet little girl. Jescelyn loves her big sister so much. Although this can cause some sibling rivalry it is so much fun to see them develop their relationship.

Life has been much more routine for Jason and I. Jason is still working for Audio Logic Systems in Bloomington. He has been there for about 5 years now and absolutely loves it. This job keeps him busy as the demands of the job continue to grow and change but we are both so blessed to be a part of the ALS family. We are equally blessed to be a part of the Eagle Brook Church family. Jason has been working with EBC on the weekends as the systems engineer in Lino Lakes for about 4 1/2 years now. As Jason is working seven days a weeks, it can be tough to get quality family time but we have been able to enjoy those little moments much more.

I, Sharla, have been blessed to be able to stay at home with the girls. My world pretty much revolves around the household responsibilities and the girls activities. I have been able to get involved with the Beth Moore bible studies through New Hope Church. In the spring I completed "Believing God" and this fall I started "Esther". These have been wonderful opportunities for me to be able to surround myself with other women that can support, encourage and mentor me in my walk with God. I also joined the Mom's In Touch group through Rebecca's elementary school. That has been a great source of support for me as my spirit struggles with having peace about Rebecca's schooling. There are so many ways in which Satan seeks to get our children's attention and pull them away from God. It has been nice to find prayerful support from other Christian mom's.

We did get a few opportunities to travel with Jason to some of his jobs for Audio Logic this summer. We had a chance to head to Indiana for an overnight stay at a camp while Jason worked a concert for John Eide. In August, Jason's boss, along with his family and our family went down to Okoboji, IA for the Okoboji Bible Conferences. This was a bit nostalgic for me as I grew up attending the conferences. My mom came down from Mt. Lake and we spent three days enjoying the conference, kids programs, concerts and time together. Although Jason had to work it was still nice to there as a family. The highlight of our weekend there was the Phil Keaggy concert which Jason had the priveledge of running the audio for. This next summer we plan to make a family vacation out of it and spend an entire week there.

Overall 2009 has been a good year. Every year has it's moments of difficulty and it's moments of joy. After all is said and done. We all have so much to be thankful for. We have jobs, our health, our family and our friends. Most importantly we each have been given the gift of forgiveness and the promise of heaven through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank God for giving us the sacrificial gift of His Son Jesus. There is no better gift.

We pray that God bless you and keep you and that His face will shine on you in 2010. May you and your family experience Jesus in a new and exciting way this Christmas. Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year's.

Living by faith...not by sight

2009-03-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered just how powerful your prayers really can be? I admit that I question that for myself. Although I have seen first hand the amazing power of God through prayer, I find it difficult to trust that God can and will show that power through my prayer. I know in my head that God CAN move mountains if we ask in prayer but admittedly my faith wavers in believing He WILL. Living by faith is a difficult concept for many people. Faith isn't a physical, touchable thing. In today's economic struggle I tend to focus on what I can see...money in the bank account or in my hand, food in the pantry, fridge and freezer and clothes on my children's backs. I also tend to focus on other tangible things such as the bills that may or may not get paid this month. Instead, I should be focused on the fact that I pray to a living and active God who desires nothing more than the best for me. Just because I may not see lightning bolts from the sky that just zap my troubles away doesn't mean that God isn't working to help me in my times of need.

A family member emailed this story to me. It is what honestly triggered my thought process today. May it be a blessing to you also as you read it...

SPECIAL GROCERY LIST
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store.

She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her20and requested that she leave his store at once.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.'

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store..

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?'

Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O.K' he said, 'put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.'

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down.

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.'

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:

Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.'

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs.'

Dear Jesus - You are a strong and mighty God. You know the needs that we each face today. You know the bills that are sitting here that we can't conceptually pay. Father God, you know the struggles of each person reading this and even those that aren't. Work you mighty hand, beyond our feeble attempt at faith. Bring peace to you children. Reveal yourself again. Thank you Father God for being who you are and for loving us despite of who we are. Forgive us for our lack of faith and trust. Restore it again to you child. In Jesus' name...AMEN

Spiritual Heritage

2009-02-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Over the last several days, I have been looking into our family's geneological heritage. It is amazing the things that I am learning about our family's background. Today, I am reminded of my bible study lesson about how we have a spiritual heritage that we are to pass on to our children. Just as we strive to provide a financial inheritance for our child we are to provide a spiritual heavenly inheritance as well. Heaven is our home, we are merely passing through this world we live in. How am I passing on my spiritual heritage and heavenly inheritance to my children? Just something to think about. God bless!

For I know you by name

2009-01-28T01:02:00.000-08:00

This past weekend our pastor spoke answered the question, "What happens when we die?" as part of his "Ask Anything" series. It was not something new for me to hear however it did give me a different perspective of entering my heavenly home. Pastor showed that last scene of the movie "Gladiator" where Maximus dies and joins his wife and son. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought of the day I am called to my home in heaven by my Father. First, I will meet my Savior Jesus and then, I believe, I will be greeted by my loved ones who have gone home ahead of me - my dad, grandparents and my three babies.

Yesterday, January 27 marked the fourth year since the miscarriage of our fourth child. As these anniversaries come, I do try to make a point of acknowledging the day. This is usually a mere statement of acknowlegement. (Acknowleging this is something that can seems strange and is difficult to understand unless you have lost a child.) Around Kayli's birthdate, I have talked to Rebecca about the fact that her sister lives in heaven with Jesus. She is quite aware of her sister Kayli and seems to have this unique comprehension of her. (I learned I was pregnant with Rebecca just 6 weeks after Kayli's stillbirth.) I have also mentioned that she has two more siblings in heaven. A couple of days ago, I mentioned that yesterday would be her brother or sister's 4th birthday in heaven. She asked me ever so gently, "Mommy, what is her name?" That got me thinking. Two of my five children have been part of my heart and my mind for years and we will never know, until heaven, whether they are boys, girls or one of each. The wonderful thing is that my Father in heaven knows. He knew their names before the creation of the world! Isn't that amazing! My God knew me, wanted me, loved me before the creation of the world. I was an intentional creation of His. We all are! And all that He asks of us is that we acknowledge that our sin has separated us from Him and ask Him to forgive us. How cool is that! He also knows the names of my children. Rebecca and I have decided that together we want to give names to these two babies. So in the next few days or so I will post the names we feel are right for them. :o)

Thank you God for knowing us all by name. Thank you for the gift of my children. Hold them close and love them deeply. Amen

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, it is officially cold in Minnesota! Having been born and raised here one would think that they'd get used to it by now. Honestly, we have been completely spoiled the last couple of winters. I am a bit envious of my brother in South Dakota and my mom in southwestern Minnesota. They are getting all the snow. Here in the Twin Cities we get some snow but all of the COLD. I'd rather have snow any day.

A Spiritual Birthday!

2009-01-09T15:32:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed! Last night before bed, Rebecca Lily asked Jesus to come into her heart and to help her do what is right! We praise God for His deep love for all of us. His love was so great that He came as Jesus and died for us. Our precious miracle baby is now starting her own relationship with Jesus! Praise God!

A Child-like faith

2009-01-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, `Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10: 13-16

What does it mean to have a child-like faith? I accepted and received Jesus as my Savior at the age of 6. My entire life I have lived in the knowledge that Jesus died for my wrongdoings (sins), that He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. I have always known that heaven is waiting for me and that I am ready. As I get older, there are times when my relationship with God seems to get so difficult and complex and yet, in reality, it is so simple a child can grasp and understand it.

Yesterday, amid the hustle and bustle of getting my oldest daughter Rebecca off to school, she made a very simple statement..."I want Jesus to live in my heart". Praise you Father for giving her the desire. I immediately stopped everything knowing that...even though we would be late for school...nothing was more important than that moment with my baby girl. I sat her on my lap and explained that Jesus just wants her to ask Him to come live in her heart and He would do it. We sat and I listened to these words. "Thank you Jesus for living in my heart." Did she really get it? Was that it? Was it that simple? Last night I found myself asking if a relationship with Jesus begins with the words of "come into my life and forgive me" or if it really is as simple as just believing that it's true. Part of me desires to hear Rebecca ASK Jesus into her heart. I can't seem to get those words of Jesus out of my head...`knock and the door will be opened to you. Seek and you will find." To me that means God wants us to ASK first. I don't know but I am praying earnestly that God would continue to water her soul with his Holy Spirit. I continue to pray that He will give me wisdom and the words to say to help her understand. We have talked quite a bit about how Jesus died on the cross, wants to live in our hearts and help us do what is right. We have also talked a lot about the fact that her big sister Kayli and her grandpa Darryl live in heaven with Jesus. You can't explain the trinity or God's omnipresence to a 5 year old but am I confusing her when I tell her that Jesus lives in our hearts and then later saying that grandpa and Kayli live in heaven with Jesus? Again, in my 32 year old mind it can seems so complex and yet, the reality is that starting a relationship with Jesus is really simple...simple enough for a child to understand. Mark 10:14b-15 "" `Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Thank you Father God for dying on the cross, taking my punishment for sin, freeing me from the bondage of that sin, promising me that you will never leave or forsake me and giving me hope and the knowledge that heaven is awaiting me. Earth is not my true home..it is in heaven with you. Give me strength to stay faithful and to work continually toward a better relationship with you. Thank you God for Rebecca and her simple faith. Continue to create a hunger for knowing you. Continue to create in her a teachable and tender spirit. Thank you! In Jesus' name. Amen.

Happy 2009!

2008-12-30T08:44:00.000-08:00

What a year 2008 has been! We are looking forward to seeing what God has planned for our family in 2009. Jescelyn is in the middle of physical therapy for her hyperflexibility and hypotonia. She will be getting her SMO ankle braces in a week and a half. I am somewhat shocked at how expensive these little braces are. We are thankful that insurance will help cover the cost. Hopefully they will help to correct her walking even further. The last month or so, I have been AGAIN having to come to terms with the reality between what we really need vs. what we want. Sometimes I think the two are too closely connected. Either that or the two are one in the same but the priorities at the time do not seem to coincide with the assumed need. I look forward to heaven when we will have everything that we need, we won't be in want for anything and money will be a non-issue. We are so thankful for a God who provides. It's the trusting thing I think we all need to work on a little more :o)

Our new year will be exciting! In just a few day's the girls and I are heading to my mom's house. It will be the first Christmas at "Grandma's" since my dad died. Up until now it has always been at my brother's house. I am excited to see the memories that can and will be created over the three days there with my mom, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. Unfortunately, Jason has to travel out to IA for a youth conference that he is working at. We will miss not having him there.

Well, we hope you have a wonderful start to the new year! God bless you! Stay safe!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-12-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and happy 2009! We are so thankful for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Without his birth, death and resurrection we would be forever bound by sin and separated from God. We also thank God for each of you our dear friends. You have blessed our lives in so many ways. Thank you for your friendships.

This Kartak family is so thankful for God's graciousness and faithfulness throughout this last year. Overall, we are healthy and doing well. We are so thankful to God for Jason's jobs. He has been with Audio Logic Systems (ALS) now for nearly 4 years. He is currently the systems designer there. Throughout the year Jason has had to travel to California and Las Vegas for training. He has also had to do some traveling for designing projects outside of MN. In addition to his 40+ hours at ALS, Jason also works weekends at our church - Eagle Brook Church Lino Lakes. Although the work can be exhausting we are so thankful for the income. It also leaves very little time for family but when we do get time together we try to make it as memorable as possible. Having some time together this Christmas has been really wonderful.

This last year has been really exciting for Rebecca. This summer Rebecca learned how to ride her bike (with training wheels). We have many kids in the neighborhood for her to play with as well. It has been fun watching her build those friendships. The biggest news in Rebecca's life is that she started preschool in September. She attends four hours a day/three days a week at CrossRoads Preschool in New Hope, MN. She LOVES school and her teachers! I know eventually she will get tired of school but right now she just can't get enough! This fall, Rebeccas started her second year in AWANA Cubbies. It is so fun to watch her learn and grow from week to week. We continue to pray for her as she develops a tender and hungry spirit for knowing Jesus as her personal Savior.

Jescelyn has had a little more difficult year physically. At the end of March, I fell while holding Jescelyn. Although I had some severe deep tissue bruising, Jescelyn ended up with a broken leg. Thankfully Jescelyn's leg wasn't broken really bad so she only needed a cast for two weeks rather than the four weeks it could have been. We were also thankful for this as she got her cast off right before her 1st birthday. Her birthday went off without a hitch. We just had a small party with family. Jescelyn loved it! Jescelyn has adjusted well with Becca being in school. I know she is just soaking in alone time with mommy. She has always been a mommy's girl! Jescelyn started walking at about 16 months. This has brought on a new set of issues as we needed to begin physical therapy at the beginning of December for hyperflexibility and hypotonia. Right now we are preparing to have braces made for her feet. The braces are called SMO's and will only come slightly above the ankles. The purpose is to help her stabilize her ankles and to keep her feet straight. Jescelyn's spirit has been so precious. She can be quite the character. God has definitely given her a sense of humor as well as a loving spirit. We are so excited to see where God takes her.

As for me, I have been blessed with the opportunity to stay home with the girls. Everyday is so enriched by seeing to girls grow up. Most days are spent running Becca to and from school and Jescelyn to and from the physical therapist. In recent months, God has allowed me to be in more of a mentorship role for a young woman that I have known for a while. It is a responsibility I take very seriously and treasure deeply. For whatever reason it may be, God has allowed me to have a part in her life and to help her through a very difficult time in her life. A highlight of mine has been spending Saturdays afternoons with a dear friend of mine and her two children in Lino Lakes before we both head off to the evening service at Eagle Brook. Her husband also works at Eagle Brook as the lighting technician. It has been such a blessing to see our husbands and children become such good friends. Last spring I completed the Beth Moore study on Daniel. This fall, I joined another Beth Moore bible study through New Hope Church in New Hope. This has been a great outlet for me to not only meet with other women but to renew my relationship with God.

The major event of the year was our family trip to Colorado in July. On July 15th, a dear friend of mine got married in Estes Park, CO. Jason and I decided to take a road trip via Aberdeen and Rapid City, South Dakota. It was a blast. First we stopped in Aberdeen, South Dakota to visit my brother Darren and his family. After that we chose to do some site seeing through South Dakota. We stopped by Mount Rushmore, Bear Country and several other locations before ending up in Loveland, Colorado where we stayed for the week. One of the most memorable events of the trip was our horse back ride. It was the first horse back ride for both of the girls. Cody and Sherman (the horses) were a lot of fun! We also enjoied some of the other attractions around the Loveland and Estes Park areas before taking the all-night road trip home through Nebraska.

Well, this pretty much sums up 2008 for our family. We hope all is well with you and yours. Please know that you are loved and thought of often. Happy New Year everyone!

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Welcome to the Kartak family blog. This is a new adventure for me. I am looking forward to sharing part of our lives with you.