Merry Christmas!

Well I can’t believe it is that time again to write our Christmas letter! It has been a busy and eventful 2005 for the Litscher family. We trust and pray this letter finds you all healthy and happy, and enjoying the many blessings of the season.

Our year sure started out with a bang!! We welcomed our first child, a beautiful little boy named Jonathan Isaac, into the world on January 29th 2005. I can’t believe how the months have seemed to fly by, and now we are already thinking about his 1st birthday party!! He is a very happy and very active little guy. We are constantly laughing at all the new things he does, and chasing him around the house trying to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself. He learned to crawl at about 8 months and has been going non-stop ever since. Just recently, he has learned how to pull himself up on the furniture. Every morning we walk into his bedroom to get him up for the day and he is standing up in his crib smiling and waiting for us to come. We are so thankful for the joy that he brings to our family.

I am still working at Children’s Hospital in the NICU. I enjoyed each and every moment of my 10 week maternity leave after Jonathan was born. I am currently working two 12 hour night shifts each week, and even though it has been hard for me to go back to work I am so thankful that Jonathan can spend lots of time with Ken. He has so much fun with his Daddy that I don’t even think he misses me. Being a mom has truly been one of God’s greatest gifts to me, and I am continually amazed at how God works in my life through our son.

Ken is still attending Denver Seminary, and is on track to graduate in May of 2007 with a Masters of Divinity in Youth and Family Ministry. We have experienced many changes in our lives this past fall as Ken resigned from his position at our church in October. This has been a very rough season of ministry for us, but one where we have seen and experienced first hand the grace, love, and faithful provision of our Heavenly Father. We are currently trying to sell our house in Denver, and hope to move into the on-campus apartments at the seminary until Ken graduates. Because of this big transition in our lives, we are currently living without our little doggy Jack. He had to go live with my parents in Michigan for the next year and a half as we are not allowed to have pets in the seminary housing. This has been very hard for us, and Jonathan is also sad about not having his doggy around. But we will get him back after Ken graduates, and until then, he is traveling the country with my mom and dad.

We have been blessed this year to travel many places to be with our friends and family. I was able to fly home to Michigan with Jonathan when he was 10 weeks old to meet his Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Tawni. Jonathan also took his first cruise when he was 4 months old. Ken’s grandparents took the whole family on another cruise in the Caribbean last June. Jonathan did great and we had a wonderful time being with Ken’s grandparents and extended family. In July we took a family road trip (including Jack) to the Midwest. We met up with some college friends in Chicago for a wedding, and then made a stop in Wisconsin to see Ken’s family and then traveled to Michigan for my cousin’s wedding. It was a very full 2 1/2 weeks, and after being in the car for so long we were glad to come home. My parents and my brother and his wife were out in Denver over Thanksgiving and we celebrated the holidays together. Ken and I were even able to get away for 2 nights to celebrate our anniversary (better late than never! ). We got a cabin near the mountains in Estes Park, CO, and my parents watched Jonathan for us. We are going home to Wisconsin for ten days in January to celebrate Christmas with Ken’s family, and Ken and I are excited to get a weekend away in the Dells with all our college friends. We are so thankful for those of you who we have been able to catch up with throughout the year.

Please know you are always welcome to come and visit us in Denver. We pray for each of you that your Christmas will be filled with hope, peace, joy, and love as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Please keep in touch, we would love to hear from you!

With much love,
Ken, Renee, and Jonathan