The Persickes: 2014

Merry Christmas!! It has been a wonderful year full of amazing blessings. Our hearts are full of thanksgiving and gratitude to God for His provision and abundant Grace in our lives.

Our precious girl, H, will be 23 months at the end of December! Nearly two! She is a beautiful, smart, fun, silly, energetic, lovable, giving, creative, musical, active and precious darling daughter. We adore her, and we are so thankful to be her parents. She is very observant and surprises us all the time with new words, songs and actions. She loves playing with other children, reading, playing with her dolls, drawing and coloring (her favorite is using the ball point pen). She loves to sing and attempts to dance. She enjoys when I put her hair in "pretties", and she takes interest in what she wears... All girl! She loves learning the Alphabet. She is just beginning potty training, and has gone on the big girl potty a few times so far. We are so proud.

Just so you do not go away from reading this thinking that we are perfect and have the model home, I want to keep it Real. :) As a toddler, H has her moments and she can be challenging at times. Mommy and Daddy are learning with her how to guide and direct her to make good choices and we are trying to teach her how to have a happy heart. As with all areas of raising children, she learns by example, and we are continually challenged in our own hearts, attitudes and actions as well! Little eyes are watching all the time.
The joyful and fun times far outweigh the challenging moments. We wouldn't trade any of it! H is a joy and a blessing for which we are Thankful for every day. She is a precious Gift.

Scott is doing very well. This year God blessed him with a new career! In July of 2013 he started studying the area of Water Treatment. He became certified in Water Treatment as well as Water Distribution through the State of California. He interviewed for a number of jobs, but did not have enough experience. In late May this year, he interviewed for a paid internship with the City of Louisville, CO. After hearing that the internship was not likely to become a permanent position, he figured he would not be offered the job. Much to our surprise, he was offered the job, and we took the risk to move to Colorado for a 5 month internship. God provided a home for us to live in, renters for our home in CA, and MANY other things to make the move happen. Exactly two weeks after the job offer, we were moving into a new home in Colorado Springs.

Scott really enjoyed working at Louisville, and after 6 weeks was offered a permanent position. He accepted the position gratefully, but it soon became apparent that he would not be able to stay working there. While he loved the work and the people he worked with, he was commuting 1.5 hours minimum one way! We looked into moving closer to Louisville, but just could not afford to do so. With winter coming, we didn't want Scott to keep commuting such a long distance. Scott began applying to other jobs in Colorado, California and Michigan. In early October Scott interviewed with a job in Napa Valley, CA and Colorado Springs in the same week. We trusted that God would open the right door for our family. After much prayer (and lots of anxious moments) God closed the door in Napa Valley and opened the door for the job here in Colorado Springs!

Scott started with Cherokee Metropolitan Water District the first week of November. His job with Cherokee allows him to work "regular" hours (Monday- Friday, 8-5) and he has most federal holidays off. We NEVER expected that type of schedule in this career field. God not only blessed us with a job close to home, but exceeded our expectations with an amazing schedule and paid holidays off. Imagine my surprise when Scott told me on Monday night that he did not have to go to work Tuesday, November 11th (Veterans Day)!! I was overjoyed with the fun surprise.

My business has been productive this year. With our sudden move, it was a blessing to be able to simply pack up my sewing room and relocate it in Colorado. I still love what I do, and I am so grateful that God has allowed me to stay home with H.

Since moving (back) to Colorado, we have enjoyed a mild summer (with occasional thunderstorms!!), the beauty of the mountains, hiking, biking, (some) running, daily walks, a gorgeous fall and SNOW!! We have been blessed to move to a location we are familiar with and already have an established community. We have enjoyed renewing old friendships and have felt so welcomed by loved ones here.

After a number of months, we finally decided on a church to call home. We have loved getting to know people in our new church, and we are exceedingly grateful for the biblical teaching and friendly community there. Hannah LOVES going to nursery and learning about Jesus, singing songs and playing with the other children.

God is so good, and as we have learned over the years, He is always good- in the Good times as well as the Hard times. He is faithful to provide and is full of Grace and Mercy in our lives. As we celebrate the Christmas season, we are especially grateful for the best gift of all- His son, Jesus Christ.
We wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas season.
With love,
Scott, Jen, Hannah and Kona