2017. Hmmm, 2017?
Everybody is a year older. End of
Christmas letter.
Much Love, Craig, Rebecca, Aftyn, Haley,
Aiden, Elijah and Judah DeWit
Ok, well, Rebecca says I should write ‘something.’ Here’s a few tidbits for you…
Aftyn
(15) is a sophomore at Washington High School and is driving! She played
softball with the same team, the Gators, for the 10th year in a row!
Once again this year they took home the league championship! (Three-peat!) She
also played JV softball for WHS in the fall. (THEY did NOT win any
championships. J).
She enjoys being academic (like her mom) and is active with volunteering. To
make some spending money, she babysits and teaches piano lessons from our home.
Last spring she went with the WHS Band to California and this summer Aftyn came
with Rebecca and me to Haiti on our church’s mission trip. She loved it; and we
loved seeing her love it! This fall we started a new hobby together... looking
at colleges. She has started receiving letters from schools and this spring
we’ll start going on campus visits. L
Haley (13) is rocking 8th grade and looking
forward to joining Aftyn in high school next year. She is excited to start driving this summer
(Yikes!). Instead of playing sports, Haley loves spending time in the kitchen
with Rebecca or hanging out with friends. We’re lucky if we get to see little
miss social butterfly on weekends. (Only a small exaggeration) She, too,
babysits and really enjoys spending time with kids. This summer Haley attended
two church camps where she was able to practice her social skills. Needless to
say, they were both highlights of her year. She and Rebecca are also currently
working on helping redecorate our church’s youth room, which is a fun project
for them to do together since Haley loves redecorating and all things HGTV.
Aiden (11) played Michael in Eugene Field Elementary’s musical,
Peter Pan, last spring. It was so good
and so fun to watch him have a lead role. When the girls were in musicals at
E.F. they never wanted a lead role (which was fine), but theater is how Rebecca
and I met (25 years ago), so it was fun to see his interest in theater. This fall Aiden started middle school and is
at Whittier with Haley. It’s been an interesting transition getting used to
being bussed, the larger school, having a locker, and going from classroom to
classroom. Aiden’s happy place is in front of the computer, or a smaller piece
of technology staring incessantly at other people playing games. I know other
parents would agree with me; why not play the games yourself instead of
watching other playing???? Or better yet, GO OUTSIDE. When I am at home and
turn the WiFi off, he does enjoy building creations with Legos, riding his bike
or scooter and doing boy stuff in the neighborhood with the other neighbor kids
whose parents turned off their WiFi too. This summer he went to his first
church camp and had a great time. During the fall he played FCA Flag Football
and really enjoyed that too.
Elijah (6) is in Kindergarten and loves learning. We have the
twins open-enrolled at Eugene Field Elementary where “the bigs” went, as well
as where my brother and I went. Eli fills our house with sassy spice and also
considerate compliments. From minute to minute you never know what’s going to
come out of his mouth, sweetness or sass.
Judah (6) is... Judah. More often than not he is so sweet and
loves cuddling. On the other hand, when
he’s not being sweet, look out. This boy can tantrum. All-day, every day,
kindergarten takes its toll on 6-year olds who are used to taking afternoon
naps. Lucky for his teacher, Miss Pederson (who was also my kindergarten
teacher, Aftyn, Haley and Aiden’s kindergarten teacher too), he saves this
behavior for us at home. Both of the boys love playing outside with the
neighbor kids and also going across the street to ask for popsicles.
Craig (Forty-something) went Mt Biking in a new state this
summer, Wisconsin. It was amazing, and without injury! I look forward to
heading back over there next summer. I’m
in my 5th year of trying (and failing) to grow wildflowers in our
backyard. Someday they’re going to be amazing!
Once again this past summer, Rebecca and I led a team from our church to
Mission-Haiti, and more specifically up on a mountain in a village called
Toussaint, where we continue to fall more and more in love with the Haitians.
Coming up in February of ’18 we get to witness one of the blessings stemming
from God’s work through us on our August trip. In August we were honored to
lead a two night couple’s retreat where we talked about God’s design for
marriage. Now, coming up the first week of February we get to help organize and
witness a wedding for 8 of the couples that were at our retreat and now desire
to get married. God is so good!
Rebecca (Forty-something +3 months) continues to work just shy of full-time, while also
running kids every-which-way and running the house beautifully. Not saying she
doesn’t get stressed out at times, but it is amazing how great of a job she
does at all of it! Honestly, the other six of us in the house don’t even know
half of how blessed we are. When Rebecca
does make down time for herself she enjoys vegetable and flower gardening,
reading and scrapbooking our family’s memories. (Although she’s considering
going all-digital scrapbooking... (gasp!)) Sadly, last February we lost
Rebecca’s Grandpa, but had a great time visiting family and remembering a great
man!
2017
Events: Sledding, ice skating, family game
nights, visits to see family in MN, Valleyfair, annual family hotel weekend
staycation, taking in SDSU basketball and football games, Pinterest wood pallet
projects, Rebecca and the Bigs took in Matilda, the Broadway Musical, we kept
our eyes on multiple pairs of ducks (including Wood Ducks!) on our pond, we
continue to enjoy hosting Life Groups, all three of the Bigs played in their
last Piano recital in May, but then quit taking piano lessons after that L, we went for lots of walks and nature hikes, went
kayaking a few times, hosted a neighborhood picnic, went to see U2 in the
cities, saw Garth Brooks in Sioux Falls (I know, country music, crazy, right?),
we took an Omaha Zoo family trip, just to name a few.
We would like to wish all of our friends and
family a happy 2018!
May God richly bless each of you, and may the gift of Christ be ever in your
thoughts and hearts as you navigate the journey ahead!
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