The beginning of December was ushered in by a great snow fall! It was my first snow day, so I enjoyed staying home and relaxing. Frank spent a good amount of time shoveling us out. The following day, there was also the added bonus of a snow delay, so I didn’t have to be at work until about 2 hours later.
We had a fun date night with our dogs, going to the dog park at night. We enjoyed the moonlight, and the dogs were thrilled to romp around. We also had dinner at Curry Culture.
We celebrated Frank’s 44th birthday. First, we celebrated at his mom’s house with dinner and the game “Imagine If.” He is currently loving anything lemon- or citrus-flavored, so we had key lime pie for his birthday treat. On his birthday, Marta made him an adorable chocolate cake and delivered it. Frank decided he wanted to go over to their house for dinner, and we also ate the cake Marta made him.
With Christmas around the corner, we decided to throw a huge Christmas party. Frank loves Christmas and is thrilled to have lots of people in our home. We had about 60 people from all walks of life at our home. It was cozy, filled with food and laughter, and a white elephant gift exchange.
The last week of school before Christmas break was crazy. One of my tutors injured her knee and was not there. I had four different subs in the classroom. The students had their cookie decorating party, and I received several generous gifts.
On December 19th, we had Frank’s family over for a Christmas dinner. It was so much fun and so delicious. We pulled together a lot of food and enjoyed a delicious meal.
On December 20th, I left for Detroit. I spent most of my vacation hanging out with my family, which included my grandparents (97 & 95), my nieces and nephews, and my Dad. On Monday, we had a burial service for my great Aunt Sue. After the service, we had a nice dinner with my grandparents.
During the week before Christmas, the kids and I colored lots of fun pictures. We also enjoyed a little trip to Downtown Detroit to see the Christmas lights at Beacon Park, and ventured down to Campus Martius, where they light a big tree every year.
On Christmas Eve, our family went to see the David movie. It was very encouraging to see the Bible on a big movie theater screen. Then, we went for lunch at Pekin Tokyo, and ordered Chinese food. I got General Tso’s chicken, which was delicious. I drove to Grandma and Papa’s house to spend the night. We made peanut butter cookies using the pats of butter they save from the dining room. I spent the night at their house.
The next morning, we woke up and had cereal with half-and-half and cinnamon rolls for breakfast (a fond memory I often look back on). We drove to Mike and Alyssa’s house for Christmas dinner and presents. Everyone was so excited to be together and to just enjoy one another’s presence. I let Abby (my niece) take a lot Christmas photos on my phone, and she did a great job.
After Christmas Day, I enjoyed a quick get-together with Waad, Feby, and Joy at Shatila’s (a famous Arabic bakery). I love their Dubai chocolate baklava. It was so delicious! I ordered a to-go box to share with family. I also had a lovely breakfast with my high school friend, Heidi. On New Year’s Eve, I enjoyed a delightful breakfast with my friend, Sara. The fellowship is always so good for my soul.
Regarding the adoption, we still have no news of a baby. I will admit that I have struggled with discouragement this month. It has felt like an unending road. While we do our best to let people know we are adopting, there are many factors that we do not see at work, from God’s perspective. We continue to wait and hope. If you ever know anyone who is considering adoption, please call 1 (800) 923-6784
Love,
Rebecca and Frank
Rebecca's Joy 
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