Christmas is wearing us out, but we are LOVING it!

December has been moving by pretty quickly and a LOT has been happening. As you probably know, we miscarried the Monday prior to Thanksgiving. A couple of weeks after that initial start of the miscarriage, we ended BACK in the emergency room on a Sunday afternoon after church which resulted in a D and C (that is basically where they go into the uterus with a little vacuum cleaner and suck out all the impurities). That thing did wonders. Erin was back up to 100% in no time flat! If we knew it would be that easy, we would have had the D and C back in November! Our church family has been incredible. They have signed up to bring us meals and have rallied around us. It is really good and we are very humbled and grateful.

On a MUCH lighter note, we have been going, going, going with various Christmas parties and get-togethers. Sunday School parties, BCM parties, Church Staff parties, dinners with friends, etc. I cannot tell you the last time we have had an evening at home, just the three of us. Students are done with school for a couple of weeks, which means things will slow down for us as well.

Jackson was able to attend his very first Murray State basketball game as the Racers came to Ruston to play Louisiana Tech! Murray State lost by 6, but it was very exciting to see Murray folks down here and to be reminded of just how amazing college was. Plus, I was asked to say the pre-game prayer. I was wearing my gold Murray State Alumni shirt during the prayer, but I had my jacket zipped up.

Jackson has also become a chewing-gum addict.


I carry both of these in my 18 year old wallet.


Jackson spent the day with Daddy at work and received a blue candy cane.





Emmanuel Baptist Church Staff and families Christmas Party


It is a good thing there is no audio on this picture, because we were all screaming at the top of our lungs.


Jackson displaying some of his silly faces.


This is Jackson and his buddy, Ethan Hogg, at the Emmanuel College Christmas Party.


Ethan Hogg and Jackson again. Jackson SERIOUSLY loves this kid.


We received this baby doll as a gag gift at a Christmas party and Jackson was reading to her before he put her down for her nap.

Thanksgiving Break

Being at Louisiana Tech makes for odd breaks. They are on the Quarter system, which means, they have a big break for Thanksgiving. The BCM always takes a Fall Break Mission Trip. In the past, we have gone to Wisconsin, Mexico, California...places that were way far away and not really conducive to taking Jackson (plus, he was a little-bity baby). This year, however, we went to Mission Arlington in the Dallas, Texas area. It is practically in our own backyard. And with Jackson being 2, meant he is old enough to go! We had an absolute blast. There were about 80 students that went and we all stayed together under one roof. Jackson loved all the attention and excitement. He also loved being out on the Mission Field. We had to clean a yard that Mission Arlington had acquired and he jumped right in there raking leaves and picking up trash. Mission Arlington also does a lot of apartment ministry, especially with the children there. Jackson was very sweet to play with the kids and give them presents and love on them. It was like he knew there was a bigger purpose for his being there. It was really neat to experience a Family Mission Trip for the first time...hopefully the first of many.

This is at one of the apartment complexes where we did an after-school program. Jackson gave the children Christmas books about Jesus that were written in both English and Spanish.


This is a Sunday morning worship service at one of the apartment churches. Many of these complexes allow the church to meet in a converted apartment. It was very neat to see the diversity and the informality of what we might be used to.


This is also at an apartment complex. We were playing soccer, football, and frisbee with the boys while the girls colored and talked jewelry.

We also got to see Brett and April Duncan (Brett was one of my best friends from High School who went to Dallas Baptist on a baseball scholarship. He stayed there). They have a one year old boy named Mason who we all got to meet for the first time, plus they got to meet Jackson for the first time. That was fun.


Since we had been doing so much traveling (the week prior going to Atlanta for a DNow and then to Mission Arlington for 6 days), we decided NOT to try to make the trek to Kentucky or Georgia...plus there was a wedding the Saturday after Thanksgiving where Erin had hair responsibilities. All that to say, we had decided to stay in Ruston for Thanksgiving. We missed seeing our family, but it sure was great to not be on the road. It was great to rest. It was great to have some very intentional family time. It was great to heal from the miscarriage news. It was just a really refreshing holiday. We got the house decorated for Christmas and had a wonderful meal with Marmee (Melinda Pratt, mother-in-law to Aurelia Davila Pratt, mother to Lyle Pratt, husband to Dr. John, etc) and her family. It was nice. We all had a really great time of non-blood-family fun.

The progression of our little Charlie Brown Christmas tree being built.


Tree built, lights on.


Tree built, lights on, decorated, Nativities, watching The Office...done.


Jackson with Marmee...his resident Grandmother.


Erin with Aurelia Davila Pratt, Marmee's daughter-in-law and friend of the Clarks.


Jackson LOVES these boxers. We all had a lot of fun wrestling around and rough-housing. I (Jonathan) even left with two big scratch marks from my eyebrow to just below my lip. I think Jackson is checking this dog's oil.