Christmas 2013

Well, hello there!

Can you believe it's already Christmas? Neither can we. 2013 has brought a lot of changes in the Bogues' house, and we are so thankful for the joys the past year has brought.

Now, for the beloved family updates:

Mike is still enjoying managing, owning, and operating BIGGBY COFFEE in Hartland. He has loved getting to know the community and watching God work in every one's lives- especially his own. This summer he was able to sail his boat on Lake Fenton, and spend time with friends and family

Denise has found delight teaching at Hartland High School (Introduction to Statistics, AP Statistics, and Pre-Calculus) and spending time with her crazy students. When not laughing with her students, she can be found at BIGGBY, helping Mike. In her words, she "continues to strive at being the best mom ever," and enjoyed visiting Adam in Nashville in November with her parents and Mike and going to see Rachel at school in December.

Adam graduated from Ferris State University in May with a degree in Music Industry Management and a Minor in Public Relations. A few months after graduation, he moved down to Nashville, Tennessee to begin an internship at SoundCheck. At his internship, he gets the gear for artists before they go on tour, set up stages, and has been learning a lot more about the equipment for music performances. He is still the bass player for Overdrive Orchestra, who just released a new EP that can be downloaded HERE (shameless plug).

Rachel is a Senior this year at Spring Arbor University graduating in May with a degree in Speech (public speaking) with a Minor in Communication and Leadership. She is on the school Forensics team (competitive public speaking) and is the Student Body Vice President. This summer she was able to live in Lancaster, PA doing an internship through NIMBY, which worked to educate on Human Trafficking.  In January, she'll be leaving to spend three weeks in India with a group from her school.  In May she will be getting married to her best friend (Zach Mundy).

With all the craziness that's happening in our household this year, it's easy to forget why we send out these silly updates. It's Christmas. We're blessed enough to have a family that wants to spend time together, and serve a God who is bigger than any circumstances our lives. We are blessed to be "unconditionally cared for" by our family, our friends, and by our Savior. He not only cares for us enough to love us in the midst of our struggles, but He loved us enough to be our Emanuel- God with us- to come down to this world full of sin not to be served, but to love and serve us.

Though it may be hard to imagine spending three minutes to reflect on the Lord in silence, take a few minutes to sit, and thank God for all He has done for you. For some, the idea of talking to the God of the universe may seem foreign and scary, while for others, it may be sweet and familiar like an old friend. Wherever you're at this Christmas, remember that God cares for you more that we could ever imagine.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas 2012

 Hey all!

Now that it's the day before Christmas, it's finally beginning to look a little like Christmas! With snow on the ground and a warm cup of coffee- a Bogues family favorite- it looks like the ideal time to sit down and write the Christmas letter. Every year it seems like nothing has changed for our family until we look back and reflect on the past year.

It seems like we're seeing less and less of Mike these days. He is continuing on his journey to lose weight and has now lost a total of 70 pounds through a lot of hard work to get in shape. He won the fitness challenge and is the poster child at a fitness center near our house.  We're so proud of him! Mike is still enjoying owning and operating BIGGBY COFFEE of Hartland and getting to know those in our community.  Being able to pour into the lives of the customers and the baristas has been a joy in his life.


Denise has had a great year continuing working at Hartland High School teaching math (AP Statistics and Pre-Calculus). Recently, she was voted "Most Spirited Teacher" and constantly brings smiles to her students. When not seen at the high school, she can often be found at BIGGBY with Mike loving the Hartland community. According to her, she is "the best mom ever."

Adam is a Senior this year a Ferris State University studying Music Industry Management.  This summer he had the opportunity to live in Nashville, Tennessee interning at Exit In, where he learned the ins and outs of the music industry. He can't wait to go back! This year at school he is the SafeRide Coordinator. Adam is the bassist in his band Overdrive Orchestra and loves jamming with his friends. He is quick to bring laughter to our household and we love when we're able to spend time with him.

Rachel is a Junior at Spring Arbor University studying Speech and Communication & Leadership. This year she is working for the Student Government Association as the Director of Spiritual Life. She loves being a social butterfly and hanging out with her friends at concerts, on road trips, and at coffee shops. She, like Adam, loves being at school and expanding her knowledge.

It is easy to get caught up in our busy schedules and the hustle and bustle of life, but when we take a moment to step back and reflect on it all, none of it really matters. As author Francis Chan once said, "Our greatest fear should not be failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." When it all comes down to it, Christ is the only thing in life worth living for.  How we have loved God and loved those around us is the true measurement of how the year has been.  May we use this season to not only reflect on the sacrifice and love shown from the Father, but to use this time of rest and relaxation to practically love well.

Christmas 2011

     Hi everyone! Can you believe it? Another year's already coming to a close, though it feels like 2011 just began. So here we are, and this year (just like every other year) seems crazier than ever. The Bogues family, as I am sure is true for your own family, is trying to calm down to reflect on the year enough to write a Christmas letter. Now for a quick update on each of our lives (for those of you that are interested): 

     Mike decided a little over a year ago to take a leap of faith and open a BIGGBY Coffee. Boy, what a crazy ride that has been! His new job has brought its fair share of joy and stress to his life, and he absolutely loves the opportunities he has to get to know everyone in our community. Mike has not only had a transformation in his work life, but also in his physical life. Mike has recently lost 45 lbs, and has been working hard to get into shape. We are so proud of all of his hard work! 

     Denise has been as busy as ever. She is working two full-time jobs as a high school math teacher (teaching Algebra 2 and Statistics), and co-owning BIGGBY with Mike. She often tells people that she is not an empty nester yet because of their newest baby, BIGGBY. Last summer, Denise also had the incredible opportunity to get her hip replaced! Thank you so much to those of you who helped our family through that process by visiting, making meals, and praying for Denise's speedy recovery. She is moving better than ever with her new bionic parts!

     Adam is a junior this year studying Music Industry Management at Ferris State University. He loves school, and loves that he gets to live in a house with many of his close friends. He is looking forward to hopefully getting an internship at Fender in Arizona or something similar this summer. He continues to play bass in his band Overdrive Orchestra, and gets better and better each time we hear him (check out his band at OverdriveOrchestra.com). We can always count on Adam to bring our family many laughs and increased musical knowledge whenever we see him. 

     Rachel is a sophomore at Spring Arbor University studying speech. She loves living with her best friends, and (as always) is a social planner among her friends, keeping them and herself busy with game nights, worship nights, concerts, and last-minute road trips. Because Rachel's school is only about an hour away, she has been able to come home some weekends (usually dragging a friend along) to help out at BIGGBY. Rachel loves school and can't wait for Christmas break to be over so she can go back to school (and she's been home for less than a day...). 

     But wait. It's not about us. Through all of the hustle and bustle that the season brings, it's so hard to slow down. But the reason for the season is Jesus, and He tells us in John 16:33 that what He has told us has been to bring us peace. So let's take a breath and remember that as much as society might tell us that it's about us and self-fulfillment, it never has been. We were created to bring Him glory. So let us together consider all that God has done for us and His many blessings in our lives. Ahh...