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...