It has been a while since an update, so here we go...

Our lives have seen some change in 2009. God has been merciful and given us strength and courage, we give thanks to Him in all things – joy and sorrow.
Tom is still working hard operating Sullivan Plumbing. He enjoys the work and does it well. I am very proud of him. He enjoys helping people and the chance to meet and talk to a variety of people in our area, there are many good ministry opportunities in that. Tom is still a deacon in our church and also teaches the Sunday School for Heather and Rose's age group. He has been faithfully leading our family in daily family worship and it has been a blessing to us. The children are memorizing the shorter catechism which is amazing to me and encouraging to hear the truth of God's Word coming from their mouths.

In April, we moved the office back home and downsized the company to be more manageable in the current economy. I am again running the office and dispatching from the kitchen, which works well but can be hectic. School with the children has gone well, we are enjoying learning together and they are progressing happily. I recently have been blessed by being able to hire a friend to come help me in the mornings so that I have fewer interruptions during school, help with some housework, and a bit more free time. In that time I enjoy reading and crocheting, taking pictures and playing games with the kids.

Heather just turned 12 years old and is turning into a little lady. She is in 6th grade now and enjoys taking botany and writing at our homeschool co-op as well as our subjects at home. She still loves to read and also really loves to crochet – she is working on a blanket and has made many hats, scarves, slippers and other little things. Her favorite color is green and she enjoys collecting china dolls that she finds at thrift stores. Heather is great at entertaining young children and loves babies. She has also become pretty proficient at working in the kitchen which is quite nice.

Rose is 9 ½ and still a bit of a tomboy, which is fun. She loves to run and play and ride bikes and clamber through the woods to the creek with her brother. However, she also loves to wear skirts and is growing her hair long again so has a girly streak to her. Rose is in 4th grade and enjoyed taking botany and painting at our homeschool co-op this year. In our home studies, her favorite subject is grammar. She enjoys reading (though not as much as her older sister) and playing the piano, drawing and writing letters. Rose's favorite color is red and she loves horses.

Will is 7 ½ and all boy. He loves bugs and reptiles, mud, sticks, rocks and getting dirty. It is a challenge to keep him busy enough to be happy. Will has become a very big helper at home and is usually the first of the children to rise and work through his chores. He also very often completes his math before I even make it into the school room, he enjoys math and learns it very quickly. Will took science and painting at co-op and loved those classes as well as gym time where he got to run and play with bigger boys. He also played soccer this fall and absolutely loved it!

We did some remodeling work in the living areas of our home - taking out carpet and replacing it with bamboo, painting walls, adding a hearth and woodstove, new furniture. It was fun and we are enjoying the “new” space. My dad was a lifesaver with that project, coming by to do most of the painting, and he and my brother Justin even came to help Tom get the wood floor down in just a day. Justin also made another trip to help with putting the chimney for the woodstove through the roof. Very thankful for the help of family. We are thoroughly enjoying heating our home solely with wood so far this winter. It is working very well for us - warm and cozy, and with plenty of deadwood from our land it is very cost effective!

We took a family vacation in Gatlinburg, TN this summer. It was a nice week full of fun and relaxation. Our resort was very nice and we enjoyed an indoor waterpark, swimming daily, and a day at Dollywood, also a nice drive along a trail in the Smoky Mountains National Forest. We avoided the whole shopping / tourist stuff around Pigeon Forge, not our thing right now, but we had a great time in that beautiful part of the country.

This summer we were able to plant a large garden, we had not planted one for a few years due to being so busy but since the kids are older they were able to be helpful and we enjoyed working as a family on that. We had a good harvest and canned a few things for storage. We also got a flock of chickens for the back yard, we had missed having them and eating the fresh eggs and are glad to be enjoying that again.

We are looking forward to our first predicted big snowfall this weekend. It will be a nice change from the mud and rain so far this winter. We hope that you all had a good year and we look forward to hearing from you, our prayers go with you into the New Year!

The Sullivans
Tom & Amber
Heather, Rose and Will

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” 1 Timothy 1:15

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:34

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17

“Sing to the Lord , all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day.” 1 Chronicles 16:23