Christmas Greetings from the Rogi

Amidst the hustle and bustle of this Christmastime, we enjoy the moments we have to reflect of the year gone by.  And so we raise our “rock of Ebenezer” (1Sam 7) by putting pen to paper (21st century style) and share with our family and friends some of the highlights of 2011.

The big news, and what much of the year has focused around, has been our decision to expand our family.  After praying for a time, we told the children at Christmas last year that we believe God was asking our family to welcome an orphan into our home and our hearts.  And so, from that time it has been a whirlwind of decisions and prayer and paper chasing and fundraising. Not all of it has been fun, but all of it has been worth it.  It is our hope by Christmas 2012 or shortly there after we will be travelling to Ethiopia to bring home our new son.  We have not met him yet (it is possible that he is not even conceived) but we pray for him and his “tummy mom” nearly every day.  This endeavor has deepened our faith and brought our family even closer together.  For that we are grateful.

With Khris working more than full-time each week, the majority of the paper work for the adoption fell on Michelle’s shoulders and she handled the added responsibility well.  Juggling paperwork and homeschooling and haircutting and worship team and cooking and.... is plenty to keep Michelle out of trouble.  She also continues to ride horses and fill in working at the barn when needed..  All in all she is content with her lot in life and is looking forward to opening her heart to another Rogers child.

Khris has kept himself busy as well.  The garage door business has continued to improve and with the subcontracting work available it has been full-time all year.  In October, one of the guys he subs for underwent emergency surgery and has not yet returned to work.  So Khris is running both companies currently.  Also, his responsibilities at church have increased due to their Pastor and very good friend’s diagnosis of brain cancer.  Khris is now teaching at the church on Wednesday nights along with his home group on Mondays.  He also continues to lead the worship team for the church.

Korynn has blossomed into a beautiful young lady, mature beyond her years in many ways.  This year has seen her return to one of her lifelong loves in dance, though with a different company.  This one is a faith based company and she enjoys the atmosphere there more.  She is also in her second year of bible quizzing, understanding 2-3 books of the bible and memorizing 10 scriptures per month.  She too is becoming a horse lover and rides 2-3 times a month.  In her studies, she continues to do well and if she has spare time you will find her nose in a book.

Lily continues to pursue her passion in art.  She is expanding her mediums and even took a sculpting class at the local rec. center this fall.  She carries her pencil box, filled with crayons and the like, like other girls her age carry dolls.  Even a short trip in the car must be occupied with paper and crayons.  Hers is a joyfilled heart and she can often be heard singing songs of praise to her God.  She is quick to laugh and quick to cry and she always wears her heart on her sleeve.

Reese is growing into a boy of vim and vigor.  He is the energy of the family and believes that walking is too slow a method of transportation.  He tried his hand this fall at flag football and even got to play his final game on a high-school field.  While he did not fully understand the game, his coach could count on him to do what he was told to do.  He and Daddy spend time together working and playing frequently as he is growing and learning the responsibility of being a Godly young man.

Michelle and Khris got to take a week in March for their anniversary and go to Dallas.  While there, they got together with 10,000 of their closest friends and worshipped God at the Passion conference.  They served on the security team there and got a couple extra days to enjoy Fort Worth.  Khris also worked at the Passion conference in Atlanta in the beginning of the year and is headed back down there the first week in January.  The family also went again to Myrtle beach in June with Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Jo, Uncle Jarrod and Hunter and Archer.  They have come to enjoy their time there each year.

As we look forward to 2012 we are grateful for all that God has brought us through in 2011.  It has been faith stretching and we are growing in Him.  But we wouldn’t have it any other way.  It is our hope that this Christmas the world’s view of this holiday would diminish and the true joy that is to be found in knowing Christ would be yours in heart and mind.  And we are praying that the year ahead would be joy filled for you and your family.  God bless each one of you.

We appreciate your prayers and support as we move forward with our adoption.  There will be updates and opportunities for you to be involved in 2012.  Please subscribe to our blog (by entering your email address in the column on the right) to keep up to date on the progress.  Thanks!


In Christ’s love and mercy,

Khris, Michelle, KK, Lily, Reese and ?

photo credit faithclipart.com