Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas to all! What a year of blessing this has been for our family. Having just celebrated our first full year in Colorado, it’s amazing to us how at home we feel here. It has been a long and difficult year in some respects, but it has also been one of extreme blessing and provision from our Lord. We have had to learn the difficult lesson of patience as we wait for our homes in California to sell. One of the homes finally sold in October, but we are still waiting on the Lord to bring a buyer for our home in Leona Valley.

Zack turned 20 this year. He completed his first documentary, The Courtship Formula, and it was an official selection at the 2007 Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival.  He is currently working on pre-production for an adaptation of the book In His Steps, which will be made into a feature-length movie in the summer of 2008. Although his dream is still pursuing video production, he has recently begun apprenticing with a man from church who has his own plumbing business, with the bulk of the business installing plumbing in the new mansions of nearby Mountain Village and Telluride. He’s also been courting a young lady this past year. (If you want more info on courtship, you’ll just have to purchase his DVD J) To find out more about Zack (maybe more than you want to know) you can visit his Web site at ZacharyLawrence.com.

Heather turns 18 next month. We celebrated her high school graduation last month. She is still the avid reader, helps immensely with cooking meals, baking, sewing, and teaching her younger brothers. She has been selling several copies of the book she republished last summer entitled Brook-side Farm House by Martha Finley (BrooksideFarmHouse.com). Plus, she continues to help mom with transcription work. She’s also discovered the world of geocaching (kind of like treasure hunting with a GPS). Since receiving a GPS unit for Christmas last year, she’s located 43 caches in three states. She also caught her first three fish.

Thomas, now 5 years old, enjoys playing outside, watching all the wildlife around the property, and helping out in any way he can. He enjoyed visiting with all the guests that stayed at the Ranch this past year. He makes a wonderful camp host and has adopted a few new grandparents! He’s really looking forward to turning 12 so he can go hunting with his dad. He has learned to read quite well this year (thanks to Heather’s help). He’s also becoming a sports fan like his dad (and mom). He had a lot of fun rooting for the Rockies and Red Sox, the Patriots, Broncos and Kurt Warner J.

Robert turns 3 next month. He loves to run around, wrestle, play football with his daddy and brothers, run around, cuddle with mom, reading time with Heather, and run around! Something that gets him to sit still once in awhile are puzzles. He loves doing puzzles. He is now talking a mile a minute (to keep up with his older brother).

Our church family has been a huge blessing to us this past year. We’ve seen growth in numbers and friendships. You can download MP3 audio files of Ken’s weekly sermons or check out the church’s monthly newsletter at NorwoodChristian.com. Ken’s other adventures this year include shooting his first deer, ice climbing, singing with the community choir, butchering a turkey, geocaching with Heather, and trying not to get himself injured playing with the little guys. He’s hoping he’ll have some time for cross country skiing around the Ranch this winter.

Our first full year of operating the Ranch went fairly smoothly and kept us busy, especially in the summer months. We had guests ranging from pastors to young aspiring filmmakers to family and friends. The retreat center strives to provide a quiet, inexpensive place for missionaries, ministers and their families to take a relaxing vacation away from the daily demands of ministry. Please check out the Web site at NorwoodChristianRanch.com to learn more about our ministry here.

Between graduating our second child and hoping to potty train our youngest soon, I had a full and busy year. Transcription work, the church newsletter, raising laying hens and selling the eggs, cooking and cleaning for guests, and just trying to keep up with an active two year old and a verbose five year old have made for a very fulfilling year. I wouldn’t trade this season of my life for anything! I’m so blessed to still have all my children living under one roof, but I know we are on the verge of change, too, and look forward to that new stage of life.

Living in Norwood has presented some challenges to us and we are adjusting accordingly. Having to drive over 60 miles to the closest Wal-Mart or any major stores has taught us the importance of list-making and dry ice. But geocaching and a 4-wheel drive vehicle have allowed us to find some amazing, beautiful back roads of Colorado, especially the breathtaking beauty of aspens in the fall. Fishing at the nearby mountain lake was also a highlight for our family this summer. We received a boat as a donation from one of our guests, and we can’t wait to use it next spring once the lake thaws.

Well, that’s the latest update from the Lawrence family. We pray that you and your family have a very merry Christmas and may God bless you all in 2008.

Ken, Chris,

Zack, Heather, Thomas & Robert