One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to blog regularly! I am starting by posting our Christmas Letter which has some big news … Read it and weep … for JOY! 
Dearly Beloved,
This year, we have a very happy, nearly-unbelievable story of God’s providence, goodness and love to share. The news: we have added a son to our family. The story: nearly 30 years ago as a teenager before we met and were married, Margaret had a baby and made the painful choice to give him up for a closed adoption through a Christian adoption agency. He searched for and was able to find Margaret in July. This naturally came as a great shock even though we both were aware that this might happen someday. After much communication with him and between the two of us, we decided to share with Megan and Katie on Thanksgiving Day in New York City that they have an older brother. It was a wild and happy moment in life.
We feel blessed by God. There is much to share, but suffice it to say now: we have completely embraced him and his family and all of us are ecstatic, filled with joy and wonder. His name is Matthew R. Griffith. He lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with his lovely wife, Hailey, and baby girl, Mary Charles. He was raised in Anniston, Alabama, graduated from Auburn University and is a lawyer specializing in medical defense work.
Life is good. “All things truly do work together for the good …”
Briefly, in other news …
John enjoyed a well-earned 5-month sabbatical this year, returning to work in mid-September. Margaret is now the Faith Relations Manager at Metro-Denver Habitat for Humanity. Megan spent the 1st half of the year as a manager in salon shoes at Nordstrom in Cherry Creek but moved to Buffalo in August to commence a Masters in Arts Management. She loves the program and is bracing for the big, bad weather in Buffalo. Katie is a senior at Lees-McRae in Banner Elk, North Carolina, majoring in English, enjoying life and living for the summer when she morphs into the perfect camp counselor at Glen Arden in Tuxedo, North Carolina.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Keep in touch!
With full hearts,
The Bells
