The Beatys in Bolivia: Beaty Family Christmas Letter 2020

Beaty Family Christmas Letter 2020

Dear Family & Friends,

What a year we have all passed through! The struggles and strife of 2020 gave us the unique opportunity to take stock of what really counts, spend more time home as a family, and (at times) slow down. While Jake and I tend to be more introverted and loved the quieter pace throughout the spring and early summer, some of our kids were less than thrilled. I was relieved to already be homeschooling, so no change for us in the education department.

Jake worked from home for three months and we all loved it! He still (surprise!) loves his job at Syndel, a fish chemical manufacturer, and got a new title with more responsibilities and people reporting to him this year. Evenings and weekends are often spent on interesting side jobs that have come his way. Soon he might have a chance to save up for the professional edit of Book #2! He made it to the cabin 6 or 7 times the past year, most of those trips with some or all of the family, and that makes him very happy.

Joel, now 17, is working towards his driver’s license (zoom class Driver’s Ed for the win!). Boy Scouts via zoom was NOT a win though, and focus went elsewhere after almost two years with the troop. With approximately one more year of school ahead, Joel begins to look forward at next steps in life. We hope to keep him around awhile yet, as a quiet, stable, helpful, patient member of our home team!

The news on Michael is not what we would hope to share. I just finished Sally Clarkson’s great new book “Awaking Wonder, Opening Your Child’s Heart to the Beauty of Learning” (highly recommend it!). I grew up with a similar philosophy of instilling a sense of family and curiosity and love of learning in kids, so it’s all familiar to me and something I aim for in our family. Our efforts never took root in Michael, even after seven years of sowing, and his friends continually came ahead of his education and our family. A couple of weeks ago, after increasingly challenging incidents, he decided to leave. God was gracious to all of us by providing nearby relatives (Jake’s brother and family) who were willing to take him in. We would appreciate prayers for that whole situation!

Samuel is doing well overall, but couldn’t help but be affected by another tumultuous year, this time due to no fault of his own. Master’s Ranch West in Washington experienced some legal trouble and false allegations in May, and CPS took in the boys. We were able to regain custody of Samuel and get him on a plane to Memphis, where my parents picked him up and drove him to Master’s Ranch in Missouri. That move was supposed to be temporary, and the Washington boys even spent a couple months at a Bible camp in Idaho waiting to move back to WA...but it never worked out. The Washington boys are back in Missouri, and we remain dependent on God’s provision of $3,800/month.

Our oldest daughter Sophia (7) is a continual delight. We appreciate her maturity and wisdom in interactions with siblings. She calls herself “Nature Girl” and is a big help to me planning our hikes and outdoor experiences, but also loves dance classes, and especially the performances! This spring she took off reading and can often be found curled up with a book. Ana Rose adores her and, if she’s not with me, wants to be in the middle of whatever Sophia is doing!

Lydia turned 5 in April and is our full-on extrovert daughter who has never met a stranger. It was a group effort to keep up with her this summer, as the girls spent their days and evenings outside, bike riding and playing with the many neighbor kids. She loves her family, food, and imaginative play. As soon as she wakes, she comes looking for our other early riser Ana Rose to play.

Last year, I mentioned the need to constantly keep up with Caledonia, due to her knack for destroying any given item or area in record time. Not a lot has changed in that area, other than rivaling baby sister in her efforts. She loves playing princess, joining in games with big sisters, workbooks, and grandparents. Very smart, very curious, very active, and always talking pretty much sums up the rest!

We joined a local Classical Conversations homeschool group in September. Sophia and Lydia have been excellent listeners and learners, and Callie will start in January now that she’s 4. Ana Rose tags along and—little sponge that she is—can count and say many big numbers, and sing parts of the timeline song (about Ancient History, nonetheless!).

Anastasia, who we call Ana Rose, is a busy toddler now and such a sweetheart! We all love her cuddles and kisses and neck hugs. Like Sophia, she didn’t walk until almost 17 months, but rather put her energies into verbal abilities that surprise everyone. I lost track at 150 words, as she adds daily, but what’s fun are her phrases and to hear her sing songs without missing many words. She constantly entertains us, bosses everyone, and asks to go outside in all weather.

I started a new business AGAIN this year, finally one that is profitable year-round and possible to do with little ones. “Ana Rose Sweets” launched at Valentine’s Day with cinnamon rolls and cake pops. By May I had gone through the lengthy process of getting a cottage kitchen license through the WA Department of Agriculture, for all sorts of treats! We sold at local farmer’s markets throughout the summer and fall, and a very popular farm stand had me out for busy pop up markets a couple times a month. Orders and holidays in between have meant the oven is rarely off for long!

A fun surprise was to have Jennifer’s parents move to Washington in October! They are back in the Memphis area now with other daughters and businesses but will be back soon. Maybe Pops will finally get the boat he has wanted, living here at the bay. It’s exciting to have them close by again. Our kids are blessed to have TWO sets of grandparents loving and investing on them from nearby.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Jake & Jennifer
Joel (17), Michael (17), Samuel (16½), Sophia (7), Lydia (5 ½), Caledonia (4), Anastasia (20 months)