I wish I could have sent a Christmas card to each of you this year. As that was impossible, I wanted to share our Christmas photo and letter with you all. It has been a true blessing to get to know so many of you over this last year…thank you for your support and encouragement!
Dear Family & Friends,
Greetings to you all as we enter the wonderful Christmas season! It has been a very challenging and yet blessed year for our family. We are rejoicing in God’s goodness once again!
We welcomed little Titus Christopher on March 4th and what a little bundle of joy he is to our family. He is so mellow, peaceful, and so happy the majority of the time. At 9 months old, he loves rolling all around the floor, exploring, eating, and just smiling at us with his cute little teeth. He looks like he may be welcoming his two front teeth by Christmas! 
Karis, at 2 1/2 years old, is our queen bee. She loves to sing, take walks, read books (Frog & Toad, and Thomas the Tank Engine are her favorites), playing in her kitchen set, and just making us laugh. She was successfully potty trained in just one month over the summer. Quite a big girl.
Aaron is a wonderful daddy and diligent provider, as he continues to work as a self-employed web developer. The Lord closed the doors for us to begin immediately in moving towards becoming techno-missionaries (where we would use technology to serve missionaries), but it is still a future goal. In the mean time, Aaron is seeking to grow in his business management skills, knowledge, and expanding his business in training an apprentice. Our vision is to get to a place where Aaron could work part-time to support us and dedicate the other time to serving missionaries/churches/agencies. Beyond work, Aaron is serving faithfully in leading worship and training up sound technicians at our church. We are involved in a new church plant called The Gathering in Portland, OR that started in July. In his spare time, Aaron loves learning to barb-a-que and expand his guitar playing skills.
For myself (Lindsay), I feel I have grown significantly this year in simply trusting the Lord. He has taken me through a difficult season dealing with insomnia, and yet faithfully has sustained me through it. I am growing in treasuring my children and enjoying the precious moments I have with them. I love being a stay at home mom, and taking care of the needs of my husband and children. Seeking to live simply and naturally have been my passions. On the side, the Lord continues to grow my little ministry through my blog, Passionatehomemaking.com. It has grown significantly this last year and the Lord has been using it to inspire homemakers around the world. To God be the glory! I am also pursing becoming a child-birth instructor and doula over this next year as I love serving women in preparing and giving birth naturally. I am excited to see what the future holds!
Together as a family, we are enjoying reaching out to international students through our local WSU. It has been a true blessing to build relationships with these precious students, meeting people from around the world, from China to Iran to Turkey.
We love you all and pray you have a blessed holiday season reflecting upon the glorious gift of our Savior who came as a humble baby to redeem the world!
Sincerely,
Aaron, Lindsay, Karis & Titus Edmonds
Note to my readership: Thank you again for making this such a blessed year! It has been a huge privilege to serve many of you and minister as the Lord has led me. I want to thank you for your financial support of this blog as well, making it possible for us to send more resources to support our orphan home in Cambodia. I must now confess as witnessed in our letter, that insomnia has been causing a lot of strain and stress to my life over the last few months. Some days I can barely function mentally and physically. I know God has ordained this for a purpose, and it has really helped me re-focus and refine my priorities. After further prayer, I feel the Lord is leading me to take a blogging break for a few weeks. You may see a post here and there, but overall, I am just stepping back for a bit. I need to pull back, rest, and focus on my family. I am planning on taking a blogging break till the new year. You can follow me on twitter for regular family updates. I want to spend the holidays resting with the Lord and family. You all are in my prayers! May you have a blessed holiday season till we meet again!
Hi Lindsay, good for you. I am new to your site but I love it. Trust in the Lord!!! You need a big ol’ Amen Sister!!!!
You are wise to do so. While I don’t have an insomnia problem exactly, I do tend to foolishly stay up far too late (mostly because I enjoy the alone time), so I know how easily sleep deprivation can cause terrible things to happen to our bodies. I’m there. Right now. (I’ll be following you on Twitter!!)
Hang in there!
Thanks For sharing, you have a beautiful family!
I am so happy and thankful I have found your blog. It is very uplifting and knowledgeable. I was not raised in a Christian home. I have been married for 3 years to my wonderful husband and it was when I found him and his family that I also found Christ. It has been a struggle to learn and read on my own. Now that we are expecting our fist child, Evelynn, I really love to see a family woman who I can come back to and read posts that really get me motivated. Not only in scripture but in the home as a homemaker as well. Thank you for your blog.
Hi!
I just want to thank you for your blog. It is amazing how you bring out the beauty of Christ even through homemaking. Truly, your blog makes me think – if Lindsay can do it, so can I!
I am certain that God is smiling upon you & your sweet family. God Bless!
Cheers,
Steph
What a beautiful family photo!
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to your family!!! Thank-you for taking the time to post about all the things you do or are learning about
I have been on your blog since Karis was tiny.
God Bless you all in the year ahead.
Erin H~
Have a wonderful Christmas! I recently discovered your blog and it is great. Good luck with the CBE/doula path. I’ve been working on getting started as a childbirth educator (I am provisionally certified, and just need to start getting clients). What training program are you following?
Hi! What a sweet little blog! I stumbled over your recipe for homemade vanilla, and then read a little more. I’m sorry to hear you struggle with insomnia. I completely understand, It has bothered me as well… Can i suggest a remedy?
I started going alphabetically through names of people, A- Andrea, my sister, B- Brandy, a childhood friend, etc., and praying for each of them, individually, and with purpose, but while I was comfortably in my bed with the lights off. The first few nights I went though the alphabet and started again. For a long time I would get to the letter S or T. And then one night, I realized I would pray for Andrea and Brandy every night, and then I would be asleep!
It’s nicer to fall asleep that way, then trying to play a game on my cell phone, (which I’ve tried) or staying awake with the light on, reading.
God bless you,
Briana
I just recently found your blog. I love your photo of your family – very beautiful!
Merry Christmas,
Sarah
I hope you feel rejuvenated by your rest. You have helped me grow immensely in my journey to cleaner living. From introducing me to Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, green ways to clean, and your delicious homemade pizza crust, you are more inspiring than you know. Merry Christmas and have a Blessed New Year!!
Merry Christmas! Enjoy your rest!
I will miss you. I have really enjoyed checking your website regularly and have been truly blessed by you! Thank you for all of your hard work and willingness to try new and frugal recipes. May the Lord richly bless you this Christmas season and beyond.
Your blog is a blessing!! Thank you for sharing! Your support, encouragement and faith is wonderful!
Thanks for letting the Lord use you!
Happy resting! I pray it is a time of refreshing, restoring, regrouping, and renewing!
Dear Lindsay,
I’ve read some of your website and it is fascinating. I’d bought Nourishing Traditions years ago, and implemented some things in it. We’re about to foster a baby and your info on babies is welcome. Your time spent teaching all of us interested in these things is so appreciated. God bless you this Christmas and always!
Good for you Lindsay. You are practicing what you preach! I pray this time takes the pressure of you and you can establish a sleeping pattern again. Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas.
Thank you for sharing your Christmas letter!
Enjoy your break, and I will enjoy surfing through your archives. You obviously put so much work into each post, because they are all excellent. Thank you, I have learned so much!
I struggled with mild insomnia after my second was born, but it gradually went away. I had it again in my third pregancy, but it didn’t continue after childbirth. So let me encourage you that you will not have insomnia forever!
Merry Christmas!
I have learned much from you from the time I found your blog this year. I pray that your time of rest will result in greater health for you and a renewed sense of purpose in the Lord’s plan for your life and the life of your family.
I’m also taking a break from active blogging till the new year. I have the scheduled bible reading and wife tip posts going out but the other type of posts will not be until the new year.
Take care and God bless you.
Lindsay, I just wanted to say thank you for all the time and effort that you put into each of your posts. I am fixing to turn 40 and my children are almost graduated, but I have learned so much from you this past year. You are amazing. I stumbled across your blog one night and have been hooked ever since. I wish you were around 20+ years ago when I first started my family.
I have been battling major adrenal fatigue for the past couple of months and have been very upset from being a full time office manager to being completely stuck at home. I kept asking God why was he allowing this to happen to me when I have so much that needs to be done and so many people that need me in this stage of my life. But, one thing he is showing me is that my priorities need to get in line with his and all the “busyness” that we sometimes put on ourselves is not what he intended. So, I start each day asking him what would he have me to do. And if all I got done that day was spending time with him and supper on the table, I learned that is okay. I also found that I love being a stay at home mom and wished I would have done it so many years ago. So, just be patient and focus on what he would have you to do and let the rest just fall in place. When you look back, you will notice that yes, that to do list did get done after all.
I wish you and your precious family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thanks for all of your inspiring words and spirit. We are all learning so much from you. I really appreciate your gentleness and letting us all take this journey in our own time, and focusing on Christ more than anything. I hope you get the rest you need!
Merry Christmas to you, too! I hope you have a wonderful break.
Thank you so much once again for this very resourceful blog. It has such an encouragement to me in my endeavour at living simply and naturally.
Wishing you a very happy Christmas with you family and will be praying insomnia ends before long and you feel more strengthened to function.
With Christian love
Liz xx
I am encouraged to hear how God is leading you and your family. It is neat to hear how you live out your passion for missions with the International students on your campus. My hubby is an associate missions pastor and we always get so excited when people realize the nations are at their doorstep – we live in a college town, too. Glad to hear you are prioritizing and taking a break. Everyone needs that! Enjoy the rest! I am blessed by your blog!
Merry Christmas Lindsay! Your blog has been such a blessing to me, and I pray that the Lord gives your rest, refreshment, and sleep during your blogging break!
Oh yeah, I forgot to say too that my husband is also a self employed web developer! =)
Hi Lindsay!
I have been reading your blog since this summer but have never commented. Every time I read a blog I have to ask myself if you are for real! I have enjoyed your blog so much and am beginning my own journey in incorporating more whole foods and grains into our meals and your blog has been a great resource for me…you’re kinda like my online mentor! In your letter I saw that you are a part of a church plant called the Gathering in Portland…is that by chance the Gathering at grace community church? That’s my church! Although it’s in Gresham, the timing and name was right so I just had to check. Thanks for all you do..I’ve been so blessed to have found your blog.
Lindsay….
We are ‘on the field’ missionaries and I’ve enjoyed reading your blog this last year although some of the implementing of items is a wee bit difficult with limited resources.
A couple of random funny things: I can’t even remember where I got your info to the blog and we’re from SW Washington (my hubby from Portland!).
I’m curious as to what your ‘technosupport to missionaries’ dream looks like.
I’m sure you can guess why. Email me when and if you can!
God bless,
Faith
Praying for you, Lindsay, as you overcome your insomnia. May you have a very restful blogging break, and peaceful festivities with your family. Bless you guys, and Merry Christmas.
Shannon
Have a great break! Not sure if I’ve actually commented on your posts before but I’ve been reading for about 2 months. Love your posts and thanks for the orphan info…a subject very close to my heart!
If you are interested I am hosting a giveaway of a nativity set over at my blog. It ends tomorrow.
http://autumnaskswhy.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-about-christmas-giveaway.html
I love your site and just wanted to share our new blog so you all can follow along. We are starting an Ethipian adoption, so come along for the journey. http://www.campfunk.blogspot.com. God Bless!
Happy Holidays!
~~HUGS~~
Thank you so much for your blog Lindsay. From your joyful commitment to homemaking to the delicious energy bar recipe, your blog has encouraged and inspired me.
I will be praying that the Lord with give you sleep. I just wanted to share a quick testimony of how the Lord used insomnia in my midwife’s life. After the birth of one of her children, her body stopped responding to calcium correctly and for weeks she hardly slept at all. Though it was awful she said that that is how God prepared her for midwifery and the endless nights of helping other women deliver their children naturally and safely. In our state there are few legal midwives and she was very busy. It’s getting better but she would often have to go from one birth to the next with little sleep. I thought it was encouraging to see how God used something so awful for very practical good.
Blessings!
Anna
Hope you get rested up! Looking forward to your blog when you return!
Good for you! Enjoy your time with your family, but know that you will be missed.
Lindsay,
I check your blog almost daily and I have been enormously blessed by your ideas and thoughts. I pray that this rest would be fruitful and refreshing- thank you for all that you do, and Merry Christmas!!!
I’ll miss you and your blog, but I pray you’ll get plenty of rest and that the Lord will take away your insomnia. Merry Christmas!
I love the picture of your family! How sweet! I have never dealt with insomnia myself, but I feel so sorry for people who do because it seems to affect every area of life. I have a friend who has dealt with frequent insomnia but has now overcome it. You should do some research on the connection between insomnia and body temperature. It looks pretty fascinating, and that’s how my friend started sleeping well again. Anyway, I don’t know if that’s what’s causing your insomnia problems, but it might be worth looking into. Just wanted to pass that along…
Cute pic too!!
Merry Christmas Edmonds’ Family!!!
Lindsay, your blog has blessed me more than ever this year. I had a room in our home that looked like a tornado hit, and just closed the door to it. But with your simplicity posts I tackled that room, gave away A LOT of stuff, I wish I would have taken pictures for you (1. I forgot, 2. I think I would have been too embarrassed) but trust me, you have blessed me!
Adorable pic, Lindsay! When my daughter started sleeping through the night at about 9 months I would wake up, unable to fall back to sleep (nursing makes me sleepy). Sleepytime tea helped (although eventually I noticed it increasing my milk supply/mastitis, which I was already prone to), but what helped especially was making sure I had a bedtime snack with fat/protein (no simple sugar at night) in it and plenty of water. Previously, when nursing my daughter through the night, I would snack through the night. I think my body had adjusted to that. Also I usually try to get a walk every day and limit my evening activities (socializing then tends to have me wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep). Minerals might help, too–magnesium/calcium (although I’ve found calcium at night leaves me waking up hungry in the middle of the night. Go figure.) Hope you are able to get your rest these next few weeks…
Hey Lindsay! Take all the time you need, okay? We’ll still be here when you get back… I use your site all the time for reference even–”mmm…where can I get a recipe for a healthy version of this or that? Ah! Lindsay’s blog, of course!”
Keep us updated on your childbirth educator/doula plans! Believe it or not, I have the very same plans in mind as well! I taught Prepared Childbirth (Lamaze) for a number of years, and am now looking to possibly get back into it and become a doula. Right now, I think I need to just keep preparing for it, as my children are small and my husband works unpredictable hours in the ER. Someday, though…
Thank you, Lindsay! I’m a new follower on your blog, but have very much enjoyed it. I was married in June and am now expecting a baby in Aug. I’ve had much exposure to natural birthing through my mother, but it is so different when it is you and not your mother. My mother and I have also really appreciated your recipes and health tips. We’re fairly new to Weston Price Foundation, Sally Fallen etc.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a break from blogging (everyone should take a break
.
Sarah (Bozeman MT)
Your blog has been such an inspiration to me this past year. I have learned so much!! Thank you for all you share with us! May God bless you and your wonderful family this Christmas!!
Enjoy a well deserved rest, Lindsay! We’ll be here when you get back!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Lindsay! I’m praying that you’ll have a restful Christmas and that the Lord will heal you from the insomnia. Thank you for your honesty. I love reading your blog. Hugs and blessings!!!
Merry Christmas to you and yours! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this blog. It has been so inspirational to me and has helped me change so many aspects of my life. Bless you!
Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas picture and letter with us! Jason and I also desire to serve missionaries using technology as we serve as missionaries in an orphanages preferably in the Ukraine. My mom is a doula and was able to assist with several births. Then she became a CASA – state appointed special advocate for foster children – and hasn’t had time to serve as a doula. I suffer from insomnia as well and will keep you in my prayers in hopes that the amount and quality of sleep you recieve will increase each day.
I hope you find the rest you need in your time away. Insomnia is challenging; you are so young I hope you work through this quickly for your health, nerves, etc. You have a great writing style and a gift communicating to people.
What a lovely family.
Thanks for sharing, Lindsay. I will pray that the time you take off from this blog will be a blessing to you and your family. I enjoy reading what you have to say and don’t comment near enough. I wish you and your family a joyous Christmas. Take care!
Lindsay, I pray that God would truly bless you for all the work you do for Him. God has used you to help me in re-directing my ideas on simple living and desiring to be the blessed homemaker for my family. You have given me so many tools and information that I couldn’t have gotten without you, so I thank you so much. I will pray for God to help you with the insomnia, or at least that you could do what needs to be done. I’m glad and sad at the same time for your break with the blog, but I pray that it would be so beneficial for you and your family. Enjoy the holidays and wishing you a blessed New Year!
Thank the Lord in you again for all your hard work that you’ve freely given to us.
Thank you for sharing your Christmas letter with us, Lindsay. Take all the time you need – us, your readers, will be here when you get back
Merry Christmas!
Relax and enjoy your much-deserved break. I have begun reading your blog this year and it is very inspiring. You are doing great work. Thanks and happy holidays!
Lindsay, that was a beautiful letter. Thank you for sharing it with us. I pray that God would give you rest-physically, mentally and spiritually. God is honored when you praise him and trust him through difficult seasons. Merry Christmas!
Blessing to you Lindsay and your family! Thank you for the amazing ministry you have through this blog. You are such an encouragement to me and countless others. My prayer is that God will bring you strength, rest and joy this Christmas.
Merry Christmas to your whole family, Lindsey! Thank you for sharing your time, energy and knowledge with us. Enjoy your Christmas “break”! Mamas never really get a break, do they?
Thank you for sharing your letter and adorable family photo with us! I will be praying that the New Year might bring you rest.
Lindsay, may God bless you and yours this Christmas. Thank you for inspiring me to be a better wife, mother, and steward of what the Lord has given me. I pray that this break will be a season of peace and rest for you. Merry Christmas and happy new year!
What a cute blog! Very inspiring too!
We also have 2 little children and our #1 goal is to raise them to love Jesus!
Come on by and check out my blog!
I haven’t commented in quite some time though still read regularly. Have a wonderful time of rest it is as much needed as serving.
I have also battled with insomnia after the birth of my last child 14 months ago. When my baby started sleeping the night I wasn’t able to. You probably are aware of it but trypthophan very much helped me get my sleep cycle back on track. I went from sleeping very little usually 3-4 hours a night to sleeping 6 hours or more straight. God does have plans for these times and provides in our time of need. I do have great sympathy for you in this…it effects everyday function so dramatically. I will pray for you.
Blessings,
Sandi