2023 Christmas Reflections

Merry Christmas! 

I hope this letter finds you well. It is my very favorite time of the year. The tree is up, the fireplace is crackling, and the neighborhood glows with Christmas lights. I hope you are enjoying the magic and peace of this season with loved ones near or far.

2023 has been an adventure for our little family with lots of fun changes. We joined an amazing church, Pillar Church, near our home in Conroe, TX. I have had the gift of serving on the worship team, while Carlos enjoys serving with the sound team. We found a home in Pillar almost instantly and are so grateful the Lord brought us here this year.

Nolan turned 2 years old on February 12 and is an absolute delight. He truly has such a joyful disposition and we are frequently told that he has the best smile! We love watching him grow and we pray daily he will come to know and love Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He is full of energy and loves sports (just like his dad :)). He is always asking to play tennis, soccer, or baseball. He is very determined and will practice his swing over and over until he gets it just right. He completed swim lessons this summer and it was hard to keep him out of the pool, he loved it so much. Nolan adores the trash truck, playing with toy cars, play dough, building blocks, and anything outside. He started a new preschool this year, going two days a week and he absolutely loves it. I love filling our walls with his artwork and hearing about what he has learned. He is quite talkative and inquisitive. I hope he always wants to talk about everything with me and I hold these moments so dearly. At nearly 3 years old, Nolan sees the world with awe and wonder. When we play outside he is the first to notice the colors of the sunset, the changing fall leaves, or a brightly colored string of Christmas lights on our neighbors home. He eagerly shares his discoveries and reminds me to take notice of the beautiful world around me. There is so much beauty and in an age of distraction I don't want to miss it. Children can be wonderful teachers and Carlos and I often find ourselves saying what a privilege it is to be Nolan's mom and dad. 

Carlos is working for IBM and will be celebrating 10 years there in March. He received an exciting and well-earned promotion to start off 2024 moving into a Business Development Manager role. I am so proud of his hard work. Outside of the office and being an incredible father, he really enjoys Tigres soccer, grilling on our new Traeger, and of course a solid tennis match. He has been serving weekly with a ministry called re:gen and cherishes the connections he has made there. He is an amazing husband and “dada” and we are so lucky he is ours!

2023 has been healing for me as I continue to recover from a herniated disc in my lower back from Spring 2022. The Lord has taught me much about patience and trust during this process. It has been a lot slower than I had hoped but I am happy to report this year we made great progress! In January I went back to work per diem for Texas Children’s Hospital and really enjoy caring for patients and their families in the urgent care setting. My days have been so sweet this year and you can often find Nolan and I meeting up with friends at the park, the zoo or the children’s museums in the area. We go to weekly bible study with our friends and are learning about the book of John. In this season I am thankful for the quiet, unplanned moments of life. Meeting our neighbors in the cauld-a-sac to watch the kids play. Sipping coffee on rainy mornings (with a spoonful of whipped cream that makes it the perfect creamy consistency). Dessert dates with friends after bedtime. Inside jokes with my hubby. So much to be thankful for!  

I can't end this letter without acknowledging that this season can be hard for so many of us. When everyone seems to be of good cheer, maybe your heart is breaking. My mom gifted me an Amaryllis bulb in November. When I think of planting flowers, I think of the spring, but the Amaryllis is special. It blooms in the middle of winter. Watching it take root and come to life over the past few weeks has been a tangible reminder that rare and beautiful things can grow in the middle of the coldest winters. Christy Nockels, one of my favorite artists, has a song inspired by the Christmas Amaryllis and how it gave her hope in the midst of her own dark winter. She shares how it gave her the courage to continue to bloom when she thought she might never see spring. Just like Jesus- He didn't arrive when everything was perfect and put together. He came in the darkness, in the cold and was laid in a manger. Heaven gave us a King that came to save us all. This King is the reason we celebrate Christmas and the reason we have hope and joy. If you want to know more you can find the story here: https://youtu.be/-3LdXjzm_dw 

If you have made it this far, please know how grateful we are that you took the time to read these reflections. Our community has held us up in hard times, celebrated, and loved us so well this year. We are surely grateful. God has written our family story so intricately and we are excited and expectant for 2024. Warmest wishes to you and your family. 

With love,

Carlos, Mackenzie, and Nolan Cantu

-Ending with a few 2023 Highlights-

• Carlos and I celebrated 5 years of marriage- what an amazing journey it has been. I love him so!
• We took a family trip to New Hampshire/Maine where I lived as a toddler and had the perfect fall family vacation. We picked apples, road a train through the mountains, saw the lighthouses, ate lobster, and splashed along the chilly coast!
• Carlos completed the re:gen program at WoodsEdge Church with a small group of men. This took daily commitment and it has been such a gift to him. All glory to God.
• Trip to Cancun, Mexico, to celebrate my 30th birthday!
• Trip to Big Sur, a bucket list item for me, with my mom and sister. Big Sur is truly one of the most beautiful and majestic places I have ever seen.