Luke&Kristy Wedding

Happy 2011! We hope 2010 treated you well and trust this new year will treat you even better! Thanks for being so gracious and continuing to let us send out our holiday letters so delinquently. We love you and love you for it! :)

Overall 2010 has been the year of the transition. Luke has continued to slowly work himself out of a job at The Urban Alternative while focusing on producing, learning and building a studio back at the house. After an initial jump-start in January, he’s been able to consistently add to the studio a little more each month. Building up a vocal booth, audio PC, software and sound libraries, and thanks to David - even added a full drum kit to the mix (which he’s now learning to play). He’s still got way more to go, but it’s been fun to see how far it’s come.

God’s also tossed some big opportunities his direction. Through a site he found on-line he’s been able to submit his songs and get them in front of some well known studios, artists and producers. From Wayne Wilkins and Disco Fries to Britney Spears, God has placed his songs in front of some well known names. No big bites yet, but he has signed three tracks with a well connected Hollywood publisher, JDE Music. And we look forward to even more opportunities in 2011!

This was a big transition year for Kristy as well, one in which she really learned to depend on God to get her through every day. With her practice getting busier, her nurse of two years put in two weeks notice at the end of September so that she could go back to school. Since that time, it has been quite a challenge getting through the daily tasks of clinic. The days became a lot longer (even I felt the difference) as Kristy took on more and more duties. But God has provided, from a temp who was a breath of fresh air to a temporary hire who is working diligently every day until a permanent replacement can be found. God has been so faithful. Even when Kristy’s current nurse was unable to join her immediately due to helping her prior physician close his practice, God rewarded Kristy’s patience. The other doctor was so grateful he got to keep his nurse to the end, that he gave Kristy first pick of all his office equipment & supplies. In her words, “It was like Christmas!” What a blessing this was to her, her office, and us.

During all of the chaos, Kristy was hard at work preparing for her oral boards. This consisted of collecting a case list of every procedure done the prior year and then ‘sitting’ for an intensive oral exam at the beginning of December. It was definitely the most difficult exam she has ever experienced. But after 3 hours of grilling, prayerful bathroom breaks, and one crazy laugh - she totally passed!! God is so good. Kristy is now an official board certified OB-Gyn. That only took 26 years!! (And she can check my ovaries any day.)

Luke had his first chance to experience the protection in recently-memorized-Psalm-91 when (to avoid a careless lane-changer) his car spun out of control as he braked & swerved on the freeway. He was promptly T-boned by a pickup-plus-trailer and a commercial truck. He swears after stepping out of his totaled car - injury and whiplash free, sun glasses (and air-bags) still intact - that the world rippled just a little behind him. It truly was a miracle from start to finish. No one was hurt, only some slight fender damage was done to one of the other trucks involved, and we had just received the money to pay off his old car. Plus he's so thankful for his new, larger car which is much better suited for future family additions. Thank you Psalm 91 and Jesus!

But the best blessing and biggest transition of the year came in October when we celebrated our 4th Anniversary and then found out we were expecting the newest addition to the Carnevale household. You could say that was one successful celebration! We don’t know the sex yet, but all the signs say boy or girl. We can’t wait to meet him/her tentatively next July 5th.

And now our favorite part, 2010 shout-outs for the year: Here’s to the Grant & Lissy weddings, the ‘impromptu’ Furlotte wedding, to internet ordinations and crying on video, the birth of Summer and Eli, DC tours by moonlight, to Larissa’s wedding and Fab 5 photo booth sessions, family time in Fresno, indie movie debuts and laser tag victories, to ‘Anniversary in July’ limo rides, Sunday fun-days, and motorcycle Santas.

We love all of you very much and here’s to the best, God blessed 2011!

Luke, Kristy & baby (peanut) Carnevale