Some might consider this late, but I figure what could be timelier than a Christmas letter written on Christmas day itself? I hope that this letter finds you well, happy, rested, and not too stuffed with sweets!
It has been quite a year for this Hackworth clan. 
Probably the biggest news is that Corey and I bought our first house in May. We’re still in the process of making it our own (repainting some rooms and changes like that), but we couldn’t be happier here! It’s a split level house with three levels: the upper level has the three bedrooms and bathroom, the entrance level has the living room and kitchen, and the lower level contains an office/entertainment area, half bath, and laundry room. Now that we have so much space, we definitely have room to house you if you’re ever in the area and need a place to crash!
Also on the home front, we added a new member to our family in October! 
Meet Peet! He was born on August 22 this year (the day after our anniversary!), and he’s a mix of Terrier, Lhasa Apso, and Poodle. We adopted Peet from a local shelter called Pets Without Parents, and he’s pretty much the cutest little bundle of black fluff you’ve ever seen, though he’ll be even cuter once he’s finally potty trained (we’re getting very tired of cleaning up his messes). But Sammy sure loves having him as a playmate!
Corey began his second year in the PhD Program at OSU this fall, and he got to teach his first college-level Latin class this past quarter (or as he refers to it, torturing undergrads!) He must be pretty soft on them though, ‘cause they keep coming back for more. He even had two students wanting to transfer into his class since they liked him so much. He also rocked out the house in a Theories of Religion seminar he took, astounding everyone with his matchless understanding of Foucault and applying the French philosopher’s teaching to Corey’s favorite ancient text, Herodotus’ Histories. Every step of the way seems to be another confirmation that Corey is pursuing the right path—he’s doing what he loves and really excelling at it as well.
On my end of things, I’m still bringing in the dough with my mad table-waiting skills. Even though it’s not exactly college- or masters- level work, I’ve really found a job that I love and enjoy going to every day. The people I work with are fantastic, as are the customers. We even have several ‘regulars’ whom I’ve gotten to know somewhat and enjoy getting to chat with whenever they come in. I’m reminded of the ‘career aptitude’ test I had to take in 8th grade . . . the top three jobs for me were waitress, psychologist, and teacher. And you thought those tests were baloney, didn’t you? Speaking of psychologist, I forgot to mention I finally graduated from Gordon-Conwell with my masters in counseling this past May! Go me! And I am actually using it too, even if not monetarily. I’m currently volunteering with the ‘Peer Counseling’ group at a nearby church, and that is going very well. I’m also talking to the pastors of my church about starting up a similar group in our own church to meet the great need there. It will probably be a slow process, but it’s nice to finally feel that I am getting back on track with this counseling stuff after a detour of sorts.
It can be difficult to keep updated with everyone, especially when they’re far away, so I hope that this fills in a bit where my communication has been lacking. I pray that God blesses you with peace and love this holiday season, and every good thing according to his will. I would love to hear what’s going on with you as well, so keep in touch!
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
love,
megan, corey, sammy, and peet hackworth
