This picture was sent to me in June 2015 days after I was affirmed as the Lead Pastor at Foothills. I told Karlee at some point I would bust this picture out — 16 months later here it is 🙂

This is a letter Lauren and I wrote to Karlee Tumbleson who watched our kids for 5 days. Proverbs 3:27 says don’t withhold good from those for whom it is due. Karlee, you’re the best.

Karlee, I know we’ve thanked you several times but Lauren and I wanted to take a minute and thank you again and give you a little glimpse into our lives. You’re close to David/Jordan so you’ve seen the life of a pastor and a pastor’s wife upfront; it’s demanding, consuming, rewarding, exhausting, encouraging, discouraging and many times all at the same time. We get a front row seat to many joys and a front row seat to many hardships. In years past we’ve let ministry take over our marriage and family to where we become consumed and even overwhelmed with all of the various needs of serving in ministry that we forget or neglect the very ministry that is most important: our marriage. We were beginning to get a little weary and in God’s providence this trip was scheduled at just the right time.

Karlee, you served us so very well – we are deeply thankful for you. Our time away in Colorado was restful and relaxing. Much of that rest/relaxation took place because we never once worried about our gifts/kids. We were confident they were in good hands. Not only did you take off work to parent our kids for 5 days but you did it in a manner that exuded a joy and an investment that is rare with most young people – you even documented what you/they did each day so we could see what took place in our family those 5 days and then to cap it all off you wrote a letter to Lucianne, Lydia and Samuel saying goodbye as they were going to wake up the next morning without you there.

Again, your friendship is a blessing to us and we’re grateful to call you a sister. Thanks again for taking the time to serve Lauren and me by watching our kids. You are the best. Truly.

With Deep Gratitude,

Nate and Lauren