Christmas Letter

I love receiving Christmas letters. I love it and am NOT bored by it. Even if I know you very very very well, it is still great to relive your year with you. When Gary comes home at 4:31 and enters with the mail, everything else gets ignored while I open all Christmas cards. Don't bother me. :)

I did send Christmas cards (sorry if you didn't get one--I ran out!) but I did not include a Christmas letter. Three years ago I bought beautiful blue snowflake paper for Christmas letters. I bought 400 sheets (on clearance at Menards baby!) so I wouldn't have to buy paper again for a few years. I didn't use them for the past two years. Why? I'm afraid. There, I said it. I'm afraid that folks will think me boring. I know, I know, perhaps my resolution for next year will be caring less about what others think of me. If I were to have written a letter on the beautiful snowflake paper. . . .

What?!? Another year has passed. My oldest son went through two sizes of pants, my youngest son proved he can hop on one foot during the Christmas program, my oldest daughter has decided kissing isn't cool, and my youngest daughter arrived. Here we are through my eyes.

Gary? He is my love. I still marvel that God brought us together. He is handsome, thoughtful, generous with his time and his gifts, and a really good dad. Plus, he is a great husband. I never thought I'd be deserving of such a man. He works hard and faithfully despite some challenging stuff at work (AT&T field tech). He is sporting his fifth hair style of the year. I love that about him. He has still not gotten his nose pierced and for that I'm thankful.

Garrison? My 5 year old boy changed this year. There is a new maturity about him. He is enjoying pre-school again, although he doesn't realize that he is repeating. With his August birthday and some immature social skills, Gary and I decided to have him wait a year for kindergarten. It was a good decision. He is a leader, has an easy smile, loves to give hugs, cries with huge crocodile tears when Frosty melts, learned how to swim without a life jacket and lost his first tooth. I love him.

Simon? Has is really been two years since he joined our family? My four year old is best described with two words: silly and determined. Don't bother telling Simon he is too little to do something, he'll find a way. His attention span is much longer than his older brother's. On the other hand, he is so very goofy! This can be funny or drive me batty! There are several kids in his class that aren't allowed to sit next to Simon. One word, one look, one noise can send him over the edge. Don't change his routine! Flexible is not a word used to describe him. He wanders out of his room every morning looking for a hug. I love him.

Noel? Delightful, stubborn, dramatic, joyful, independent, sassy, musical, tomboy, and princess. It is hard to describe Noel because frankly, she is indescribable. :) She enthralls those who meet her. She is three and vacillates between being a little girl and a teenager. She adores her older brothers and loves their approval. She also loves to get them mad, and she is very good at it. If you watch her, she is either skipping, walking on her toes, or twirling as she moves from place to place. I love spending one on one time with her. She pretends like no other. I love her.

Penny? We gave her the name Penny because she was such a blessing to us. She has lived up to her name! She is so very happy and content. I'm so thankful that God decided to give her to us last. She is very used to all the noise and all the touching that three older siblings offer to her. She has decided to crawl which has made an impact in my life in a negative way. She grunts when she is excited. She kicks when she is excited. She smiles when she is excited. Life is very good for Penny, and for us because she is here. I love her.

Smokey? Our dog is our dog. As he ages he mellows out a bit which is great. I'm not a huge fan of Smokey, but I do love the people that love him.

Me? Well, I love my life. There are many moments when I'm not winning awards for being a good mom. I do love being at home with my kids. I love planning meals and finding deals while grocery shopping. I love the school that my kids attend. I love having four kids. I love our church. I love my Bible Study and the amazing Godly women in my group. I love being married to Gary. I love walking with the Lord every day. Sure, this year has been very eventful. The birth of a baby and the ups and downs that came with my dad added drama. Throw in a trip to the ER with Noel, trips to Branson, questions about Simon's medical condition, the arrival of a new niece, my brother and sister-in-aw announcing their pregnancy, making new friends at church, inheriting a trailer, Gary having sinus surgery. . . it is a wonderfully full life with new surprises every day. God is so amazing isn't He?

Our table is open as big as it can get. We are having our small group over tonight to decorate cookies. I have about 170ish cookies ready to go. Our house will be full of laughter. We did the same thing on Monday night with friends from church. Friday night we'll have our family party to celebrate Christmas. Christmas morning will arrive and we'll open stockings and eat cupcakes for breakfast. Why? It is Jesus' Birthday and we always have cupcakes for breakfast when someone in our family has a birthday. May you have a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Christ.

In Him

shanda