Just the D's!: 2011 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family!

It’s hard to know where to start, so we’ll dive right in. While re-reading last year’s letter I noticed that not a lot has changed this past year. I re-read 2008 as well… a fun year. It started off telling of Ruth’s salvation earlier that year. Since I didn’t write a letter in 2009 (and I didn’t write well last year) I missed telling that very important information for Maggie and Bennett. Maggie’s heart was pricked January 18, 2009 after an evening of AWANA at church, and right in the middle of our kitchen floor… Maggie joined our heavenly family. Just a few months later, Bennett answered the call on April 13^th after many, many months of inner turmoil. So…. I wanted to make sure that news was broadcast from the highest mountains since I missed it last year. We now wait patiently for

Lydia

to turn her ear to the truth that she knows… We certainly love being their parents and are thankful that God has entrusted them into our hands for such a short time.

Curtis has kept very busy this year working in his friend’s law office. Doesn’t that sound fun!?!?! He has gained valuable experience from it, but as with our ever changing seasons in life and economy, the work load coming in dictates the manpower needed. We are trusting God that this new year will bring new opportunities. Jenny’s work will never be different. Still in the NICU. Way too busy. Way too full. We’ve outgrown our new building. We renovated old space for the “overflow” of babies… and it seems there are always some of those extras! On to our kids since that really defines us these days.
Bennett is now 11 and in 5^th grade. He’s having an excellent year thus far and even made the A-team for the 1^st quarter. He is in the school chorus again this year and we’re looking forward to several local concerts and a special spring trip to Disney! He has joined Curtis and Maggie in the running activities… he has the quickest 5K time and enjoys that time together. He has great friends and is making great choices in general. My favorite thing is to hear him read or play with Lydia. They both giggle (if he thinks I can’t hear him). And recently, he has been very generous in sharing his Legos! It’s more fun to build and create with your sisters when they oooh and ahhh over your expertise! He spends any spare time honing his business skills in hopes of joining the Forbes elite. He’s your man for paracord survivor bracelets.

Maggie is 10 this month and in 4^th grade. She is also having an excellent year and also made the A-team for the 1^st quarter. She is also in the school chorus… but she actually will come home and share what songs they are learning and will sing them for me. Sometimes, she’ll even show me the “dance” moves. I love watching her run… for real, or for play. She’s quick and lean and still enjoys her daddy dates in running shoes. She is a story teller and enjoys creating plays and writing stories. She recently wrote a Thanksgiving letter that touched our hearts.

Ruth is 8 and in 2^nd grade. She is turning into a little social butterfly and always wants someone to come over and spend the night. She has some fun little friends too, so we usually oblige her. She is still my little kitchen helper and loves to bake with me. She is full of knowledge and always willing to share what she knows with those who don’t. Even if they don’t want to know. Most of the time it’s her sisters. I’m often reminding her who she is responsible for… hmmmm!

Lydia

is 6 and in 1^st grade and somehow still the baby. She started off slowly (just like last year) but after that first 9 week hump, she is doing better. She is becoming a reader and will tell me “this is easy” when she finds the words she knows. It’s always fun to see them open up that whole new world… when they finally get it! Reading IS fundamental, after all! J I tell them often – reading and math – those you will use forever! Learn them well.

Our weeks are filled with school and birthday parties and friends and doctors and those simple little daily things that keep us busy and happy. We had a BIG snow storm in January that shut school down for the week… and captured me for 3 long days “stuck” at the hospital. We hosted a lively group of girls for our Youth’s Disciple Now weekend. Always fun – and enlightening for our kids. “Camp or Camping” seems to be popular for any extracurricular activities. We took our camping trip to Ohio for the Wallace family reunion in June… SO worth the time/money/energy! We spent a week at Strong Rock Camp… and Maggie got to go back for a week of strictly horses! She loves to ride. Speaking of horses, this year we learned Ruth is allergic to horses! It makes camp activities a little harder since everyone has horse dander on them by the end of the day. Vogel State Park fills in many extra weekend slots that come up. The kids have made lifelong memories associated with fire, hotdogs, s’mores, snores, and public bath houses. Mom and I went on a cruise to Bermuda in October. A much needed week of sunshine and reading and visiting and laughter and napping and remembering those Bermuda times of long ago. Curtis has also had some fun times… he and Bennett spent a week in Colorado exploring the highest peaks and narrowest Jeep trails of the San Juan Mtns. The CO pictures are AMAZING! And the stories are fun to hear too. The Dixie Run also made the list, their annual over indulgence of all things dirt, rocks, and 4x4’s . This fall we made a new addition to the family… Russell the boxer! He strayed up to a friend’s back door as a small puppy in October and is now growing quite quickly at our back door! Bucky, our beloved lab, died back in August – so the kids are thankful for a new friend. To round the year off we have Christmas planned with the Wallace Clan in Pennsylvania, We’re hoping for snow – but not too cold. J