Our 2009 Christmas letter

Even though Christmas is over, we wish everyone a very Happy Holidays and a great New Year. Enjoy our Christmas letter this year...It has a title - "12 things in '09 that we are thankful for..." (Yep, it goes to the tune of the Christmas song. You have to sing it in your head as you read this...I know you want to! Have fun!)

12 things in '09 that we are thankful for...

12 Months of health...We have been very blessed to have such a healthy family. Aside from our occasional colds and quick flu bugs, we have been very healthy this year.
11 "Grand" visits...We figured we were able to visit with Grandparents at least 11 times this year. It was fun to go play with Marissa's family in Melba, and have fun with Kevin's fam in Preston. This also includes the good times when Grandma's and Grandpa's came to visit us.
10 Cricut projects...Last year for Christmas I got a "Cricut" cutting machine, and I have put it to good use. I used it for church lessons, making fun stuff for the kids' rooms, crafts, Christmas presents and scrapbooking. It seems like though, I've had to put it aside for a while as I have been very busy being a stay at home mom to 3. I'll continue to keep it working hard through 2010 as well, I'm sure.
9 Years of marriage...This Dec. 29th (tomorrow) Kevin and I will hit 9 years of wedded bliss! It has been such a fun road and I just love him so much. We still enjoy doing a lot of the things we did together when we were dating, like watching movies, being outdoors, playing sports, and working on projects together. We think we make a pretty good team.
8 months of smiles...We had more than just 8 months of smiles in our family, but these are specific to Brigham. He began smiling just after 4 weeks of age and he hasn't stopped yet. He is now 9 months old and such the sweet little boy! He is crawling all over the place and pulls himself up to everything he can. He absolutely loves his big brother and sister--they are his main source of entertainment. His smile lights up his whole face, including his beautiful blue eyes. We sure do love this little man.
7 months of Pre-school...Breanna was able to get into the Head Start Program here in our area and has been receiving some fabulous help with her speech as well as learning other much needed skills. She loves school and attends 4 afternoons a week. We could not ask for better teachers and she has made amazing progress.
6 years with Vance...This November Vance turned 6 years old! We cannot believe he is 6, but he reminds us almost every day. He is very much into all sports, all movies, Transformers, books, music, and our Christmas gift..the Wii. He is a very happy guy who loves being in Kindergarten and talks about so many of his friends and all the fun things he is learning. He is an excellent big brother, especially to Brigham, and he is best friends with his hero, his dad.
5 hours of labor...(I think I was most grateful for this one!) In March of this year, we welcomed our 3rd sweet child into our family. Brigham Tad made his way here without any problems and has been a joy every since. He is a perfect addition to our family. We all love him to bits!
4 years with Brea...Just a few weeks ago, our little girl turned 4. She is a very BIG 4 year old girl, but she has a heart that matches her big size. She is such a sweetheart. She loves to keep track of her baby brother, and makes me aware when he has a stinky diaper, or is getting into "trouble". She loves to dance, to chase Vance, go to school, and help me cook. She gives the best hugs and blows kisses to everyone.
3 Cabin stays...We were able to go to the family cabin 3 times this year to relax and enjoy the beautiful world around us. Kevin has been getting into fly-fishing and he tried his hand at it a couple of times down on the water. He's still learning and has only lost a few flies, but it has been very fun for him.
2 Graduates...Vance had his pre-school Graduation in May of this year. He had such a good experience and made some super good pals. But, the graduate we're most proud of is Kevin...He finally received his Bachelor's degree and we couldn't be happier! He has worked so hard and sacrificed so much time with his family, but it has paid off and he now has the reward. Things are now moving forward with work and he is an intern, ready for new learning experiences.
...and a Christmas season filled with joy!We all have been so excited for this Christmas. Kevin didn't have any classes, Vance and Brea are at a super fun age for Christmas, it was Brigham's first Christmas, and I'm just a Christmas-a-holic. But, the thing at Christmas that gives us so much joy, is remembering our Savior and His birth. And that is what we are most grateful for.