Christmas 2012

So, I sent out a bunch of Christmas cards … probably still have a lot to send still, but I realized that our blog address is on the card and the last entry I had up was, uh … well, not really a fun, Christmas post. Or even informational about our family. So I am going to remedy that right now and give a run down on us this Christmas season.

Ray – is beautiful. He has insane hair – he rubbed off the sides, so they’re nice and short, but the top of his head is full and luscious and so he basically has a Mohawk. He sleeps through the night for 12 solid hours and has been doing that since he was about 2 months old. By the way, he’s 6 months old. He smiles a lot and likes pears but not carrots. He definitely has favorites – and I’m it. He loves mommy more than anyone … probably because I’m the one with the food, but I’ll take it! He rolls over and over, whips his head around everywhere and likes to face out while he’s being held. He seems very interested in the world around him. He reminds me of Noah when he was a baby. Ray loves his Ergo Baby carrier and grabs at anything near him. He has also become attached to toys in his hands …. or anything in his hands and if you try to take it away, he cries. These are all good signs of development … at least that’s what the books say. He looks at people and smiles. He has an awesome smile. Very big and wide, we call it his “muppet smile”.

Liam – is beautiful. He’s 4 and a half years old. He has a sensitive soul and that is good and bad. He is our snuggler, our little love and our crier. When he’s happy he is wonderful, when he’s sad, he makes everyone around him pay. He LOVES his preschool. He’s always telling us about “Mrs. Yess-wer and Mrs. W-uh-g” (Mrs. Yessler and Mrs. Lerg) and the fun things they do. His favorite thing to do at preschool is go into the gym and do “gw-oh-s mo-tuh” (gross motor). He has a best friend in preschool too – his name is “Woo-cus” (Lucas). Liam loves Star Wars, specifically Captain Rex (he is a clone guy). And Legos. Oh man, Legos. Liam loves to play outside and pretend. He is always having some little conversation while we’re in the car or at the lunch table and sometimes I try to respond or jump in on his conversation and he stops me and says, “mommy, I wasn’t talking to you”. He has a rich imagination. His favorite sandwich is peanut butter. He LOVES his older brother Noah. He wants to do everything that Noah does and several times a day, usually starting at 10 am, he starts asking me, “when are we going to pick up Noah” (from school). Noah goes to a full day of school because he is in first grade and doesn’t get out until 4 pm …. Liam loves to play with Noah, so some days are very long days of asking “when are we going to pick up Noah?” Liam is a love.

Noah – is beautiful. He’s 7 years old. He is my mover and shaker, always has been and I think always will be – this is good and bad. He is a productive little soul, but man, I don’t think he ever stops moving and that can be dangerous – for himself and anyone within 6 feet of his flailing legs, arms and spinning body. I find myself saying things like, “enough kissing, stop that” or “walk like a normal person please” or “hold still, I can’t talk to you while you’re walking in circles!”. He is what my sister describes as “unreasonably happy”. He is positive and happy and it is not uncommon to see him leap through the air and kick up his heels in joy and excitement. He has many talents. He was listing them off to me the other day – he likes to draw, run really fast, do math and eat salad. He is also a spiritual little soul. Just last week he told me, “huh! I just had my second time feeling Jesus help me!” He receives answers to his prayers and loves his Sunday school class. He started piano lessons (at his request) this year and does very well. His first recital is on Thursday and we can’t wait.

Francesca – is an insane mommy with three kids. I am 32 years old. Three kids has really kicked my bum. Not gonna lie. I may have reached my limit. But they are such beautiful little souls, they make me smile everyday, for different reasons. I can’t imagine my life without any one of them now. My greatest feat this year was carrying, having and keeping alive little Ray. He takes up a majority of my time and energies. I also work with the 10 and 11 year old girls at church and we do activity days on Wednesday nights and I love that. Crafts and treats … right up my alley Also, this year Daniel and I celebrated our ten year anniversary – can you believe it? Seems weird to have been married that long, because he is still an exciting mystery to me! That Daniel Cakes To celebrate, we went to Cancun in April, while I was 7 months pregnant before life got crazy with a little baby. It was amazing. So relaxing, so beautiful, so much fun to have Daniel to myself. It was a dream. We refer to it often when we’re stressed out, “remember Cancun? ahhhhhh, yes. Cancun”. I feel about ready to take another Cancun trip.

Daniel – is beautiful. He’s 33 years old. He continues to work at Ford and likes what he does and he is good at it too. This year I think  the two highlights were Cancun in April with me and his week long backpacking trip to the Upper Peninsula, Isle Royale, MI with his brothers. They affectionately refer to these manly trips as “brothers gone wild”. It’s super cute. They started the trip gathering at our house and doing “pack check”. That was my favorite part. Watching the brothers interact. Eric making comments about how lightweight or how NOT lightweight everything was. Ian singing during the whole thing. Daniel and Jonathan making executive decisions quietly in the corner. The whole scene was magnificent.

This year we felt so blessed. We got to see the Damiano family at Thanksgiving and we got to see the Forsyths in August and we get to again at Christmas. We are rich in loving family and friends. We are blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. To understand the meaning of Christ coming to earth and what opportunity that gives us to spend eternity with our families. We are happy. Our boys are happy and good. We are well. We hope that this continues and that this next year brings more of the same. Merry Christmas.