Merry Christmas!

Welcome to all of you that are here to read our 2008 Christmas letter. If you are new to our blog, be sure to bookmark it and keep posted on our coming year. Here goes the annual update...

Having a business in construction, you can imagine that this year has not been a record breaker for us. Fortunately, we are still in business mainly in part to the grace of a loving Heavenly Father and due to Shem's untiring efforts to pound the pavement and deal with the headaches of small business. Also adding to the headaches (I'm sure) has been the addition of braces. After a long love/hate relationship with his teeth Shem got braces last January (around the same time as his youngest brother). The transformation has been pretty quick, albeit painful at times, and the braces are scheduled to come off in February!

I acquired a new hobby this year, along with my mom and several siblings. I competed in two sprint triathlons. The first was in Las Vegas last April and the second was at Bear Lake in September. Who knew I could swim 750 meters, bike 20 miles, and run 3 miles while 15 weeks pregnant? It required a lot of training...and a lot of napping. I can't wait until I can compete again!

This was also another great year for gardening and canning. My sister-in-law and I canned tons of pears we were able to pick from the home of one of Shem's clients. When we were done I had Shem take three quarts to her as a thank you for all the pears. She left me a message that afternoon that said, “Thank you for the pears. I was wondering if I could buy two more quarts from you because they are just so beautiful that I want to put these three up on a lovely shelf and just look at them. I would love to have two more so I can eat those ones. Your bottling is just a work of art!” After I was done laughing I called her back and told her I would bring two more quarts by her house later in the week. I guess we all have hidden talents!

Kate is excelling in 1st Grade. Her interest in reading has increased along with a fascination with writing. I suspect she will get a book published long before her mom does. She loves to write and draw and happily takes as much paper out of the printer tray as can be found for her new found pleasure. (And if there is not any paper in the printer she's scrounge through the recycling bin for anything usable.) We love her efforts at spelling. Everything is phonetic. She made a sign for her door that read, “No Chespasers!” (Trespassers). Kate is also learning to be a big help around the house and can do laundry, wash and put away dishes, and clean parts of the bathroom. Her favorite place to be is outside playing.

Adam is also growing in his intellectual skills. This year at preschool he earned his Alphabet Crown (he can recognize every letter and give their sounds) and Blending Badge. He is reading one vowel words and using bigger words in his vocabulary. The other day he asked me, "When, perhaps, is Mason going to bed?"
But still a kid, life is all about riding bikes (a two-wheeler now!), swords, and cartoons. The other day he said, "When I grow up I was thinking I want to be a spy kid, but then I decided I want to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, the blue one with the long swords. Do you think Heavenly Father will turn me into that? Please, please, please!?!”

Mason has a funny fascination with shoes. He loves to put on any shoes he can find...ranging from Adam's snow boots to Mom's high heels. He also loves water and often tries to climb back into the tub after he has been bathed and dressed. He is fast to laugh, but is quickly approaching the terrible twos and wants things done his way. And he never goes far without a sippy cup of milk in his hands.

Baby number four, a boy who is still without a name, is scheduled to arrive at the end of February. The ultrasound shows a healthy little guy swimming around in his amniotic swimming pool (yeah, that's how big I am feeling). We are excited to meet him and to figure out how we are going to fit another child into our little (cozy?) home.

We feel blessed, and offer our thanks daily, for our family, home, and business. We have so much to be grateful for and enjoy this season when we can celebrate the birth of our Savior and the great gift He is to us. We hope the light of Christ will guide you in the coming year!

P.S. Please leave a comment. I would love to know you came to visit! And feel free to read on for more funny stories and pcitures!