Dear
Family and Friends,
Merry
Christmas! We hope you are well. We have not been so good at staying in touch;
please forgive us! We thought we would
catch you up with a letter. It’s
difficult to capture a year in a Christmas letter when it is the small moments
that often make it so special.
The
summer was the busiest that our family has experienced. In June we traveled to Corolla, North
Carolina to spend a week with four generations of Derek’s family at the
beach. It was a wonderful experience
with the family. Great Grandpa rocked
Esther to sleep a couple of times. Evan had
a blast with a pool noodle (AKA megaphone) while circling the pool…until he
fell into the water. (Don’t worry, the swimmies and noodle kept him
afloat until Daddy saved him. His hair
even remained dry!) Meghan enjoyed having easy access to swimming
in the ocean and pool. A few weeks
later, we headed to Pinebrook in the Poconos for family camp. The children enjoy late nights and lots of
swimming, while Derek and I appreciate the fellowship with others from our
church family and good teaching. (I also
enjoy a break from cooking and dishes!)
Before the summer was through, I took the children to northeastern PA to
spend a week with our families.
School
began for both Meghan and Evan at the end of August. Meghan attends kindergarten at a charter
school. She really does enjoy it, though
the early mornings are difficult for her.
Evan attends a small Christian preschool near our home three mornings a
week. I don’t think he realizes that
school is for anything other than play yet.
He really enjoys it, and is learning, too. I spend my days watching the clock, wondering
if it is time to go to preschool or the bus stop.
The
beginning of 2012 seems so long ago! At
that point, Esther was still a difficult baby.
Her screaming was subsiding some to the point where I was able to have
her out of my arms for at least a few minutes at a time each day. Thankfully, she outgrew whatever pain she had
and became a normal baby, though on the fast-track for mobility. She
rolled at 11 weeks, (and it was not a fluke).
By 7 months she was cruising along the furniture, and now does
everything she can to keep up with her siblings. By Christmas she will be 14 months. Esther doesn’t talk a lot, but she does have
a few words/word approximations and a handful of signs. Though
Esther is a good eater, she is not a
good sleeper. She rarely sleeps
through the night, though in her defense she has had sinus infections and an ear
infection, along with colds and several new teeth this fall. As you might imagine, we’re a bit tired
around here. Our golden-haired little
girl finds pleasure in silly games and songs and is often smiling and laughing.
At
four, Evan loves dirt and big machines. This
year he learned to zip his coat and dress himself. He makes jokes that actually make us laugh
and definitely has a silly personality. He has a great imagination that shows in his
play. In the spring, Evan’s neurologist
weaned him from his anti-seizure medication.
Evan was seizure-free for three years (and a couple of days), but did
have another seizure in early November.
He is back on medication, and we are trusting this will continue keep
him seizure free.
From
the day she was born, Meghan’s hair was notable. In May, she donated eight inches of her hair
to make wigs for cancer patients. Since
then she has enjoyed being able to comb and care for her hair more
independently. Meghan has always been
eager to learn and is an avid reader.
During the summer she read her first “real” chapter book, and is slowly
making her way through the Little House
(on the Prairie) series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Meghan actually had a Little House sixth birthday party and was Laura for
trick-or-treating this year!) Right
after she turned six, she lost her first and second tooth, both in the same
day!
Derek
is in his eleventh year working for the Army as a civilian computer scientist
(programmer). His work occasionally
takes him out of town, but for the most part, we can be thankful for his
predictable hours and the fact that he is home every night for dinner and time
with the family. Derek coached Meghan’s
tee ball and football teams this year and played softball with our church for
his own enjoyment. He continues to make
our home even nicer with all of his work around the house. When he is able, he even lets the children
help him with his work at home.
I
attempt to keep the house and feed the family in between the bus stops,
preschool, naps (rarely my own), and the messes of life. Relaxing does not come as easily these days,
but when I can I pick up a book or write about home and family at for my blog. I am
teaching again-but only occasionally at church which is quite satisfying.. Recently I realized the two oldest children
make our home a bit like a Disney movie: without any given reason, they break
into song! If only we could harness that
sweet energy for the daily squabbles and fights!
As
the year began, we were working to just survive each day with a difficult
baby. With the passing of time, so much
has changed (even if I’m still sleep-deprived). Thankfully, we are past the survival mode,
though with three young children, we still aim for simplicity and efficiency. We know our routines and attempt to not
deviate from them too much, for the
sake of sanity.
We hope that you find joy in this Christmas
season that provides us hope through God’s faithfulness! If you are able, we’d love to hear what
changes 2012 brought to you and your family.
Love,
Derek and
Annette
Meghan,
Evan, and Esther
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for
behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the
people. For unto you is born this day in
the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
~ Luke 2:9-10
