Christmas Update and Card

I don't like ecards for Christmas. It's a tradition to mail out an annual update with pictures. Pictures are a requirement. I like the cards, but I love the pics. It's nice to hear from family and friends we don't see all the time. I know, some people think they are annoying and loathe this holiday tradition, but I love seeing who shows up in my mailbox everyday and hanging beautiful pictures of your children on my card tree and reading all about your life and knowing my sweet friends from the past are still out there and are mostly well.
This year...I am behind. I've had a lot going on and just haven't gotten around to mailing this particular tradition off (truthfully, I haven't gotten around to mailing anything! I am dreading going to the post office). So, despite my particular objections to cold, no effort ecards: here is my Christmas post....just in case.... But I am going to suck it up and get down to that post office right away...really.....

TRENT: Still keeping overly busy in his eighth year at Xactware. He's been blessed with lots of side work. Yes Virginia, there are decent, hardworking, honest contractors out there, and I'm just lucky my husband's one of them. Word of mouth advertising has been good to us. He has mostly been finishing basements, but every once in a while he gets a project building furniture, which he loves and is extraordinarily talented at. When our ward split he was called to serve in the YM, helping with the Deacons quorum (12-13 year old boys). He and his brother have joined a photography group online and enjoy competing in the challenges and editing photos.

TYSON: Turned eight in November and got baptized the first week in December, which was a great opener to the Christmas season for our family. He is a great big brother who loves reading to Kaylee and building Legos and forts with Cameron. After two years of "patiently" waiting, he finally got a DS for his birthday (Top that Santa!), which he is obsessed with and we've had to limit severely. He is in second grade where his favorite subjects are math, lunch (aka trading card time), and recess.

CAMERON: Will turn five in January and is in his second year of preschool with Mrs. R. His teacher is fabulous and he is just starting to sound words out and read. We've been shocked by how much he has gotten out of going to school with this particular teacher. She is worth every penny and then some! He carpools with four girls from our neighborhood and loves "his girls"! He has the best imagination and can turn anything into an adventure. His favorite is building with Legos.

KAYLEE: Turned two in August. She will wrestle with the big boys and has a great time, but adores her dolls and tutus, and informed us just last week that earrings are "pretty" and she wants some. She is a great sleeper and eats more than both boys combined. She isn't really a baby anymore; she is a full-fledged little girl, which means in January we are going to try potty training!

AIMEE: Has been keeping busy with the normal mom stuff. I did Red Ribbon Week at Tyson's school for PTA this year. Thank Heaven it was only one week (and three months of prep)...but a really fun and important week. I learned how to digital scrapbook this year and have been slowly, but surely trying to catch up the kid's baby books. I love doing it and have been able to design invites for several baby showers and a few Christmas cards and birthday invitations. I got called to be the Enrichment Leader at the beginning of the year after our ward split. Several nervous breakdowns later, I am thrilled that the RS General Presidency has scrapped the midweek program and gone back to just once monthly activities. This year I am most grateful for my family and friends, carpooling, good, old-fashioned playtime that doesn't involve any form of technology, and chapstick. Oh, and I lost 110 lbs. since February. It's been a big change, but I still (sadly) have more to go and am looking forward to jumping back on the horse in January.

We are so grateful for our family and friends who so often rescue us and support our family continually. We have been nothing if not blessed. We are so grateful for the gospel and this wonderful time of year when the Savior is ever present. May it last throughout 2010!

Love you,

Aimee, Trent, Tyson, Cameron, & Kaylee