Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope that you have had a wonderful year and are happily looking forward to 2009.
2008 has brought our family some trials, but we have persevered and are stronger for our struggles. I read that when we are struggling we know God better than those who have no struggles. This year our family has come to know Our Heavenly Father very well, and we are assured that many blessing will be found from our struggles this year.

As many of you are aware we started 2008 with Alex in the hospital – he went in on Thanksgiving night and came home 43 days later. The result of a bad case of pneumonia (some funny name that one day you are walking fine and the next you have been hit by a mac truck) that resulted in heart surgery, the loss of his gall bladder, appendix, 2 feet of intestine and part of his colon. He also endured for months at home IV's, endless trips to DR's, wound care and his personal novice turned pro (sorta) nurse- ME! We were also very fortunate to have many family members rush to our aid and fly out here to help us take care of the children. I don't know what we would have done without them. This year our family has all invested in the flu shot and Alex the pneumonia shot! Alex is now doing very well and looks great except for the gigantic scar on his stomach – it’s HUGE!

Like the majority of our neighbors we are struggling with the economy and the housing depreciation. We were part of the housing boom out here and the bubble has popped putting houses on the market for less than ½ of what they were worth! We were affected especially with the numerous medical bills, loss of almost 6 months of work, and the fact that Alex lost his full-time hours and medical ins. after he went back to work from being ill. He’s now working a 2nd job - security at night. We decided to move and were able to get a bigger house in a really great community with pool, parks, fields, walking paths and a K-8 school for about 1/3 of our previous mortgage. We bought someone else’s foreclosure and paid over $160,000 less then what the previous owners bought it for, and the house was only built 2 years ago. CRAZY! We moved at the end of November and we are mostly settled except for the garage.

The boys are doing well. Nic is 13 and in 8th grade and is still a straight A student and was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society this year in a beautiful candlelit ceremony. He is very active in Boy Scouts and has gotten so many badges and has earned his 1st and 2nd class. He hopes to be an Eagle Scout by 16. He just went on a 10 mile hike and overnight campout. He is still idolized by Justin who tries to do everything that Nic does.

Justin is 4 and my little buddy, we hang out and do school work, clean and go to the park. He has taken 3 sessions of swim and they end this week until Jan – and yes we are taking outdoor swim lessons in the Y’s heated pool – too fun!!! He also played soccer and is now starting T-ball. He is so excited his coach is a man for t-ball. He was quite disgusted that he had a woman as a soccer coach ‘cause men are only suppose to be coaches mom! Things kids think I tell you!

I am doing fine. Sometimes struggling to make sense of all these life lessons, and sometimes thanking God for easier struggles than those around me. I worry about the world and economy and try and stock up a little more in my food storage every shopping trip. I pray for a world with a little less struggles for my children, a world where jobs are plentiful and everyone is entitled to medical insurance, and a world where parents don’t have to work numerous jobs to put food on the table. But most of all I thank God that even though life is a struggle right now, that I have a wonderful loving extended family, and a husband and 2 boys that I love and that love me, and every night as we sit down at the dinner table and thank God for our blessings I remember that my life really is blessed!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and many Blessings in 2009!