Christmas Letter 2013

Merry Christmas to our friends and family, far and near!

Many of you have been directed here for the latest news on our family.  Though you are welcome to read my backdated posts from the past year (all 12 of them....pathetic.), I'll give you a brief summary of how our 2013 went down.

This year has been relatively uneventful, and we like it that way!  In January, we brought Carter to Amplatz Children's Hospital once more for an evaluation of his eyes under anesthesia.  The surgeon greeted us with news we had been hoping to hear for a year... "His eyes look beautiful!  In fact, the optic nerves show no sign of ever having had Glaucoma."  DEEP EXHALE!  We are glad to put that chapter behind us and move cautiously forward, monitoring his eyes with a local doctor about 4 times a year.

In general, we are a pretty healthy bunch.  Last winter, however, obliterated our immune systems over and over again.  Viruses made their way through every one of us, and then came back around again.  The treacherous temps outside kept us indoors, and it was difficult on all of us!  When the snow lifted in MAY, so did our "winter plague" and we galloped happily and healthfully into summer.

Kendall began a dance class once a week through a local studio.  She is enjoying all the creative movement skills she's learning, but is very selective with her audience!  We're excited to see her perform at her recital in the spring.  She has also leveled up in her AWANA program through our church...she is now a Cubbie!  The AWANA program emphasizes scripture learning and memorization, so working on her verse every week has become a fun new challenge.  Her teachers say she is their best student :)  Kendall is capable of having long conversations with us now....chatty chatty!  Her nurturing side is put to good use on her little brother, as she teaches him ALL the songs and stories she is learning.  She is a natural teacher, if I do say so myself...

Carter is a love-bug!  His frequent kisses and hugs make my Mommy heart jump for joy every day.  He is quick to emulate ev-er-y-thing his sister says and does, which can be quite entertaining.  He also has some musical talent emerging...I can see worship leading in his future!  His favorite video to watch (and we watch it daily) is a worship video from His Little Feet, an international orphan choir.  The songs they sing overlap with those he hears at church, and he knows every word.  I know we are doing this parenting thing right when he wakes up singing "hallelujah"!  He is very interested in Daddy's guitar and likes to sit with Mommy at the piano.  He is sleeping much better these days, usually going 8 hours-plus in his crib at night (Mommy sings "Hallelujah" too!).  We just love that little guy!

Chris has continued his work with Sanford Orthopedics, and has been working under two surgeons, one of whom is his dad!  He enjoys his profession, some aspects of the job more than others.  In his free time, he has been doing his brother-in-law, Derek, proud by revisiting all seasons of 24 this year!  Chris also had the opportunity to golf at Hazeltine National Golf Club, a highlight of his summer.  He is excited about his newest toy, a n-e-w Nissan Maxima!  

I have taken on a few more piano students, totaling more than a half-dozen now.  Most are completely new to the instrument (cue:  "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start...").  It's so fun watching them progress!  I've also been heavily involved with the worship ministries at our church, and will be taking on more responsibility in the coming year as I've agreed to lead worship once a month in addition to my current rotation. Chris and I have also teamed up with a few other couples for a Bible Study- we enjoy community and good food together!

We hit the road for several trips this year...with Carter being considered a "lap-baby" until age two, airline flight was somewhat cheaper.  Chris' family congregated in San Diego for a family reunion in June.  We all enjoyed the San Diego attractions (zoo, Legoland, Sea World, Coronado Island) and they helped me celebrate my 36th birthday with a lovely dinner.  We spent some time at "the lake", soaking in the sunshine much better than last year!  Our dear friends, the Corns, traveled all the way from California to enjoy the lake with us, too...we had a blast!  Chris and I were able to enjoy a kidless weekend getaway to Charlotte, NC, where we visited some fun friends and beautiful landscapes.  My Mom joined us for a trip to California where we helped celebrate the ministry of our dear friend and pastor, Jim Dunn, as he retired.  The trip was full of moments and memories we won't soon forget.

Our family continues to grow and change (not numerically....I'm not announcing anything here!), and we are excited to see what the year ahead has in store.  I am trying savor these days that are so fleeting, watching the little ones learn and wonder and love, memorizing how it feels to rock my baby boy to sleep or my little girl's sweet voice as she tells me "secrets."  We love celebrating little victories, and love it when Carter shouts, "I did it!"  We're still working on vegetables around here, but I'm choosing battles wisely.  ;-)

Have a happy holiday season, and please keep in touch with us during this New Year!
Jamie