Saturday, December 7, 2013

Christmas Letter


As I sit and reflect over 2013, I wonder which parts to share; which are the most important things to preserve in print to look back over and remember in years to come. December has arrived and, with it, joy for me. I am not a big fan of winter, but December allows me to slow down (yes, I prefer to slow down, rather than fill my calendar), focus on the joy and love of Jesus, enjoy warm fires, twinkle lights and festive décor. Savor my family. November was a particularly hard month for me, due to an injury that kept me in pain the entire month. It makes the joy of this December even sweeter, as I entered it nearly pain free.

I want us to remember this last summer! It was a really good summer. Full of many warm and sunny days and lacking the financial stress that is often present.

Last summer was a gift. Maybe one of the reasons it was so wonderful to me was that I was finally sleeping after discovering all of the things baby Landon cannot eat. It was a long road. It was a very long winter with a poor, sweet baby who is intolerant of much. After much research and trial and error, I finally developed a coconut milk formula on which he thrived, grew plump, and began sleeping easier! He is now a healthy, happy chubber, 14 months old, who loves to eat but has a very limited diet!

Or maybe what I loved most about the summer was getting to go to CrossFit every day kid free! I loved getting my wod in every morning at 6 or 7 am! CrossFit is definitely a new love in my life. Started in January, during my darkest hour, it literally got me back on my feet again. CrossFit changed my life. I have never been driven towards athleticism, but I was hooked after just one day. I knew I needed that hardcore exertion and subsequent exhilaration to survive the winter. CrossFit has made me more active, playful, and fun because I now enjoy finding out what my body is capable of doing! Olympic lifting, flipping giant tires, climbing ropes, doing handstand push-ups, and swinging kettlebells are just some of the fun things CrossFit provides me. And I finally got Matt to join me in August! He’s just as hooked as myself now, if not more so. He is looking forward to becoming certified as a CrossFit trainer in the future!

A little about the kids….the kids are so awesome. Carson and Montana continue to excel in their classes as a 4th and 5th grader. Carson has his first male teacher this year and I think he is his favorite so far. Mr. C is pretty cool. J They played basketball together in January with Dad as coach and then Carson played again this Fall. Watching them play has gotten more fun as they improve! They are both very helpful to me, especially with the baby. Carson loves technology and building and playing in the snow. Montana would want you to know she is a tom boy and NOT a girly girl. She is very creative, imaginative, thoughtful and kind.

Hallie is in first grade. Her best friend is a boy. She still loves dolls and princesses, and Barbies, as much as I’ve tried to dissuade that. I’ve given up and guess what she is getting for her birthday? J She is our only late sleeper and every school morning is a trial with her. There is no right side of the bed for her to wake up on! And all of her clothes feel bad on her! She longs to spend time with her big sister and be a gymnast. She would also like to be holding Landon constantly, even though he weighs nearly as much as her! She loves her baby brother!!!

This school year we have four kids at Sterling Elementary! Ollie is attending a Pre-K class there in the afternoons. He loves it! I guess Landon and I are not exciting enough for him. If we are doing work at home in the mornings, he is asking constantly if it is time to go to school! He loves his teacher, Miss Williams and he also gets to work with his speech teacher, Miss Amy, twice a week. His speech is improving. Ollie is all boy! He loves dirt, mud, water, climbing, swimming, and passing gas and blaming it on someone else.

We are currently enjoying watching Matt’s middle school basketball team kick some butt this season. We all take ownership of Dad’s team! J And we had the best Thanksgiving ever hosting all the local Fischers and my parents. We are looking forward to another relaxing, fun Christmas break hanging out with Aunt Katy and Uncle Jesse and Grandma and Grandpa Howard. We are also all looking forward to another spring break vacation with Grandma and Grandpa Fischer at their Arizona home in March!



We are so immensely and undeservedly blessed! It’s hard to even express how grateful I am for Christ’s sacrifice and His daily presence in my life. I pray daily to be shown how to serve, how to love as He loves, and how to help my children develop hearts for him, full of love and kindness, and gratitude.

Merry Christmas!