Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas!

It's hard to believe Christmas is here again and 2009 is nearly over. We have had such an eventful year......full of good health, happy family memories and lots of travel; we have truly been blessed. Here is an update on our little family:

Travis surprised me with a trip to New York City in early December. I went with my dear friend, Kaley and had the time of my life. I was completely enamored with that city and loved every minute I got to spend there. I saw a couple of shows, walked a ton and did lots of shopping. We visited the Today Show and even made a sign for our husbands. (incidentally, the sign did make it on the show!) The city at Christmas time was breathtaking and such a spectacular sight. We shopped on 5th Avenue, had frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity, went to the top of the Empire State Building. I can't wait to go back with Travis someday.......hopefully soon!

Travis is keeping busy with work and is taking such good care of us. His law practice is doing very well and for that we are enormously grateful. He continues to love fly-fishing. He took a fishing trip to Southern Utah with a few good friends and had an amazing time.

Our family enjoyed spending Thanksgiving weekend in Greer with Travis' family. It was a perfect weekend for family time. We even got to play in the snow. The kids loved fishing at the ponds at the resort and exploring the grounds. It is such a beautiful place!

Olivia (11) is in 6th grade and having a great year. She continues to play piano and the violin. She is such a creative girl. She loves to draw and read. I often find her late at night in bed reading. She loves drama and got a part in the school play of "Alice in Wonderland." She has even started babysitting for a couple of darling families we know. She loves growing up and getting more responsibilities. It is so rewarding to be her parents and watch her grow into such a lovely, sweet young woman!

Ethan (7) is in the 1st grade and continues to baffle and entertain us. School comes so easy to him and his teacher is delighted to have him in her class. She calls him a "dream student." She puts him to work helping other students. He also enjoys to read and has been reading chapter books all year. He his quite a soccer player and enjoyed having Travis coach his team this year. He is a little obsessed with playing the Wii and would play it all day if we let him.

Ella (7) is in the 1st grade and is doing fabulously in school. She is such a little mother in our home. She is my helper and loves to work in the kitchen with me. She is very social and enjoys playing with her cousins and friends whenever possible. She loves to dance and sing. It makes me smile when I hear her making up words to songs because she doesn't know the song. But she just sings out! She always makes music requests while riding in the car. She also played soccer and loved having Travis be her coach. In May, we celebrated Ella's 5 year mark since she was diagnosed with Leukemia. She continues to have excellent health. We are so grateful!

Ryan (5) is in his 3rd and last year of preschool. He is my little buddy during the day and I am going to miss him like crazy when he goes off the kindergarten next August. He is extremely social and wants to know each day who he gets to play with. His favorite friends are his schoolmates; Ryan, Sam and Lincoln. A perfect day for Ryan is hanging out with one of these boys. Ryan is a sweet, funny boy who has the role of family clown. We all love that he looks like a little man with a huge head. He still plays the game at dinner.......how many bites do I need to eat. Any suggestions on how to end this?

This has been a year of celebration. We enjoyed a family trip to Florida for a Disney Cruise in January; we had a wonderful trip to Utah and Lake Powell this summer; Travis and I went on a Caribbean cruise in October and we took the kids to Disneyland in November. It's been quite amazing and unforgettable!

We have every reason to be grateful for the many blessings we have received from our Heavenly Father. Travis continues to get check ups twice a year and his health is excellent. We have witnessed miracles in our family more than once and have such gratitude for how loving our Heavenly Father is. He has answered many of our prayers by sending such wonderful friends and family to serve and love us.

We love this time of year because we get to celebrate and honor our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are most grateful for his life, his example and his atonement. We wish you every happiness in the upcoming year. We send our love to all of you!