Christmas Letter 2008

With the best of intentions…
I decided I would start early this year and get a jump on my lights and put them up before the cold and the snow. I decided to throw out the old lights and buy completely new ones. As I started up the roof last Saturday in -7 degree temperature up the icy incline to the peak, I discovered 3 of my 7 lines of lights, the new ones just purchased, didn’t work. Oh the Joy. After slipping on the roof and eventually making my way back to the Canadian Tire in an oh so festive mood, my house was finally lit. Last Christmas due to the ice and snow, our roof lay void of Christmas lights but this year was going to be different. So Last evening as I sat on my couch, relaxed with my Hot Chocolate, reminiscing of the accomplishments of the day, I felt a plethora of emotions as my once proud Christmas lights rained down and plummeted to the ground due to the weight of the freezing rain. I’ve never wanted to be one of those people and perhaps you are one..the ones who leave their lights up year round. Perhaps they know more than I as I’ve heard the life expectancy of those that leave their lights up is 86 compared to 43 for those who take them down. They must know more than I.
With The Best of intentions, my mother sat Tanya and I down on New Years day and said her hope and prayer for us was for 2008 to be less busy than 2007. It was then we informed her of our pending status for the year and after her jaw dropped, she eventually came to grips with the news. And on August 25, 2008, it came to pass that a child was born in the city of Belleville. She shall bring forth Great Joy and sleep deprivation to her parents, and she shall be called Faith Ann Elizabeth!

So I began writing this letter in November. But here sits December, still much to be done. So as I muse, reminisce and reflect on the past year, I’ll attempt to give an update on our little family.

ISAAC – 5 – now in SK, he is a very sensitive boy who loves to play sports and draw out the ire of his sister Eva. We’ve enjoyed watching our little guy grow up into the little man that he now is with his quick perceptive wit. He recently played timbits hockey in which his team was pummeled. After the game, he was in tears. As I began to console him, I reminded him that it wasn’t about winning, it was about having fun to which he turned, looked at me and in tearing eyed manor stated, “does it look like I’m having fun”. And in true Isaac fashion, if he learns to read this letter in the next year and discovers I’ve disclosed this story, he’ll tell me “that’s so embarrassing” and run to his room.
EVA – 3 – has lived up to her name of Eva the Diva. We’ve been potty training our little drama queen all year and we think she’s perhaps turned a corner. She continues to keep us on our toes and is the first to pitch in and help out but she has her moments. During some recent family photo’s, all was going well until the photographer asked her to put her dress down because everyone didn’t want to see her underwear. This sour look came over her face, arms folded and then responded, “I want everyone to see my underwear” Forever captured in our memoirs, is the picture above which captures the essence of our little girl.

FAITH – 3 months – God must have known our condition when he blessed us with Faith. She is so relaxed and easy going and not wanting any spotlight. She sleeps, smiles with those big eyes, eats and cries very little. I’m sure teething will bring on a new time for her but for now, we are soaking in this little joy who we’ve pre-destined to look after us and care for us in our elderly age. We ran out of pj’s for her recently, so we put her in some baby boy jammies. During prayer time the next night, Eva was thanking Jesus for Mommy, Daddy, Isaac, Faith and the Boy Baby. I began to laugh and said, we don’t have a boy baby… to which she shrugged her shoulders and kept going. Easy Come Easy Go.
TANYA – age omitted – continued to work this year at Bioniche 2 days a week up until August. As her past pregnancies were not kind to anyone involved, we were pleasantly surprised how well she felt this time. Tanya manages to keep our house in order and tries to retain her sanity as she keeps our 3 in line.

BRUCE – 27 – ok, maybe a little more. Looking back on the year, I continue to be involved at our church with home groups and other committee’s, coaching soccer and hockey, running the business and acting as Chapel Leader with the Bulls. After 5 years on UCB, I’ve given up my radio show which has freed up Sunday nights but I continue to record shows for CJLX 91.3 from our basement.

With The Best of Intentions, I managed to get a handle on our Christmas shopping and got most of it done. I managed to convince the kids of their desire for presents already purchased. All was going well until on a recent trip to see Santa Claus, the oversized elf convinced the boy he wanted a remote control monster truck, something that wasn’t even remotely on the boy’s wish list. Thank you Santa… I guess my shopping isn’t done after all.

With The Best of Intentions, we hope to have a fun stress free Christmas season but we know it probably won’t turn out that way. We will start Christmas day in Belleville, then head off to Newcastle for a few days and then back here for my family Christmas. We try to cram so much stuff into Christmas and if something doesn’t go right, we allow it to rob the joy of the season that Christmas should bring. So as my lights lay strewn across the front of the house, I trust this letter finds you well and wish you a joyous Christmas reflecting on the birth of Christ.
With The Best of Intentions… Have a Merry Christmas. Bruce, Tanya, Isaac, Eva & Faith Mackay

(If a picture says a thousand words, on the reverse is a 72,000 word essay highlighting our year in 2008.)