2009 Christmas Letter

Christmas 2009

I’m thankful for many things this Christmas season and one of those things is my ability to have selective memory. When I look back at Christmases over the years, the fun times tend to make their way to the top and we forget the stressful pull-your-hair-out, I’m gonna call 911, kinda Christmas memories. As we were decorating the tree last night… well as Tanya was decorating and I was watching a riveting Danny Devito classic, she reminded me of what we were discussing last year as we, I mean, she decorated the tree. A coalition government between the NDP, Liberals, & Bloq was about to form and we’d have Prime Minister Dion. Tears would have been shed… probably more so than I shed during the Trudeau Administration. Thankfully, things change in a year.

On Saturday we went for our annual family pilgrimage to just outside Oshawa to get our Christmas tree. I’m sure the kids will have fond memories of our annual tradition when they get older and by the time next year rolls around, so will I. The day began with an early rise and trip to the church for a Christmas practice for the kids play. After an attempted skating practice with the diva, a hockey game, and a stop to pick up some things, we headed out. Our picturesque family photo op of us taking down the perfect tree was mixed with impatient screaming children, a 4 year old with inconsolable sobs because we threw out her stale 4 hour old French fries, a 1 year old that wouldn’t eat or ride in a wagon and it culminated in our 6 year old running off and lying face down in a far off field distressed that we didn’t select his tree to cut down. “Why does mommy always get her way” Better get used to it Kiddo. Good times, oh yes, good times… Once cooler heads prevailed, Isaac suggested that his punishment for his behavior should be that he is not allowed to go get the tree next year… perhaps I will join him next year in his penalty.

Reflecting on the past year, it continues to be busy. We have been in the midst of a building project for Mackay Insurance and move into our new digs this Friday, thus the reason for me getting my cards out early. We continue to be involved with our home group and several activities at the church, chaplaincy with Hockey Ministries & the Belleville Bulls, Radio Program for the local College Station, and various Kids sports activities.

Tanya has given her notice to her work and is staying home full time. We are thankful that we can do this, although some days, thanks isn’t the first word that comes to mind! Tanya amazes me with how much she does and her care and dedication to our kids and patience with them… well, patience, most days.

Isaac is now 6 and in Grade 1. The realization of going to school everyday was a painstaking process for the boy but he seems to have adjusted well. He is a ‘by the rules’ kinda guy and drives me just nuts some times with his technical prowess. We recently went on a trip to Toronto by train. We made a stop in Cobourg and still had an hour to go but the boy refused to take off his toque, mitts, jacket and backpack. Try as I might to convince him we had an hour before we got off, he refused as he did not want to miss getting off the train. He was prepared. Yeah, he’s not a fly by the seat of your pants kinda guy. He has a tender heart, a passion for competition and a memory like an owl.

Eva is now 4 and started JK. There are too many stories to share about our little Diva. Whether it’s consistently wearing her shoes on the wrong feet because she likes it that way, to changing her name to Ava because she likes it that way, or when she signs her name Eva, she does so with 8 or 10 lines on the E as opposed to the traditional 3 lines because, of course, she likes it that way. She is excessively clutzy which never ceases to amaze me. Sitting on a chair alone, somehow she can fall off in style and I hear echo’s from the floor, “I’m Ok” Oh, I just love my special Diva.

Faith is your typical third child. Poor kid gets ignored. Last year for our Christmas picture, we literally were almost all ready to go and we realized, oh wait, we haven’t dressed Faith yet. She is just an itty bitty thing and we hope she will be in a front facing car seat by her 3rd birthday. She loves watching her siblings and is extremely content and other than being a picky eater, she is an easy baby. Her cousin who is a few months older than her, we just found out, can say 42 words in English and 49 words in Spanish. Faithy’s vocabulary consists of one word, “Hi ya” which coincidently is the same thing in Spanish too… woohoo!

As the year draws to a close, and as you do your part to combat a faltering economy with excessive spending and out of control credit card bills, I hope this letter finds you well and that you and your family have a blessed Christmas Season and that we all are thankful for family, the memorable moments and the moments we’d rather forget, as well as thanks for the Gift of our Savior at Christmas. Merry Christmas.