December 2009
Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! We hope this letter is finding you healthy and happy and excited for the holiday season and all it brings. Goodness (whoever he is) knows that we have had an exciting year, with lots of changes and fun and keeping us BUSY.
So, to break down 2009 for you…
It started off pretty normal. In February, Kenn got to go to Las Vegas for a few days for work, so we got his mom Rita to come out to visit so I wasn’t alone with the kids the whole time. Good thing she did, too, because I got sick right before Kenn left, REALLY sick, and she had to take care of things around here for me. She was amazing! And then at the end of the month, we got a big surprise when my parents showed up at our house! They decided to surprise us and drive from Michigan to Texas without anyone knowing. It was definitely a good surprise, and we got to have a lot of fun while they were here.
March was exciting, because we ended up taking Beckett to the emergency room with an abscess on his bum. He had to have surgery to lance and drain it, and it was a long day for everyone, but it healed perfectly and he was a little trooper about it. Once his bottom healed, he started to do a lot better about sitting up on his own, too.
Caleb celebrated his 3rd birthday in June, and a few weeks before that our dear friend Kristen came to stay with us for the summer. She teaches high school in Utah and needed a break, so we moved the boys into Beckett’s room together and we got a roommate. It was fabulous to have her here (I imagine that’s what it’s like to have a nanny) and we have missed her a lot since she went back home. It made for a fabulous summer, though.
During the summer we also got to go on a road trip! We drove to Michigan in July so that we could attend my 10-year high school reunion. We stayed with my parents and got to see them and my sister’s family and the reunion itself was a lot of fun. I loved getting to show off pictures of my boys. We even got to go up to Mackinac Island and visit Crossroads Village while we were in Michigan, and it was fantastic sharing those places with my husband and kids.
This year, we actually had to get ready for school to start, because Caleb started pre-school! We decided to do Joy School, a home-based pre-school, with some other friends of mine whose children are Caleb’s age. It has been a great experience so far. Caleb looks forward to it each week, and it’s been a lot of fun to really “teach” him and his friends.
The Fall also brought Beckett’s 1st birthday! We had a party with a lot of our friends to celebrate us keeping him alive for a year. He loved the cake and ice cream, and it was a great time.
October smacked us in the face, though, because Caleb and Beckett AND Kenn all came down with the swine flu. :P The kids handled it ok, and being on Tamiflu helped them immensely, but they wouldn’t give any to Kenn so he just got to be miserable for a week. We survived, though, and the kids still got to celebrate Halloween.
Caleb is officially potty-trained now, too, which is WONDERFUL. He has been for most of the year, since probably April or May, but just in the last month we quit using Pull-Ups at night. We are so proud of him, and he has done really well with it.
It’s been a fantastic year, and we have really enjoyed our boys and watching them grow and learn and develop into these amazing kids. Caleb is getting so smart, and asking a million questions, and he’s so sweet and affectionate. He always needs a kiss and hug before you go somewhere, and he loves to give kisses and “zerberts,” especially to mom. He is dressing himself and becoming better at coloring and riding his bike outside, and climbing and running all over the place. He really is a little monkey.
Beckett is simply a DOLL. He is the happiest kid, and has such a big, big smile. He finally decided he wanted to walk about a week or two after his birthday, and hasn’t slowed down since. He is practically running now, and he is fearless. He dives off furniture and tries to do everything his older brother does. He is definitely our cuddly child, too. He loves to be held and will climb up into your lap and lay his head on your shoulder when he’s tired. We LOVE this quality in him, as Caleb has always been a fireball who couldn’t sit still long enough to snuggle.
Our sons bring us so much joy and happiness, and especially at this time of the year we are so grateful to our Heavenly Father to allow us to have them as part of our family. We’re also grateful for the our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the gift He has given so that we can all return and live with our Father in Heaven one day. This is a glorious time of year, as we celebrate Christmas, and we hope and pray that the joy of the season is abundant in your lives.
We Love You All!
Merry Christmas!
Love,
The North’s
Kenn, Amy, Caleb, and Beckett
