December 7, 2008

happy holidays






I love Christmas time. It's so fun to relect upon the year and remember all the great times and count our blessings. Chris is finishing up dental school in May and our family will pass a great milestone--we will no longer be students!! Chris can't wait to have a profession and put studying behind him. We will be relocating with the Air Force once he graduates and we'll find out that location in January. As a whole, we are very excited and optimistic about the future.
We have loved watching our family grow and this year was marked by the arrival of Brady (aka: Brady pants, Dee-dee, Brady boy). We just LOVE having a cute, chubby baby in our midsts. It's so fun watching all of our kids grow, but we really enjoy the baby phase which seems to be passing by so quickly. Brady will be crawling any day now and seems to have a very mellow nature. His favorite activities include doing anything with his siblings. He is so entertained by them and we have loved watching their unique relationships develop.
Mia is a beauty. Maybe we're partial since we are her parents, but we can't help admiring her beauty. She talks very well, so we are getting to know her better each day. We get such a kick out of what she says. Our favorite phrases include: "Stop it Jonah!", "No way!", and "Love you". She's got to be the most polite little one-year old around. She is constantly saying "thank you" and "sorry" without any prompts. Her femine side is emerging more and more lately. She now insists on sleeping with not just one, but two of her baby dolls at night. She is rarely seen without them. We sure enjoy having a little girl in our home.
Jonah loves being the big boy at home. He is so sweet with his siblings....most of the time. We're starting to see his creative side as he develops elaborate scenarios for him and Mia to play. It's not uncommon to see he and Mia crawling around barking like dogs, building forts or racing cars. He's attending pre-school three days a week and loves it. We've seen so much growth in him already and he loves his friends and teachers at school.
Mandi is a busy mother, to say the least. Taking care of the three very young kids is demanding, but she seems to be adapting well. She enjoys a break a few days a month when Chris stays home with the kids and she goes to work as a dental hygienist for a local dentist. It's a great way to make some extra money and for Mandi to keep up her skills. Parenting is so rewarding in so many ways and we feel so blessed to have our children.
We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and that you get to enjoy your loved ones as we celebrate our Savior's birth. Merry Christmas!