A certain little girl in this house is quite excited about Christmas gifts this year . . . wondering what gifts will appear for her under the tree. But what's more important than any gift under the tree? We give thanks to God for His grace and for sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take away our sins. What an amazing gift!
E is now five and continues to fill our lives with light and joy! She started half-day Kindergarten at our church's school in August and absolutely loves school! E got glasses last December. She looks so cute in them and accepted them with no problem - full steam ahead, as usual! She is still reading up a storm and loves library story time, reading any and all kind of books, drawing, crafts, writing and telling her own stories, playing outside, swimming (she took lessons for the first time over the summer - such a little fish!), cooking and doing jobs with Mommy. She is still a big fan of board games and puzzles and loves Uno, Monopoly and Sorry! E started piano lessons in January and is quite accomplished already. She enjoys playing hymns and Christmas songs for Mommy, Daddy, or any guests that happen to be in our home. She also loves church and singing and can often be found paging through our hymnal, reciting the liturgy or picking out and singing her favorite songs or parts of the service.
Our kitty Victoria was put to sleep after suffering the effects of kidney failure just before Christmas last year at the ripe old age of 19.5 years old! So now, we've added two new feline friends to our home! In February, we adopted Thomas - a four-year-old orange tabby - from the local animal shelter. He is gentle, very loving and you'll often find him hiding in our shower or sink, licking stray drips of water or just chilling out. In August, we also adopted Percy - a 19-month-old buff tabby - from a local humane society. Percy is a very energetic, silly, goofy cat. He loves to chase Thomas, play with E, "help" make beds and watch the squirrels and birds in our backyard. Both cats love E dearly, and they don't seem to mind that she named them after engines in her beloved "Thomas the Tank Engine" book!
This summer, we traveled to San Antonio to visit with Ben's sister and her husband and to attend hubby's family reunion. We learned the joyful news that they are expecting a little boy in February 2012. We are so excited to be "Aunt" and "Uncle", and E is thrilled about meeting her new cousin! Next, we headed to the Houston/Cypress area for several days of fun with Amy's lifelong friend Jennifer and her family. Lots of laughs and fun later, we piled in the car yet again for several days on the beach - just the three of us - in Galveston. We enjoyed Moody Gardens, beach time, a ride on a "Duck" boat and much more. After almost two weeks of travel, we returned home happy and exhausted!
In October, we enjoyed a bed-and-breakfast getaway in the St. Jo and Muenster, Texas area to celebrate our 11th anniversary. Our fun weekend included a stroll on the grounds of our picturesque inn, window shopping, German food, a winery tour and wine tasting, and dinner at an amazing place "in the middle of nowhere" featuring wood fired pizzas, amazing appetizers and to-die-for chocolate hazelnut pizza for dessert - all alfresco while sitting under twinkling fairy lights, sipping wine, watching the sun set over a beautiful valley. A fun, refreshing time together!
Hubby continues to work in a physical therapist position for a contract therapy company - an opportunity that places him in different assignments across the Metroplex. We are thankful for his steady employment and opportunities that this position provides. Hubby also continues to serve in a variety of positions at our church, something that allows him to fellowship with amazing mentors and to provide service to our congregation.
I continue to enjoy the opportunity to do freelance public relations and writing work from home, while also focusing on being a stay-at-home Mom. Business opportunities have grown over the last year - lots of exciting new involvements! Amy has also enjoyed being more involved with Elizabeth's school, volunteering in various ways.
We have so much to be thankful for! We look forward to 2012 with grateful hearts.
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