Holiday Letter...

Well, here we are again and another year has past.  Thought I would share with you a few things just to say that I did...

Michael is still dashingly handsome and takes home the best husband award for yet another year.  He is still working his tail off saving lives and, in my opinion, is only missing his cape when he heads out the door. He has his financial excel spreadsheet  memorized like no other.  He still loves playing online poker and the great news is, since he manages when and for how long he plays,  it no longer ruins our everyday existence as a married couple....progress! :) He got a new truck after sixteen years and it makes him so much hotter...I don't care what you think of me for saying that...it just does.  He can still lay down some mean dance moves and makes us all laugh with his quick wit, wink and sideways grin. He is a celebrity in our home for his loyalty to us, his tireless sacrifices to provide for us and be intentional and directed in loving each one of us.  He is still the love of my life and the best gift God has ever given me. You're gonna want to punch me for saying it but I love him more and more each year...it's true.

I am still doing...blah, blah, blah...okay...let me think here.  Hmmm, I am still a ROCK STAR in my own home.  Everyone wants me.  Everyone needs me.  Everyone looks to me to meet their every need.  Yeah, that's how we roll.  My role effects my home and the people I love most, eternally.  It's big people.  It isn't just eating bon bons and,  I love it!  I wouldn't have it any other way...even when I'm woken up at 4 a.m. with my son peeing on my back while he spoons me. I am still a pampered, doctors wife but I have four children under seven, homeschool and keep my house pretty straightened so I can't be all THAT bad. right?  I am still doing whatever I can to make my hubby feel like the most cherished man on earth.  I started a blog!  And about ten people read it and I am having fun forcing people to listen to my thoughts.  Working on a project about my past to share my testimony with others...I am excited for what the future holds...stay tuned.

Jaren is the smartest, most capable seven year old to walk the earth and she is involved in every program that they will let us put her in...ok, so maybe not but she IS still my FAVORITE daughter.  She is still a 40 year old in a seven year olds body.  She is still my right-hand gal and she still shows absolutely no fear at every piano recital which blows me away since I once panicked and had to be shoved with incredible force onto the stage...not that I am still holding onto that or anything MOTHER.  She is reading a 350 page book right now, multiplying and can recite whole psalms of scripture so we must be doing something right with this whole homeschool thing. More importantly, she is the lead instigator in our nightly family dance-offs and an incredibly loving big sister. Last night we had some girl time where she and I put Barbie make-up on and the results were slightly frightening.  She has a servants heart and a heart for others in need.  We are very, very proud of her but constantly tell her that even if she were completely stupid and untalented, we would love her just the same.

Gentry is looking more and more like Justin Bieber every day.  I keep trying to claim some family resemblance with me but not many people want to give it to me.  His smile still lights up my heart and any room.  He is still sensitive and loyal and gentle and tender-hearted.  He did absolutely nothing this past year except play, play and play some more....and we did that on purpose. He adores his little brother Ransom and has always had a special way with little ones.  Ransom and him can often be found giving eachother hugs.  He's working on phonics and learning to read, when we aren't snuggling, eating dinner and meals around the family table, reading aloud, giggling and dancing.  His favorite word right now is BUTT.  His smile also proceeds some sort of silly mischief against one of his siblings.  He can ride a bicycle with training wheels like nobody's business. Gentry brings tenderness and love to our home. We adore him.  He is often known for stopping what he's doing to come over and hug my legs and tell me, "Mom, I love you so much.  You are the best Mommy in the world.  I am so glad you are my Mommy."  He is getting more in the will.

Easton is bringing me closer to Jesus each and every day...ok, so maybe that's not COMPLETELY true these days...he turned four which has always been a big breath of fresh air in our home with our children...it's the magical birthday.  The world is his stage and we his audience.  He makes us giggle every day.  He gives me all sorts of things to pray about.  He gives me all sorts of blog ideas.  I learned this year that God has given me three boys to humble me.  I learned that the majority of my frustrations with mothering Easton had to do with me and not this precious and silly and wonderful little boy.  He survived a complex pneumonia VATS surgery in September which we are very thankful for. There were multiple times when the medical staff where surprised by his progress but we were not...we know prayer works!  He is finally getting his weight back on.  We are pretty sure he will be completely potty-trained when he is ten.  He hasn't learned much this year either...except how to play a lot, use his imagination, obey better, clean up after himself, use appropriate language and love his siblings.  We did that on purpose as well.  Easton makes our home a fun one.  Our house wouldn't be nearly as wonderful without him in it.

Ransom is...well, have any of you SPENT any time with him?  I am slightly biased but he is delightful.  Delicious. A bright light in our home. Adorable. He still poops in his diaper but we are giving him some grace, afterall, he is only 19 months.  He loves to roam the house and giggle at Easton's antics.  He can often be found standing on my kitchen table.  He was caught last night standing on my kitchen island after he pulled our bench over to it....hmmm...  He has started getting a bit of an attitude and hitting others...something I saw in my other children at age 15 m. so I was kinda hoping THIS one DIDN'T get the sin gene. He has started that whole..."Look Mom, I don't think you GET it?!  I am WALKING now.  YOU can't tell ME what to do.  I rule this world."  Ah-hem.  We get to look forward to training this one out of the self-entitlement mentality as well.  He has gotten more of my peace and delight than the other children did...so many life circumstances are different now.  There are times when I am sad to put him to bed because that means I won't see him for awhile.  My cup runneth over with this delightful child....with each of them.

The other day, Daddy-o came in late from work and woke me up on accident...Jaren had a bad dream and wanted to sleep on our floor...Easton crawled in bed on one side of me to snuggle at 7 a.m. and then Gentry followed close behind and curled up on the other side of me.  Both boys wanted me to scratch their backs.  There was a time when I was too selfish, weary and exhausted to think of any of that as anything but an inconvenience to me.  There are still moments when my mind rushes there...but I was so thankful that morning to stop and smell the roses and shed tears of gratitude...my cup runneth over in that moment and the peace our home is creating is so worth the training and hard work. 

This past year, my dear friend Tami and I decided to be FIERCE!  I am getting there. I have enjoyed several moments of it.  I am learning to lay down a ton of my own made-up voices and believe God's truths.  They have brought peace and freedom like nothing else ever will.  I am thankful.  I am spoiled. I am blessed. 

My family and I pray you are laughing, delighting in your children if you have them, cherishing and honoring your spouse if you have one and feeling the peace of Christ in your heart. 

With all sorts of love,
Annette and the family