Merry Christmas!

I’ve been thinking about this letter and going back and forth. Do I write it? Do I skip it and just mail cards? Patrick commented that it didn’t feel like the Christmas season, and my inner grouch agreed. It didn’t. Why write a letter? We have been rushing, building, making big decisions for next year and general small children life living, and I thought it would be easier to skip it. The other day, I was driving with Leo and he demanded “Carol of the Bells.” He knows my favorite Christmas song and loves it too. Christmas is here for my little ones. They are excited. One of them is sneaking extra advent calendar chocolates (and is in for a big disappointment) and they have the Christmas spirit. I needed to find mine. Patrick may be too busy to find his for another week or so, but he will get there. So, I am writing the letter. It brings me joy every year. It is something I do at Christmas. The Christmas Cantata at Dundee Presbyterian church last week brought me to tears and solidified that the letter was going to happen. Life should never be too hectic to feel the excitement of the coming of Christ.

Why is Patrick missing the spirit? He has no time. He works all day and then is adding a bathroom and GIANT closet to our converted office/guest suite. He is working at least 18 hours a day between the 2 and I will be forever grateful for his determined soul because it will allow my beloved parents to come and go as they please. Also, we can have house guests now! He is a daily inspiration to our boys to find your passion and pursue it.

Teddy is 5 and filled with spirit and roughly 1,000,000 ideas. Today I found him holding construction paper over his humidifier and then blending markers over the damp paper in an attempt to make fabric. His mind never ever shuts down. Now that I have figured out how to get him to sleep at night, this is one of my favorite parts of him. He has created and built treasures this entire year. He lives outside like a feral animal. He received his own tool belt and REAL tools for his birthday and has put in probably 40 hours working with his dad on the new bathroom. He is in his last year of preschool and embracing it with vigor. I cannot believe how lucky I am that he is mine.

Leo Lion, aka Meatball or Lion Boy is embracing 2-years-old with every inch of his body. He is a blonde tornado of energy. He loves and plays hard. His brother is his best friend and he will do anything to make him laugh. The two of them play for hours and it, of course, makes me cry happy tears. I am expecting many broken bones from this one. He loves trying new bikes, scooters and throws everything he gets in his little hands. He is a dedicated thumb sucker and, most nights, informs me his thumb is “too spicy” and it needs to be rinsed before bed. He sings his bedtime songs loudly with me and I am madly in love with this little stinker.

My year revolved around my family. My world (and my entire family’s) was turned upside down when we learned on April 4 that my dad had throat cancer. My dad is my hero, my rock and my earliest moral compass. It took most of the year, but slow and steady won the race and he is cancer free. Life is not forever on earth, but I cannot bear to think about life without any member of my family and I am grateful that I get to spend 2.5 weeks with him (and my mama) in just a few days. My brothers and I were home for his 70th birthday and it was a weekend to remember. We laughed, ate, drank and made very merry. All felt good again.

We wish you a merry Christmas and jingles all the way!
Patrick, Katie, Teddy, Leo and Ernie
2017