Christmas Letter 2009

Christmas 2009

Dear Beloved Family and Friends,

Another year is almost over! It’s hard to believe that we have been back in Minnesota for almost 10 months. Hopefully this will reach each of you so you will have a current address for us! 2009 has been a GREAT year for our family, and we are so excited to share the best quotes from it… they just get better and better! Don’t forget to use your sense of humor!!

Ethan: “Is your sense of humor one of your five senses?”

Eli: (wiggling his tooth) - “Look, mom, my tooth can do the hula!”

Jonah: “That's it. I'm following Satan.... just kidding...”

Ethan: “Hey mom, we have bus evaporation today... we all have to get off the bus and pretend it's an emergency...”

Eli: “I'm not really into stand up potty's... I'm more into sit down potties...”

Jonah: “I really have to go, because I can feel the hotness of my pee!”

Ethan: “Mr. E told a joke about somebody in Charlotte’s Web being an IDIOT today…”
Becky: “Mr. E is pretty funny, huh?”
Ethan:” Mr. E is HISTORICAL!!”

Eli: (eating a sour candy) - “That's as sour as lightning!!!”

Jonah: “Does Satan want us to pee our pants?”

Eli: (to Sydney our cute 6 year-old neighbor) - “What do you want to do? Go downstairs and talk, or play checkews...?”

Jonah and Becky pull up to Target. Jonah: “Mommy, you can look at youw things and for a long time of that, then I can look at my things… does that sound like a plan?”

Grandy: (Sitting in church with the boys) -“You boys need to be reverent during church!”
Ethan: “uhh… we don’t usually do that…”

Eli: “I have all the paintchence stuff and Jo has all the whininess…whiney city…”

Becky: (came up to check on JK while she was supposed to be napping and found her playing on the floor with Jonah and Eli in a pile of blankets) -“HOW DID JANIE GET OUT OF HER CRIB???”
Eli : “Well she just wanted to so I climbed in and lifted her, and Jonah got her feet and we lifted her down! And she liked it!!”
Jonah: “Yeah, see she likes it!!”
Becky: Prays that this little girl will survive childhood!

Jonah when he is mad at mom: “I’m not even youw love, not even pwetty please with a chewwy on top!!”

Jonah when he is mad at dad: “I’m not even youw buddy anymowe!!”

Ethan: “Finders Keepers, Losers SWEEPERS!”

Janie Kate: Mama, Dada, Hiiiiii, and Lala (she loves her cousin Lola)

Even though we share with you these little anecdotes that make you smile (or cringe), our lives are in fact full of wonderful and inspiring experiences with each one of these sweet children. We share with you our love for the Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of His life. He is the reason for this season! Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Curtis, Becky, Ethan (7), Eli (6), Jonah (4), Janie Kate (1) LaClaire

Christmas Day 2009

Ethan and Eli - the little stinkers- wriggled through a gate made of about 30 feet of hemp rope, placed specifically at the top of the stairs to keep them up, and got a look at all of their Santa gifts in advance. Curtis jumped out of bed and hollered at them to come upstairs-

Curtis to Ethan: Why did you go downstairs?? You knew you weren't supposed to!

Ethan: kind of wailing- Eli TEMPTED me!!!

I was so disappointed that I missed seeing their faces when they came down the stairs! But after I got over that, we had a fun time opening stockings, playing with toys, and opening more gifts!

Jonah loves clothes, he loves to look 'cool'- and he does, wearing the same 3 pair of ratty sweats over and over!

Bakugans and teeny baby doll! That's what having 3 older brothers will do to you!

Jabba's sail barge!


The funnest part about D-Rex was listening to Ethan talk to it like it's alive... "oh D-Rex, you have really soft skin... come on D-Rex, get Jonah...

In the afternoon we went over to grandy and Grumpy's house for Christmas dinner, and opened more gifts.

Oh, and Curtis spent some time outside shoveling and snowblowing! It started snowing Wednesday night, and didn't stop until Friday morning- it was awesome having a white Christmas, all snug and cozy inside while the snow came down. We are so blessed to celebrate the birth of Christ surrounded by family this year!

We came home and ended the day by watching Santa Buddies by the light of the Christmas Tree. What a fun day.

Christmas Eve 2009 is:

Bethlehem supper by candlelight- hummus, olives, foccocia bread with artichokes and capers

Dressing up
Eating on the floor -fun but hazardous with candles and a 1 year old

Reading Luke 2







Opening 1 or 2 special gifts

Putting new ornaments on the tree

Make sure the stockings are just right

Put out the milk (had to be chocolate this year b/c of Max and Ruby) and cookies for Santa

Go for a drive and look at lights while the kids complain the whole time

Go to bed with butterflies in your tummy and wait for Santa!!