Merry Christmas!

This time of year is a lot of fun. From decorations and lights (Ella really likes the lights, she gasps in awe every time she see a decorated house) to yummy treats. The best part of Christmas though is watching as Nathan and Ella learn about our Savior's birth.

Miss Ella spent the year learning and growing. She went from crawling to walking, followed by running (either after her brother or away from her parents), sitting to standing, she's gained a pretty good vocabulary (including such favorites as "cheese", "ni-night", and "all done"), and gone from baby food in a jar to her own fork and bowl. She has learned to fight with and annoy, her brother, loves brushing her teeth and can even sing her ABC's.

Mister Nathan grows taller (and thinner) everyday. Every other sentence out of his mouth is a question. And he can remember every answer. Often his questions lead to science experiments, geography lessons, or math using candy. He knows the days of the week, but this knowledge comes via an ulterior motive: In Memphis Tuesday is free-day at some museums and the zoo and he just can't wait for Tuesday so he can go to one of them. He also played soccer for the first time during the fall season, and while he is still trying to grasp the whole concept of the game he had a great time playing and running and kicking.

Both Nathan and Ella loooovvveee the park, playing hide and go seek, and just being outside. The two of them can't get mom and dad to read enough books, and Family Night is such a hit the two of them beg to do it at least twice a week.

Pete and Kadie completed several projects around the house, making: a "Zans for cans" (a stack of rolling shelves to keep cans on, see "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish"), shelves for the attic, a work bench in the garage, and a raised garden. Not to mention adding shelves to bedroom closets, painting walls, and doing some decorating.

The family went on several small and large trips including: a visit to Shilo Civil War Battlefield; to a Civil War reenactment at Parkers Crossroads, TN; a trip to Maine; and a trip to Utah. And lets not forget the most important trip of the year. Yes that is the one where Peter and Kadie invited -- read bamboozled -- Grandma into staying at their home with their two adorable children (who are sweet little angels not little tornadoes) while they flew off to Orlando for 11 days to play at Disney World and go on a cruise.

May the spirit of Christmas fill our hearts as we remember Christ's birth.

Love, Peter, Kadie, Nathan and Ella