Christmas Wishes

This isn’t a typical Christmas letter. This one has more grit and less fluff, but none the less, it is an update.

This year has had many trials as what appears to be a part of my family’s life cycle over the last undetermined amount of years, however even in the midst of tragic events and loss my little family survives and pulls through. I got a lot of fighters in this batch and blessed for that.

We have now been at a new church for over a year and we are truly blessed with our new church home.

My children are doing well; despite all the curve balls they have been thrown. Rylee was so depressed and was without a lot of hope about 6 months ago; she kept me on my knees (figuratively speaking) in prayer. But so glad she found writing and music to push her through. She has grown up fast. An old soul in an 11 year old body. She is amazing at playing the guitar, is doing fabulous in basketball right now and she even stepped out of her box to try Volleyball this fall and did amazing, picked up on that sport quite well. Her activities will keep me healthy and on the move, one of the reasons I continue to homeschool, anything to force me to be young, otherwise I would just sit and knit and listen to books on tape.

Corbin has battled me with his hair, but has managed to keep the faux hawk! My rule---keep it gelled or I shave it off! I don’t like no floppy hawks. He has also become a real avid reader and I am totally shocked that I have two children who have and will continue to out read their mother, so their father’s children in that aspect. Corbin is by far my easiest child, not ashamed to say that. He is so much like me and because believe it or not, I am not the most stubborn parental figure in these children’s lives. Aadam has me beat by at least 50%...dead serious. Another reason I stay young, Aadam is always pushing me over the cliff mentally, who needs Sudoku…Corbin has a love for 80’s music, which I can’t complain about, although yesterday he was singing to me mind you “touch me once, touch me twice…” then some mumbles…Song title is If You Leave by Glass Tiger, that song is probably not the best choice for a 9 year old, also the choice part he chose to remember is misleading, it has nothing to do with touching.

Eli, what can I say…this child keeps me super on my toes. This kid has an amazing quick wit! Impressive one liners all the time! We should all join the circus or something like that. I hate clowns so something less clownish. Eli loves preschool, about the only thing he gets super excited about is share day…some days he has a hard time going to school on girl share day, but he presses onward.  This year Eli asked Santa for a shotgun and a baby Christmas tree for his room…Santa will not disappoint…of course the shotgun is a nerf gun with foam bullets.

I am so proud of my kids; they are one of the best things in my life.

Aadam and I have managed to make it through 15 ½ years of marriage, huge accomplishment. It has never been easy and I absolutely envy anyone who makes it look easy. Working on my jealously. Although oddly some people look at us and think we have it all…isn’t it true how the grass always looks greener on the other side…but as we all know it is just fertilized with a lot of BS!

My favorite thing about Christmas is the lights, been through James Street Estates quite a few times, found some great gems out this way too. I truly want to have a Chevy Chase house with a crazy amount of lights all over this place, but my worker bee is a Grinch, so I settle for a reasonable amount of lights. Last March I fell and couldn’t get up, Aadam nearly called the fire department on me, so I prevailed and forced myself to rise to the occasion…I have a minor torn meniscous and sad insurance that costs me an arm and a leg, so with a lot of pool therapy over the spring and summer I got my knee to about 75%, still have a hard time on lots of stairs, especially coming back down them. I have been told by therapists that knee injuries can take a very long time to heal, so I guess I should be good sometime soon.  

It is Christmas Eve, I couldn’t sleep, God does wake me about the same time every few days and I spend a good deal of that time praying for a sick friend, my sister and my little family. My friend who is battling breast cancer in her last month of pregnancy is an amazing fighter and I urge anyone who prays to our heavenly father to think of her and her nearly 6 kiddos and say a prayer for her. I can’t imagine going through that and yet with grace she amazes me. I truly admire her.

My mom is doing good, got the tree up this year; she still can’t manage placing the ornaments on the tree though. Too many memories and sadness attached to each little Santa, angel and bell. My mom misses my dad a lot these days. Dad was always big on Christmas, shared in my love for lights and was always the planner and Mr. Christmas in our house. I miss him too.

Losing someone outside of what we deem to be a natural time is always hard. God has shown me over the years to not take life for granted and the amount of time we have. I can be assured of where I will go when I do pass in this life and I am thankful for heaven and I am blessed to have this earth as long as I do. I want to do more for Christ and to be a humble servant, need to work on it though. Humble sadly doesn’t come easy for me. God keeps working on my heart and my mind will follow I am sure.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas and even brighter New Year! We have much to be thankful for!

Many Blessings to you all,

DeAnna