So much for working on a Christmas letter over Thanksgiving, I will be lucky if I get all of the letters out by New Years! I was determined to send a photo which is the real problem. After not sending one last year and Parker catching/passing me in height, I really wanted to show friends and family how much the kids had grown. I wish I had taken one of the boys by themselves. No one was in the mood for picture taking and the picture shows it. Maybe next year we will head to a studio. I also thought I would try and save a little money by emailing the photo and card to as many people as possible. I am no techno geek. If your picture doesn’t show up or our noses take up the entire screen, let me know and I will try again. On to the family news…

It has been an eventful year for us. We had a ton of shake-ups at my work and I spent a good portion of the year wanting to leave there and the rest of the time fearing that I might be the next one to go involuntarily. I’d like to say that everything is better, but it’s not. The economy has only made things worse. We have tried to keep our heads up while we watched - our bosses be fired, four of the Board of Supervisors be indicted, then see the charges dropped, a petition signing with thousands of signatures to remove the elected officials and then that was thrown out of court too. I am not sure how and where things will end, but I have a new appreciation for working under stress. Sorry for the doom and gloom. I hope to have more positive things to say next year.

Life with the kids has been more challenging too. I understand more than I want to know about God helping people prepare for an empty nest by giving their child the mouth of a teenager. One moment I could not be more proud of Parker and the next I am trying to figure out how this demon took him over. Thank God it’s all a normal phase that ends with the realization that I am not as stupid as he once thought. The boastful mommy in me wants you to know that he made the high school golf team and made it on the tournament team for a couple of matches. He killed his first deer and turkey over last year’s holiday break. He hunts every moment that he can. He is taking auto tech and is thinking hard about being a mechanic. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed but if it makes him happy, that’s all that matters. He has a steady (older) girlfriend who is college bound and active in many clubs and organizations. They are a great couple.

Grantland has not been tarnished by peers or his brother and still loves school. He pulled three perfect scores on his SOL tests last year – only two kids in the entire third grade did this. He is doing just as well with straight A’s in the 4th grade. He loves reading and is now a big fan of Twilight. We went to the movie last weekend and he is reading the book. I think he is through with team sports as he would rather spend time watching professional wrestling and playing on the computer. I took him to a WWW event a few months ago and he is going again over the Christmas break. He knows all of the actors – I mean wrestlers and their moves.

My mom injured her foot a few months ago and is still struggling. It was diagnosed as a degenerative condition and they are making a brace for her to wear like Grantland used to. By the way, Grantland got out of his braces this year! While she is waiting for the brace she is wearing a big cumbersome boot and trying to make the best of it.

Things are still great with me on the personal end. It will be five years at the end of January! I am very thankful for the good there and throughout my life. My siblings have been experiencing terrible financial times and as much I complain, I am not in their shoes.

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