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Photo by Julie McCord August 2012 Prosser, Washington |
Dear Friends and Family,
I was tempted to commission a Christmas Letter Template App (insert child’s name here, list activity #1, vacation destination A, etc.). We Christmas-Letter-Writers could knock ‘em out in 5 minutes! From our phones! Some day…
Some things this year were very much the same as last year (like birthdays and awesome trips to Oregon and Connecticut), but we did have some interesting bits. We got a trampoline (okay, not earth-shaking news, but what a parent’s summer lifesaver). We borrowed some friends’ camping trailer and went on a few fun overnighters. Come to think of it, we camped quite a bit this year. Looks like it’s our “thing.”
Marcus is now 7 and busier than I was when I was 12. He’s still in Chinese Immersion and in addition to daily homework has started piano lessons and wrestling. Soccer keeps him busy in the sunny months as well as baseball (which I think is his favorite). It’s fun to watch him grow and discuss increasingly mature topics with him...although there are still some mature topics I’m holding out on J
Holden is 5 (that was a happy day for him) and is loving Kindergarten. He was noticeably more interested in soccer this year, but wasn’t too fond of T-ball (we’ll give it another shot). He’s also in little-kid “wrestling” and begs Olivia to start piano lessons. Both he and Marcus are pretty arts-and-crafty, plus he’s a prodigy with Legos and puzzles. He still says some pretty funny stuff, see Olivia’s blog for more details.
Wether is 3 and an always-without-pants, always-running hooligan. He’s now potty-trained and loves preschool, although I don’t know if preschool loves him. His days are filled with dirt, tractors, excavators, trucks, teasing, wrestling brothers, and somehow still managing to be adorable. A fun note on Wether; in October, he dressed up every day until Halloween.
Port is almost 2 and-though certifiably the cutest- gives Olivia no peace. He makes a mess-a-minute, dances, talks, loves “Higga fights” (Christmas lights), starts most fights, and loves his uncles. He’s a daddy’s boy, and it makes my day to see how excited he gets when I come home.
Olivia attended all of the aforementioned soccer matches, baseball games, piano lessons, etc. and still kept up with her church calling, rental management, and making me feel special. She was able to go to Maui in February with Port for a mini Love Family Reunion. She dreams of hobbies, but is still an avid decorator, garage sailor, and urban adventurer.
I also dream of hobbies and such and am dabbling with a few (I caught my first fish this year!). I’m working in mortgages again as well as my marketing company and our rentals, so it can get a little hairy, but I can testify of the joys of family life…with breaks.
I/we have been very blessed this year, as we hope you have been. Merry Christmas to all!
Kjell McCord Family