For the past several years, I have made it a point to send out Christmas Cards. I LOVE Christmas cards, and this has been a joy to undertake each year. I have noticed, however, that my efforts have dwindled some as the years have gone by. From homemade cards that a friend once dubbed "a gift in an envelope," to photo cards that I didn't even have to sign.....I have simplified things.
Except this year everything just rushed up on me and here I am, less than a week before Christmas, with no letter written, no pictures taken, no great stamps and supplies for beautiful homemade cards....NOTHING! Except this wonderful world of Cyber-Space and the fact that I am behind in the world of Blogging....yet again. So, in the true spirit of Christmas........I present to you.........My.......Christmas......Letter:
Ahem.....
December 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings! It's tough to believe another year has flown by so quickly! 2010 has brought us many ups and downs, much joy and some sorrow. Here are the highlights:
Travis is now 5 years old!! He is in Young 5's at Trinity Lutheran School in Paw Paw, MI. He LOVES school, and is doing very well. His teacher, Mrs. Fechik, is a true blessing. I don't know how she does it, but I am thankful for her ability to bring out truly the best in all of the boys (the Young 5's class consists of 6 boys....no girls!). I'm looking forward to seeing more growth in him over the rest of the school year. Of course, Travis is the tallest person in his class........he may be the tallest 5 year old in the state, but I'm not sure about that. Besides school, his favorite activities are playing, cooking, and making big messes. He says funny things every single day, and has enough energy for 3 little boys his age.
Lauren is now in 7th grade at Hillside Middle School in Kalamazoo. This year, she joined choir and participated in Girls on Track. She ran the WMU Turkey Trot 5K run in under 22 minutes! Currently her favorite activities include Facebook, playing the Wii and her DS, and being an almost-teenage diva. Unfortunately......we don't get to see her as much as we would like, but she is doing well and we look forward to the time we do get to spend together.
Melanie is still working at the Van Buren ISD as a Teacher Consultant for Students with Autism. My work is never dull, and she loves it. She spends the rest of her time either trying to keep up with Travis or clean up after him!
April brought us a special treat......Disney World!! Travis, Melanie, and Grandma piled in the car and spent Spring Break in Florida. We enjoyed the warm weather, spent a couple of days at Disney, and even got to see some cousins that we hadn't been able to see in a while! Travis is asking when we can go back!
2010 has taught us to cherish our parents/grandparents. In late 2009/early 2010, Melanie's step-dad contracted a staph infection from a knee replacement surgery. He spent half of 2009 and almost half of 2010 on IV antibiotics, having more surgeries, and being homebound. Then in June 2010, Melanie's dad had a kidney removed due to a large cancerous tumor. Thankfully for both of them, they are now healthy and strong and, hopefully, past their ordeals. Unfortunately, though, we lost our Nana (Melanie's step-mom) to small cell lung cancer on October 30, 2010. Travis had the best attitude of all of us, when he celebrated her getting to see Jesus rather than focusing on the sadness. We miss Nana tremendously, and thank God for our healthy Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa.
To each of our family and friends........Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! We Love You All!!!
Melanie, Travis, and Lauren
So there it is.........does THIS count as a Christmas greeting from the Giddings'?!?!?!?!? I'll let you be the judge!
