Our Holiday Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope our greeting finds you healthy and happy, eagerly anticipating the joy and magic of this most holy season. This year we decided to save a little time and money on our holiday letter and go electronic! Thanks for visiting our website, and feel free to check in on us throughout the year for more family adventures.

Our little Zachary had a more "normal" year in 2010 with far fewer hospital days than the previous year. Around Easter he finally started walking, and has been unstoppable ever since! In June we once again traveled to Ann Arbor where Zachy underwent the final planned surgery for his unique little heart. He amazed us with an uneventful and quick recovery, and we found ourselves heading home just six days after the procedure. Our miracle boy continues to amaze us with his strength, his wit, and his adorable personality. He recently celebrated his second birthday, and we look forward to watching him grow and enjoy a "normal" childhood. We know that without your prayers he would never have gotten this second chance at life, and we are eternally grateful to all of you who have supported us along this grueling journey.

Samuel has had to grow up too fast these recent years, but he's still a little guy who needs to be "babied" from time to time. Nonetheless, this spring Sammy had the awesome responsibility of assuring my baby brother could tie the knot, and already this fall he became a school boy! On his "days off," Samuel helps keep Zachary entertained and instructs him in the art of boyhood. He is teaching Zachary all about tractors, the alphabet, jumping on furniture, and of course, how to use the potty! Sammy is looking forward to Santa's visit and assures us he has fulfilled his three year-old "weesponsibilities" to merit a windfall of Christmas gifts!

Joseph is by all means a middle child. He hangs with the big boys, but certainly enjoys the company of his little brothers as well. When it comes to the first grade, school is a breeze. And though I can't say the same of his t-ball skills, he still has fun running the bases each summer for the SEAS Knights. This fall Joseph earned the high distinction of being the first of our five to suffer a broken bone. It was a minor break, though, and within just a couple weeks he shed his smelly cast and was back in business! Joseph is typically an easy child, but just for good measure he is sure to flaunt a little attitude from time to time.

This spring David celebrated his First Holy Communion, a much-anticipated sacrament in the Catholic Church. I tell you, though style is not his strong point, that boy can clean up nice! David spent all spring waiting for warmer temperatures, and once school let out he was outside constantly exploring Mother Nature. A baby bird, turtle, and several frogs were just a few of the little creatures David claims to have "rescued" from the elements this year. He is a fish out of water and sports a beautiful tan and blond, bushy hair each summer. Now in the third grade, David feels he has learned the ropes at school and is looking forward to his special assignment to help out in the younger kids' class over the coming weeks.

We are amazed at Alex's growth and maturity over the past year. Though small in stature, that kid has one heck of a brain and plenty of opinions to go with it. He is definitely thinking more like an adult--or at least a pre-teen--and is starting to like things neat and organized (there may yet be hope for my younger boys!) Alex recently finished the entire Harry Potter book series, which he began only a few short months ago. He is an active percussionist in the school band, and this fall he joined the YMCA's Neptunes Swim Team. When he isn't at school or involved in one of these activities, Alex enjoys gaming on the XBox and playing with neighbor kids.

In August our family made a week-long trip to the Colorado Rockies. We stayed in a cabin just south of Rocky Mountain National Park and enjoyed hiking, rock climbing, sight seeing, and simply relaxing! Then soon after our return, we did the unthinkable and put our house on the market! With interest rates at historic lows, we decided that now is as good a time as any to find a home with a little more room--both inside and out--for our growing family. But with the housing market in the dumps, we're still waiting for an acceptable offer on our house, and searching for our dream home which we hope to find next spring. In the meantime, trying to keep our house clean and organized is a near-impossible feat, and whenever a potential buyer requests a showing, we switch to panic mode!

And as if trying to sell our house doesn't keep us busy enough, we recently decided to grow our family even more! In November we welcomed a sweet little black lab pup we named Hershey. The boys (and I) quickly fell in love with her playful antics and her big, brown eyes, but just days after we got her she became very ill with the life-threatening parvovirus. She was hospitalized and promptly put on IV fluids and several medications. Seven days and a whopping $2,000 later, we brought our puppy home. Our family has grown quite attached to her, but honestly I think it would have been much easier to just have another baby! :-)

We are all fortunate that Steve has made it through Cessna's recent layoffs, and he still very much enjoys his challenges at work. Michelle stays busy at home and loves writing about the family on our blog in her free time instead of doing dishes, folding laundry, making dinner, changing diapers, paying bills, packing lunches, you get the idea... To be honest, just keeping the boys fed and the house running is an overwhelming feat, so we have little time for individual "leisure" activities. But family is our life, and we feel blessed beyond measure for all the joy our children bring. We are also very grateful for the health and loving support of our parents and siblings, who continue to play an active role in our family life.

Our prayers and warm wishes go out to you this holiday season. May you and your family be blessed at Christmas and throughout the New Year.

Love,

Michelle, Steve, Alex, David, Joseph, Samuel, and Zachary