dearest boys –
this is the last letter for this year – so i thought it fitting to write it to all of you. what a year it has been! there have been so many milestones with each of you. i am amazed at how much you each have grown this last year.
we had a great christmas this year- it was just the 5 of us. your daddy decided it would be fun to have a slumber party in liam’s room on christmas eve. we would all sleep together in the fort he built- knowing what wiggle worms you all are i opted to sleep in liam’s bed. you boys all slept next to each other and on top of one another all night. i could hear some stirring about 3am. i quickly told liam to go back to sleep – it was no where near time to be up. at that point nicholas started blowing his nose and continued to do so about every 5 mins for the remainder of the night. daddy would chime in with his snoring now and then as well. the giggling started about 6:15 and after much bribery and threats we were up and downstairs by 7:15. you boys were so excited to see what santa brought you could hardly contain yourselves!
i set up my camera and my remote to try and capture the chaos of christmas morning. while the images are not technically correct, they are ones i will cherish forever. i am so glad i was able to be ‘in’ the pictures as well.
you boys had so much fun opening presents as well as giving presents to your daddy and i. i love that you each picked something out to give to me. the presents you gave me were a true reflection of your self and i loved opening each one. nicholas, you made me a beautiful beaded necklace that i will keep forever. you put so much work and thought into making it, it was such a sweet gesture from you. liam, you gave me a tcu badge holder to use at work. i love that you thought of getting me something that i could use while at work. quinn, you gave me a purple and white hair bow that would look great in my hair when i was 3 years old- i love the thought and smile every time i see it on my dresser.
you spent the majority of the day hanging out in pj’s, playing with your new toys and games and lounging around. it was such a great day to just be with each of you. we snuggled on the couch and watched a movie, we built legos, shot your bow and arrows, played the guitar and sang a few songs. i could not have asked for a more perfect christmas.
each of you picked a part of the meal we were going to make for christmas dinner. we decided to make caveman chicken (aka drumsticks), mashed potatoes, carrots and stuffing. when daddy got the chicken out to cook we realized it had gone bad! daddy and i were scrambling around trying to decide what we were going to serve instead of chicken. i ran up to the one grocery store that i knew was open on christmas day only to discover it had closed an hour ago. i was driving around town trying to find any place that might be open where we could either get something to cook or order something, but everything had closed. we made it work with what we had in the house, and you boys didn’t even notice we were not eating the caveman chicken for dinner. we had a great day and i am so very thankful to have spent it with each of you.
i look forward to what next year will bring for us as a family and for each of you. i thank God for each of you, for your health, your happiness and your love. life is crazy, but i would not do it any other way.
i have enjoyed writing these letters to each of you every month – it allows me to put into words my thoughts and feelings for that month. i know i do not always take the time to say to each one of you just how important you are to me or how proud i am of you, so writing these allows me to do just that.
thank you boys for allowing me to be your mother, to love me unconditionally and for allowing me to love you! i love each one of you so very much.
your mommy.