2008 Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas!

We hope you are all enjoying this beautiful time of year, with lots of good food and good company. This is our first year doing a Christmas letter, and we couldn't be more excited to share with you the happenings of this past year.

Brock is still working for the same company. He has been with them almost 5 years, and works so hard to provide for our family. Earlier this year, he finished his first triathlon. The Spudman. Before he decided to do it, he had never been in to cycling or swimming. He is a natural athlete and finished in 2 hours46 minutes. He also enjoyed putting in our garden for the first year, and giving us a shower in the upstairs bathroom. He is the absolute cutest daddy to our darling little boy, and such an amazing husband.

I, Lindsay, am doing what I have always dreamed of: being a full-time mom. After 3.5 years working in banking, Brock and I decided that it was most important for me to stay home and raise our kids. So I retired :). We feel so grateful that it has worked out that way so far. I LOVE being home with Dane! I have also discovered that I really enjoy being domestic. It has been fun to learn to be a better cook, and try out all sorts of new recipes. Poor Brok has had to suffer through a few of them, but it's all for the greater good :). I also enjoy making our house more of a home. My very favorite part of it all is being a mom. I never imagined it would be this good. What an amazing thing to be entrusted with such a special spirit. There can be nothing better in this world than being a mom.

Now to the best part. Dane. Dane Brock was born in June. He weighed 7 lbs 12 oz, and was 21.4 inches long. He is now six months old, and just keeps growing. He is such a joy. People often comment on his cheeks--htey are rather squishy and quite kissable. He is a GREAT eater, and has enjoyed adding more variety to his meals as we have introduced cereals. He doesn't like to sleep during the day, as he is worried he might miss out on something, but he sleeps through the night, so we can't complain. He currently has two teeth, can roll over, sit up, and LOVES his voice. He is the happiest baby I have ever seen. We feel so blessed to be his parents, and are learning so much from him already. He is truly the best thing that has happened to us. We adore our beautiful son.

Last but not least is Cooper. He is such a great dog. People askall the time how he is with Dane, and are mostly surprised when we tell them that he is so gentle, and sweet with him. They are mostly surprised because those aren't two words typically used to describe our "little" pup. He is a bundle of energy, and has had some struggles not being king of the hill anymore. But he does love Dane, and we couldn't ask for a better dog.

We are so grateful for this beautiful Christmas season. We have much to be grateful for. OUr lives are full of happiness, joy and love. These blessings are made possible because of our savior, Jesus Christ. We are grateful for His life, and His teachings which help us know how to find true happiness in this life. We are grateful for His atoning sacrifice which makes it possible for us to return to Him as eternal families. We love Him, and know that HE lives and loves each of us. We are grateful to our Father in Heaven for sending His Son to earth, who's birth we celbrate this holiday season. may we all remember that He is the reason for Christmas. He gave us the greatest gift of all--His life--that we may have eternal life. We love him, and we love each of you, and thank you for your part in our lives. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and an amazing New Year.

(So, I know Christmas was yesterday, but we still hope you have an awesome holiday season!)