A Merry Christmas letter for YOU!

Dear __________(insert your name here).

Sending you this letter to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope you can look back on your year and see the many blessings God has given you. I pray that you are looking forward to the coming year with hope. Hope for love, joy, and peace for you, your family and our world.

We had kind of a crazy year with lots of changes. Sometimes things seemed overwhelming but I know that things happen for a reason. I know we are being blessed much and given a few, very small trials that help us to grow, and I am thankful for both.

The biggest blessing of 2008 arrived on February 8. Lanelle Margaret is a joy to us (especially since she has started sleeping better)! She is growing too fast lately. She is seeming closer to a toddler and less like a baby everyday. She is learning to communicate in her own special way, mostly yelling and grunting. She interacts and plays with her brother lots. She can get anywhere she wants to go.

Kellen has grown so much this year. He turned 2 on February 20. He has added too many words to his vocabulary to count. He is a funny, busy little man and is always making us laugh. He started going to a preschool this fall and loves it. He likes to be doing something and asks most mornings "mom, what we doing today?" He loves to get together with friends, although I won't say he always plays with them. He is learning though. Even in the -30 weather we've been having, he still asks to go to the beach at least once a week. I know that was one of his favorite things about the summer.

In October we moved into a bigger house and am thankful for the extra space. Because our previous house still has not sold this has been the source of some stress. We are praying hard that we can sell it and put this behind us. I do believe all things happen for a reason. Moving to this house definately seemed to be part of the reason Ian was given an opportunity to take a job with the town in November. How amazing to have him home every night and even for lunch!

I know it has done great things for Kellen already to have the security of having his dad around so much more. Both kids respond so much more to Ian as he is a part of their lives everyday.

In between all the big happenings, we were blessed by time with family & friends. As I looked back over the pictures I took during the year, I remembered how much fun we had spending time at the Bell farm, taking many pictures of Lanelle with her new cousin Ariana, planting gardens, surprising Grandma Lorna for her birthday, barbequing in Regina with Auntie Andrea and Crystal, visiting the Clevelands in Medora, helping with the Gravelbourg VBS, Thanksgiving dinner at the Koops, celebrating Grandma Mary's big birthday...

We are thankful for so many things. We know 2009 with be full of more blessings and hopefully some fun adventures. I'll be going back to work full time in my community nutritionist position with the tribal council in February. It will be fun to get back to some of the challenges that brings. I hope the kids adjust well and feel good that we have wonderful care lined up for them.

Blessings to you in 2009!

Love,

The Muirheads

P.S. I really do like reading others Christmas letters, but never seem to make the time to send one out. If you read this letter, know it was meant for YOU. Sorry it didn't arrive in your mail box. Please let me know if you got my Christmas letter!