Merry Christmas

December, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Christmas is a wonderful time of year! Christmas is… the scent of pine, cinnamon, peppermint, orange, chocolate, cookies, and every good thing. Christmas is… the lights that twinkle from every rooftop, the beautiful decorations both inside and outside. Christmas is… snow on the ground, cold fingers and pink cheeks, and lots of laughter. Christmas is… the Nativity. Christmas is… time to sing of Christ, time to think of Christ, and time to act like Christ. We have been so blessed all year long, and it is a chance to give something back to those around us.

Of all the blessings that we have, the best is that we will be having another baby girl. The due date is April 15, and we look forward to the joy of holding her in our arms (and Julie looks forward to the joy of NOT having her mess with hormones, create nausea, kick and squirm when she wants to sleep…).

Of course each of our children is a blessing to us. Susannah has become very busy lately as she approaches her third birthday. She seems to know where every bit of gum is, whether we do or not (much to the displeasure of her siblings whose gum she ferrets out and pillages). She enjoys playing with niece, Lauren Perri, who comes to our house while her mom works.

Jonathan is now in First Grade, and can read very well. He can read just about anything relating to computer games or Transformers or Bakugons, or Scooby-Doo. He would eat quesadillas any time, all day long if he could.

Rebekah is in Fourth Grade, and she won a trophy in the Reflections Contest for a video that she made all by herself, entitled “Beauty is Nature.” Rebekah sings in the school’s Concert Choir, and plays piano. She loves to read, loves animals, and is a great swimmer.

Hannah is in Sixth Grade and is growing up faster than we imagined. She plays the Cello in the school Orchestra along with the piano this year. She enjoys being a part of some pull-out classes for the gifted, such as an all day Writer’s Symposium that meets bi-monthly with Local Authors and allows budding authors to have their writing read and listen to how the writing process works.

Julie is busy as the “It’s Art” teacher for Hannah and Rebekah’s classes and as a weekly Reading Mother for Jonathan’s class. She is learning to balance mothering four children, her pregnancy, being a Le Leche League Leader (teaching local classes and helping breastfeeding mothers), and homemaker.

Joseph is very busy at Educators Mutual Insurance Association. (This is his fifteenth year there). He is Elder’s Quorum Secretary and enjoys the associations with the Elders. He also likes to play computer games with Jonathan, play board games, and read in his spare time.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With Love,

The Campbells