Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!
What a year it has been.
In September, we found out I (Christy) had a small carcinoid tumour. After an excision,
extensive testing and another excision, it was determined that we caught it early and it has been completely removed. I feel healthy and extremely lucky, and will have regular screenings from this point on. I still love, love, love being a stay-at-home mom. Our days are filled with play and learning, as well as plenty of messes. We are both just so joyful being together each day.
Rob has made a lot of great music this year. As I write, he is wearing an Onion shirt that says "I am in a promising local band." It really should be plural. He played bass and guitar with quite a few different rock bands in town (and totally kept up with the youngsters, I might add!), and is already fostering Kathryn's love of music. He loves being a daddy, and handles Kathryn's bedtime routine every night, including lots and lots of stories with voices only he could create. He still works at UNC doing I.T. support.
Kathryn is our little social butterfly. She also loves stories, even making up her own. They always start with "once upon a time", end with "and they lived happily ever after", and what happens between usually involves Tinkerbell going to the pumpkin patch and picking out the tiniest little pumpkin. Kathryn is so tenderhearted, and funny. She loves taking care of her baby dolls, playing with Moon Sand, singing, and pulling out anything recently put away in drawers or boxes. She knows all of her letters and numbers and has told us she wants to learn how to read. I wish I had a slow-motion button I could press, but she is growing before our eyes. She is also showing an interest in horticulture, as two of her favorite outings this year were to pick tomatoes, and then to pick out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch (you see from where she draws her story inspiration!).
In November, we sold our house and bought a newish one across town. We have already settled
in pretty well, and Rob even had a chance to put up some lovely Christmas lights. Maybe
we will be the next "Greeley Griswolds". The new place has a lot more space, requires less
maintenance and is in a really cute little neighborhood. Our hope is that we will have
friends and family over a lot at the new place, so come and see us!
We hope this letter finds you and yours enjoying a restful and peaceful season. Thank you for being a part of our lives!
Much love,
Rob, Christine and Kathryn
(Rob's beautiful creation)
(Samantha's beautiful creation)
(Jonathan's beautiful creation)
(Christy's abomination)
...and not only that. When I used an icing bag to try and fix it, the thing exploded in my lap.
Rob and the puppets. I had not laughed that hard in a while.
Greeley
