Next week is Christmas - it's like it came out of nowhere this year.
We've spent the past six Christmases with my side of the family at my parents house. We are all going to REALLY miss that this year. We're going to miss my mom's AMAZING cooking, and watching White Christmas on Christmas Eve, and taking a limo ride around Billings to look at the Christmas lights; hangin’ out in the kitchen and visiting for hours with my mom and grandma, Dad Gifts, hot-tubbing, prime rib, game night, Samurai Sams, movie nights with Greg, and all the strategically planned attacks on Uncle Pat. It just won't be the same, but maybe we can start a few of our own Christmas traditions this year...
Well, this year there won't be our annual Christmas Card - sorry guys. We've been the unfortunate benefactor of the higher than usual unemployment rate here in Ohio, and have had to cut a lot of things...including Christmas cards. So, to the handful of you that actually read this blog: MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hopefully next year will bring gainful employment and lovely Christmas cards!
So, I guess this post will count as our annual family update:
Patrick has completed another semester! For those of you who don’t know we moved to Ohio in May. Patrick changed majors and transferred to the University of Akron. He is currently studying Survey Engineering. He will graduate in 3 more semesters, and then he has to get about 4 yrs of work experience under his belt before he can qualify to take the test for professional licensure (that’s where the REAL money is). So, there is an end in sight…we’re all thankful for that. I’m just glad Patrick has stuck with it and finally found something he is really happy with.
Ursala is just glad that the Church Christmas Party is over (*wink*). I’m on the activities committee, but there really wasn’t much of a committee to help pull off our “Night in Bethlehem” (they were all out of town) so it ended up just being two of us decorating and cooking and cleaning. It was a lot of work, but it turned out very nice. I’ve also been in job hunting mode since the end of September…50+ applications and 10 interviews later I still have nothing. Well, I shouldn’t say nothing. I do have an on-call night job with a title company, but I don’t usually get more than a few nights a week, but I guess that is better than nothing. I count my blessings…that’s the best thing to do in this situation...and I really do have so much to be thankful for.
Gabriel is growing like a weed and learns something new every day. He is almost 2 ½ and it shows! He is in the phase of his life where he likes to test his limits…from seeing how high he can climb before getting hurt to how much he can get away with before getting a time-out. He has such a conflicting personality…he is so sweet and loving…thoughtful and insightful yet when things don’t turn out they way he wants it’s like the Incredible Hulk is awakened. I'm hoping that is also part of the phase.
Incredible Hulk personality aside…he is usually a sweet, energetic boy, and he is just soaking everything up like a sponge:
•He knows all of his letters now and his numbers 1 – 15 and does really well with counting. When we read scriptures his contribution is to read out all of the letters and numbers he sees – pretty cute!
•He loves to read books. We go to the library twice a month and that is his favorite thing to do.
•He loves to sing. He has learned several songs and sings them whenever it strikes his fancy…including while sitting on the toilet in WalMart or in the middle of Sacrament.
•He LOVES anything with wheels – cars, trucks, tractors, you name it! He can easily identify the models of cars that he knows – better than I can.
•He likes to be a helper around the house. He helps Nana make Roti; helps Daddy make repairs; helps mommy clean the house and will help put away all of his toys.
•He likes to “exercise” and has his own version of exercises that he sees us do.
•Unfortunately, that is where his healthy habits end, because he would prefer to live off of crackers and fruit snacks than eat his dinner. Dinner is a battle every night…if anyone has any suggestions on how to get him to eat his dinner please share!
•He is a Daddy’s boy. Gabriel has to do everything just like his daddy. When Daddy is getting ready he has to wear hair gel and cologne like Daddy. He has to wear a tie to church like Daddy. He even copies Daddy’s mannerisms!
•He wants a sister. There isn’t a week that goes by where he doesn’t tell me, “Mama have baby – a sister!” I’m not sure where he got that idea, but he doesn’t seem to let it go. I would like for him to have a sister too, but we are on the Lord’s time…so whenever He sees fit.
So, that is our family update, and while we will be far from family this Christmas and have a little less in our pockets we would be remiss if we did not have gratitude in our hearts for all that we have. We have a roof over our head and food to eat. We have peace in our country and freedoms to enjoy. We have our health and each other. We wish you all the very merriest of Christmases. And on that note please enjoy the video below:
We've spent the past six Christmases with my side of the family at my parents house. We are all going to REALLY miss that this year. We're going to miss my mom's AMAZING cooking, and watching White Christmas on Christmas Eve, and taking a limo ride around Billings to look at the Christmas lights; hangin’ out in the kitchen and visiting for hours with my mom and grandma, Dad Gifts, hot-tubbing, prime rib, game night, Samurai Sams, movie nights with Greg, and all the strategically planned attacks on Uncle Pat. It just won't be the same, but maybe we can start a few of our own Christmas traditions this year...
Well, this year there won't be our annual Christmas Card - sorry guys. We've been the unfortunate benefactor of the higher than usual unemployment rate here in Ohio, and have had to cut a lot of things...including Christmas cards. So, to the handful of you that actually read this blog: MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hopefully next year will bring gainful employment and lovely Christmas cards!
So, I guess this post will count as our annual family update:
Patrick has completed another semester! For those of you who don’t know we moved to Ohio in May. Patrick changed majors and transferred to the University of Akron. He is currently studying Survey Engineering. He will graduate in 3 more semesters, and then he has to get about 4 yrs of work experience under his belt before he can qualify to take the test for professional licensure (that’s where the REAL money is). So, there is an end in sight…we’re all thankful for that. I’m just glad Patrick has stuck with it and finally found something he is really happy with.
Ursala is just glad that the Church Christmas Party is over (*wink*). I’m on the activities committee, but there really wasn’t much of a committee to help pull off our “Night in Bethlehem” (they were all out of town) so it ended up just being two of us decorating and cooking and cleaning. It was a lot of work, but it turned out very nice. I’ve also been in job hunting mode since the end of September…50+ applications and 10 interviews later I still have nothing. Well, I shouldn’t say nothing. I do have an on-call night job with a title company, but I don’t usually get more than a few nights a week, but I guess that is better than nothing. I count my blessings…that’s the best thing to do in this situation...and I really do have so much to be thankful for.
Gabriel is growing like a weed and learns something new every day. He is almost 2 ½ and it shows! He is in the phase of his life where he likes to test his limits…from seeing how high he can climb before getting hurt to how much he can get away with before getting a time-out. He has such a conflicting personality…he is so sweet and loving…thoughtful and insightful yet when things don’t turn out they way he wants it’s like the Incredible Hulk is awakened. I'm hoping that is also part of the phase.
Incredible Hulk personality aside…he is usually a sweet, energetic boy, and he is just soaking everything up like a sponge:
•He knows all of his letters now and his numbers 1 – 15 and does really well with counting. When we read scriptures his contribution is to read out all of the letters and numbers he sees – pretty cute!
•He loves to read books. We go to the library twice a month and that is his favorite thing to do.
•He loves to sing. He has learned several songs and sings them whenever it strikes his fancy…including while sitting on the toilet in WalMart or in the middle of Sacrament.
•He LOVES anything with wheels – cars, trucks, tractors, you name it! He can easily identify the models of cars that he knows – better than I can.
•He likes to be a helper around the house. He helps Nana make Roti; helps Daddy make repairs; helps mommy clean the house and will help put away all of his toys.
•He likes to “exercise” and has his own version of exercises that he sees us do.
•Unfortunately, that is where his healthy habits end, because he would prefer to live off of crackers and fruit snacks than eat his dinner. Dinner is a battle every night…if anyone has any suggestions on how to get him to eat his dinner please share!
•He is a Daddy’s boy. Gabriel has to do everything just like his daddy. When Daddy is getting ready he has to wear hair gel and cologne like Daddy. He has to wear a tie to church like Daddy. He even copies Daddy’s mannerisms!
•He wants a sister. There isn’t a week that goes by where he doesn’t tell me, “Mama have baby – a sister!” I’m not sure where he got that idea, but he doesn’t seem to let it go. I would like for him to have a sister too, but we are on the Lord’s time…so whenever He sees fit.
So, that is our family update, and while we will be far from family this Christmas and have a little less in our pockets we would be remiss if we did not have gratitude in our hearts for all that we have. We have a roof over our head and food to eat. We have peace in our country and freedoms to enjoy. We have our health and each other. We wish you all the very merriest of Christmases. And on that note please enjoy the video below:
3 comments:
Merry Christmas Ursula! Hope things look up soon in the job front. Sounds like you are keeping very busy with Gabriel! He has grown up so much in the last few months, such a handsome little guy. :)
Merry Christmas Ursula. We sure do miss ya all. I just wanted you to know I think your one of the greatest women I know!
Love Angie
I hope you guys had a very merry christmas and a happy new year too!!! And I also hope you guys got our christmas card. Thanks to you we were able to send really cute ones out this year...actually, they're the first ones we've ever sent out since we've been married. :) I love you guys...PLEASE give Gabriel a kiss for me and tell him I do love him lots!
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