Christmas Letter 2006

Note to self: Do not take a 20 month old to Azteca with friends when it is anywhere near bedtime. It is always fun to be with our friends but Parker was less than cooperative. My tricks were so not working. Maybe it is because I am dog-tired. I just spent the day shopping without Parker because my lovely sister came over to play with the little man. It was so fun to take my time looking without feeling like I was torturing my boy by putting him in a stroller. Parker likes shopping that much:) Anyway, it was great to spend some time by myself, but now I'm paying for it!

Here is our Christmas letter that we sent out last week (for those of you who may not have received it in the mail). I don't think I really have any new information in here than what I already have on the blog, but I thought it would be fun. Enjoy...

Dear friends & family, I love Christmastime for so many reasons and one of them is being able to reconnect with friends and family through Christmas cards and letters. This time, however, I am having a hard time figuring out how to articulate everything the year has held without getting too lengthy! This year has just been so full and we’d love to share some of it with you.

Parker continues to be a great joy in our lives and I feel so happy to be able to stay home with him. He’s almost 20 months old and, of course, keeps us on our toes with his endless energy and zest for life. Parker has such a sweet spirit and enjoys charming everyone with his smile, sense of humor, and loving nature. Besides the people he loves, Parker has some great passions in his life: the outdoors, music, animals, balls, automobiles, and books. He certainly is all boy and is just like his daddy in many ways, including his dislike for shopping!

One of our biggest life changes came this year in August when Joel graduated from UW Medicine’s Physician Assistant School. We spent the past 2 ½ years moving numerous times and experiencing the challenges that come along with one spouse in school full time! After graduating in August, Joel passed his boards in September, was hired by ******* Respiratory Consultants in October and started his new job at the beginning of November. Whew! Needless to say, we are thrilled to be done with this phase of life. I’m still trying to figure out a concise and understandable way to describe what Joel does everyday, but here it goes: Joel practices internal medicine at ****** ***** Medical Center with a pulmonary critical care group and outpatient pulmonary medicine on some afternoons. There, I did it. Does anyone understand what I just wrote? In any case, we’re just thankful that Joel was hired by a great employer and that he’s able to do what he loves—treat patients.

We became homeowners in May! We bought a lovely Cape Cod style bungalow right next to *****. We are still giddy with excitement and have loved the process of making this house our home. I must admit that we now believe that the house should have come with an owner’s manual; no one ever told us that you’re supposed to change the air filter in the furnace! Joel and I often talk about how wonderful it is to feel like we’re home and to be able to enjoy developing relationships within our neighborhood and church. Already, we feel like we’ve developed long-lasting friendships—what a true blessing!

We celebrated our 5th anniversary in September by going on a five day cruise to the Bahamas; our first trip without Parker (thanks to my mom)! We were able to relax and reconnect after the last few years of craziness. We also ate a lot and enjoyed many of the activities onboard and on shore, but mostly we just enjoyed being together without responsibilities!

We found out in June that we’re expecting our 2nd baby in February. It hasn’t been as easy of a pregnancy as I had with Parker, but we’re so excited to meet our new son or daughter! This baby, so far, is much different than Parker was in utero, so we’re expecting some changes around our house! The baby hardly moves so we lovingly refer to him or her as “Lazy Bones”! The c-section is scheduled for February 7th, so stay tuned to find out more about Baby ******* #2! If you’re interested, check out www.amy-ohmy.blogspot.com for more updates as we get closer to the big day.

In closing, we want to express how much we love you all and thank you for supporting us through another full year. We hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season by taking time to reflect on God’s gifts and spending time with those you love.

With love, Joel, Amy & Parker