The Christmas and New Years Post

Hello Family and Friends! (and maybe unknown enemies who read our blog looking for weaknesses they can exploit…) It is time for the annual Christmas letter. It is always an interesting task to reflect on the year and consider what would be of most value to mention. It’s natural to focus on the major events and accomplishments, but often it is the small, every day moments of life that hold the most meaning. We have tried very hard this last year to document both the everyday things, as well as the big events here on our blog. We figure this is probably the most reliable way of preserving our family history. For those of you who are new or who haven’t looked for a while, we hope you come back and check out what we do in 2014. As for 2013, here’s a short recap:

5 things that have drastically changed since this time last year:

1. We have a new member of our family!
2. I am now a fully Licensed Professional Counselor in the grand state of Texas
3. Abi is totally potty trained and talking up a storm
4. Nichole cut her hair and donated her 10 inches to locks of love
5. We completely transformed the downstairs of our house

5 thing that haven’t changed at all:

1. Nichole is serving in the primary presidency and I’m in the ward mission
2. Abi is totally sweet and crazy at the same time
3. I’m still working at a children’s shelter with teenage boys from Central America
4. We love living in Texas but miss being closer to family
5. We are never happier than when we are with each other.

Here’s the old breakdown by person format:

Nichole: Nichole continues to amaze me with her unyielding drive for improvement and her unceasing concern for others. As I am sitting in my pajama pants writing this post, she is out running 9 miles by herself. She plans on doing another half marathon in January. If it weren’t for Nichole we would probably never socialize with anyone, but she does a great job of inviting new couples in our ward over for dinner or setting up babysitting/dinner swaps. Like any good mother, she puts in 13 hour days taking care of the girls. She comes up with creative activities for Abi and reads her lots of books. Nichole and I did a health challenge in Sept/Oct where we tried to do a whole bunch of things every day for about 8 weeks (eat fruits/vegetables, drink water, exercise, read scriptures, etc.). Nichole was practically perfect and we would have won the contest if I hadn’t pressured her into eating apple pie and ice cream one night. She loves watching her shows (right now it’s Once Upon a Time, but earlier this year she was hooked on Monk and Drop Dead Diva). I will join her for Psych, White Collar, or the Middle. It may seem silly to mention these things, but they are the fun little things that make up our days. Nichole will also take on a book occasionally which she whizzes through pretty quick. She’ll then recommend it to me and I’ll finish it a few months later. Two that we both read this year and really enjoyed were “The Invisible Thread” and “The Anatomy of Peace”. I cannot express strongly enough how grateful I am for Nichole. Perhaps her greatest accomplishment this last year and every year is putting up with me in such a kind, compassionate, and patient manner. She is my best friend and I would be lost without her.   

Abi: I don’t think there ever was a father who loved his daughter more than I love Abi (not even Paul Simon). She is my pride and joy. A lot of times while I am at work I will think about her and just smile at how excited it makes me feel to think that I will get to see her and play with her at the end of the day. She is as paradoxically precocious and feral child like as ever. One minute she will be reciting the words to a book or maturely clearing her plate and the next she will be sticking dirt in her mouth or climbing on top of the piano. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment this last year has been her finally remembering how to ask for something that she wants. This is after about a gazillion times of redirecting her, but she is really good at it now and tries it out on all kinds of things. But mostly treats. “Papa, may I have some fruit snacks please?” That’s pretty hard to resist. She is obsessed with fruit snacks and fruit by the foot. We try to limit her to one a day though, otherwise that’s probably all she would ever eat. She loves to read books, and can usually recite the words with just a little prompting. She does so great with Emily and has been nothing but excited to have her as part of our family.   

Emily: This may sound weird, but as Emily hasn’t started talking yet it’s easier for me to forget about her while I’m at work. But when I come home, there she is with her huge chubby cheeks and sweet personality; I pick her up and completely fall in love with her. She is so fun to hold and kiss and tickle and play with. We love her so much and just can’t wait to learn more about her as she starts talking and moving around a bit more. She still wakes up at least once, pretty much every night. I never feel too annoyed though, because she is just so sweet and cracks me up. Emily pretty much has two modes: Happy and Crazy. One minute she’ll be smiling and super chill, then she is squawking, screaming, or flailing around like it’s the end of the world. This is usually because she dropped a toy or wants us to hold her. I think a big part of the reason she wakes up every night and is often a little fussy is because in the short 5 months of her life, she has already busted out 7 teeth! She goes through at least 6 shirts a day because she soaks them all with her mad drooling. She’s taken up spitting as her most recent habit, which has mostly replaced the squealing and squawking. We’re so grateful for Emily, and feel that her middle name just describes her so well. She truly has graced our family with her wonderful little spirit.  

Jeff: Well, what can I say about myself? In less than 2 months I will be turning 30, and I feel like I am having a midlife crisis. On one hand I couldn’t be happier with the circumstances of my life. I have a wonderful wife, two sweet daughters, a great house, lots of good friends and loving family members, a steady job, excellent health, a keen mind, and plenty of opportunities for growth before me. On the other hand, I am often overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy and haunted by the thought that I am not just somehow living below my potential, but that I have actually already reached my potential and this is just as good as it gets. Sometimes I think maybe I think too much, but then I think, “Well I don’t think thinking less sounds like a good idea,” so I just keep trying to figure it all out. I seldom stop thinking about what I should do in my career, and I’ve made a few steps forward this last year that I am fairly proud of. As I mentioned before, I am now fully licensed and am therefore eligible to get on insurance panels and collect pay directly for services. I’ve found two different offices where I can sublease on a per client basis, and plan on doing some advertising at the beginning of next year. This is where the feelings of inadequacy come in a lot. Although I have completed my education, supervision, and training; have experience, techniques, talent and resources, I still am incredibly afraid of initiating therapy with someone and them feeling like I just wasted their time and money. It’s a major fear I need to get over, and if I accomplish nothing else this next year, I will be a much more confident and happy man if I can just do that one thing. Thankfully life is much more than just work and I have really enjoyed having a gym pass this last year. I work out a couple times a week and try to play racquetball with a friend of mine every Wednesday. I usually ride my bike and the bus to work, which gives me a chance to listen to my favorite podcast, “Snap Judgment.” I love the show, and listen to a couple episodes each week. I’ve also started listening to TED talks during my lunch break and enjoy listening to BYU speeches as well. Nichole and I played a piano duet in church today, and it reminded me of my love for music and playing the piano. I guess I figured out something to say about myself. I feel like my blurb is getting a little long so I’ll end.

In summary, we really are doing well. We have had a fantastic year in so many ways. We truly feel blessed by our Heavenly Father for the comfort and prosperity that we enjoy each day. As I pondered what I could share as far as our thoughts on Christmas, I looked up a few quotes that would maybe reflect my feelings. I posted those that stood out to me the most as I browsed the web. I just want to say that I love Jesus Christ and am so grateful for his love. As John said, “we love him because he loved us
first” and “greater love hath no man than this, that a man layeth down his life for his friends.” I love Jesus Christ because I know that he suffered and died so that I may be physically and spiritually redeemed. I know that without Him, I would be eternally damned. Damned in the sense that I could not progress. I could not become any better because he is the best. He is goodness; He is light and truth; He is the personification of love. He is the great enabler of change. We may call it lots of different things, but ultimately whenever a anyone improves in some way it is because they have utilized an unseen power that was created through the sacrifice that

Jesus Christ made 2000 years ago. Beyond the atonement of Christ, I am grateful for him as the great exemplar. How much happier I would be if I could always follow his example. If I could be so compassionate and selfless as to “bless those that curse me and do good to those that despitefully use me.” He is the great peace giver. I know that one day he will return and as we often sing, “bring peace on earth and good will toward men.” I know that He knows me; that he knows my name; that he knew me before I came to earth and that he knows me better than I
know myself. He knows who I may become and continues to love me despite my shortcomings and rebelliousness. He is the master physician; the healer of hearts. I know that though his power I can be with my family forever. I am so grateful for him and especially during this wonderful Christmas season. May he find His way into your heart, is my sincere hope. I can promise you that if you do, you will have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Some quotes to think about:

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”
― Bob Hope

Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas.”
― Ronald Reagan

“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

“Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world." Winston Churchill Christmas Eve Message, 1941 as printed in "In the Dark Streets Shineth.”

“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, and then speak it again.”
― Howard W. Hunter