Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas! I hope you and yours are having a Merry Christmas as well.
Here is a recap of our 2011 year.
• Mark has continued to serve as our bishop. I’ve often been asked about how I feel about it. I don’t mind it at all. He has not only done well in this calling, but he has prioritized us, his family, before the calling. What more could a girl ask for?
• Mark has also continued to serve in the community as a small claims judge. He is making a reputation for fairness and trust. He starts each session with a light-hearted question that everyone in the room must answer. These questions could be anything from “What is your favorite cookie” to “What is your favorite holiday movie”. The court staff look forward to his time on the bench.
• Zachary is my favorite two-year-old boy. I can’t help but be a proud mama. He knows the whole alphabet: he can say it by himself and he recognizes all the letters, both upper and lower case. He can count to 12 by himself and is learning up to 20. He knows colors and shapes—including diamonds, pentagons, and hexagons. Yes, I’m proud.
• Zachary did have us concerned for a while regarding his language skills. When he turned two, he wasn’t even putting two-word sentences together. In the past three months his language skills have exploded. We are so glad he is talking and describing things now. In fact, there are some days I have wondered if he is trying, as a two-year-old, to wear my name out.
• We also discovered—the hard way—that Zachary has allergies. This has changed our lives. But, it also explains why he never liked peanut butter sandwiches.
• Emma Pearl was born in April. She is now eight-months-old. She’s little. And, she has been to the doctor more times in the past eight months than I have in the past ten years. Emma was born with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF1). She was also born with an airway problem, unrelated to the NF1, called laryngomalacia.
• Emma’s first surgery was when she was six weeks old. She had her airway opened up. Emma’s second surgery, tomorrow, December 21, will be to put a feeding tube (g-tube) directly into her stomach from the outside. For quite a few months, Emma has had a feeding tube (ng-tube) going into her nose, down her throat, and into her tummy. She just has had such a problem growing that we’ve had to literally force-feed her.
• Emma is the most beautiful baby girl. Sometimes I just stare at her and drink her beauty in. Am I vain? Well, I guess so. And when she gives a real smile? Wow.
• Me? Well, I have been taking children to doctor’s appointments. Unfortunately, Mark was almost correct when he said, “If you didn’t have doctor’s appointments, you wouldn’t have a social life.”
• I have also been serving as the fourth Sunday Relief Society teacher. That’s the Ensign teacher. I love it! I also love serving as the ward sacrament meeting bulletin creator. I try to put a joke in the program each week—just for kicks and giggles.
I pulled out our Christmas decorations on December 1. I love that I have four nativity sets. As I looked around our living room, it made me feel grateful that my Christmas decorating focuses on the Savior. I want to teach my children that Christmas truly is about the Savior. I want my friends to know that I have a testimony of the Plan of Happiness. I want to share the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.
This year has been hard on the nerves. But, it has been great for my testimony. With all our trials, the phrase “Look Up!” has repeatedly been on my mind. Heavenly Father loves us. He loves you. He has been mindful of us and He wants us to be mindful of Him.
May you have peace, joy, and happiness this Holiday Season and throughout the 2012 year!
Love, The Hales
Merry Christmas! I hope you and yours are having a Merry Christmas as well.
Here is a recap of our 2011 year.
• Mark has continued to serve as our bishop. I’ve often been asked about how I feel about it. I don’t mind it at all. He has not only done well in this calling, but he has prioritized us, his family, before the calling. What more could a girl ask for?
• Mark has also continued to serve in the community as a small claims judge. He is making a reputation for fairness and trust. He starts each session with a light-hearted question that everyone in the room must answer. These questions could be anything from “What is your favorite cookie” to “What is your favorite holiday movie”. The court staff look forward to his time on the bench.
• Zachary is my favorite two-year-old boy. I can’t help but be a proud mama. He knows the whole alphabet: he can say it by himself and he recognizes all the letters, both upper and lower case. He can count to 12 by himself and is learning up to 20. He knows colors and shapes—including diamonds, pentagons, and hexagons. Yes, I’m proud.
• Zachary did have us concerned for a while regarding his language skills. When he turned two, he wasn’t even putting two-word sentences together. In the past three months his language skills have exploded. We are so glad he is talking and describing things now. In fact, there are some days I have wondered if he is trying, as a two-year-old, to wear my name out.
• We also discovered—the hard way—that Zachary has allergies. This has changed our lives. But, it also explains why he never liked peanut butter sandwiches.
• Emma Pearl was born in April. She is now eight-months-old. She’s little. And, she has been to the doctor more times in the past eight months than I have in the past ten years. Emma was born with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF1). She was also born with an airway problem, unrelated to the NF1, called laryngomalacia.
• Emma’s first surgery was when she was six weeks old. She had her airway opened up. Emma’s second surgery, tomorrow, December 21, will be to put a feeding tube (g-tube) directly into her stomach from the outside. For quite a few months, Emma has had a feeding tube (ng-tube) going into her nose, down her throat, and into her tummy. She just has had such a problem growing that we’ve had to literally force-feed her.
• Emma is the most beautiful baby girl. Sometimes I just stare at her and drink her beauty in. Am I vain? Well, I guess so. And when she gives a real smile? Wow.
• Me? Well, I have been taking children to doctor’s appointments. Unfortunately, Mark was almost correct when he said, “If you didn’t have doctor’s appointments, you wouldn’t have a social life.”
• I have also been serving as the fourth Sunday Relief Society teacher. That’s the Ensign teacher. I love it! I also love serving as the ward sacrament meeting bulletin creator. I try to put a joke in the program each week—just for kicks and giggles.
I pulled out our Christmas decorations on December 1. I love that I have four nativity sets. As I looked around our living room, it made me feel grateful that my Christmas decorating focuses on the Savior. I want to teach my children that Christmas truly is about the Savior. I want my friends to know that I have a testimony of the Plan of Happiness. I want to share the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.
This year has been hard on the nerves. But, it has been great for my testimony. With all our trials, the phrase “Look Up!” has repeatedly been on my mind. Heavenly Father loves us. He loves you. He has been mindful of us and He wants us to be mindful of Him.
May you have peace, joy, and happiness this Holiday Season and throughout the 2012 year!
Love, The Hales
4 comments:
Merry Christmas! I hope the next year bring fewer doctor & hospital visits!
Andrea, I just like you. Merry Christmas!
Such a beautiful family and a beautiful testimony. You are such a good mom and a loving example. I consider myself so lucky to have you as a friend. Give those kids hugs from me. Maybe someday I'll even get to meet them. :)
Merry Christmas!
Though I've read all your updates through the year on your blog and Facebook, it was pretty interesting to read it in this format. What an intense year, and that little man of yours. What a smart kid! Sheesh.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and 2012 will prove to be less doctor-oriented.
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