Taylor Christmas Card 2009

Merry Christmas 2009!!

We did not do our usual Christmas cards this year. So, without further ado, here is our eChristmas Card and letter:

Taylors 2009

This has been quite a big year for our family yet again. Our dream of ending up in Utah was realized when Shafer was offered a permanent position at his work. We then took the plunge and bought our first house!! We've loved being homeowners so far. It's been fun to decorate and make some improvements so the house is more us! We couldn't have asked for a better neighborhood and ward. The people have been so friendly and we really feel at home here!

Shafer's been working hard for the family and we appreciate him so much! He's enjoying his new position at work. Shafer's talents with fixing and building things have really come in handy since we moved in. He's installed light fixtures, mounted our TV, built shelves, and dug up countless shrubs; what a guy! He's also been busy on the ward activities committee planning a camp out and a Christmas party. He made a great video for the Christmas party and now people are coming to him for help with their own projects. Maybe he should have kept that particular talent in the bag for a while longer! ;)

I've been in heaven decorating our home. It's hard when you're living in a rental to do much, but now I feel like we can really have a house that reflects our style. I've also been busy in the Young Women program as the secretary since this summer and I've loved every minute of it. In a lot of ways I feel like I'm reliving high school with all the memories it brings back to me. The girls are amazing and I love working with them! Otherwise my days are filled with feeding, dressing, cleaning up after, and all around taking care of my boys. I love them and wouldn't want to spend my days with anyone else!

Big Boy started off the year with a health scare when he was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. But, we can't complain because since the diagnosis he has become a new boy! He's getting bigger and healthier each day and we couldn't be more grateful! He also hit a big milestone this year when he started preschool. He absolutely loves going to school! He's such a smart boy and a quick learner. Big Boy is one of the most fun-loving people I've ever known. he loves having a good time and his enthusiasm is hard to resist!

Cheeks is the entertainment in our home. It seems like every word that comes out of his mouth is adorable! We say he has a Jersey accent since he was born there; he's our Joysey Boy! He's a favorite of all his aunts and uncles who confess that they could listen to him talk all day! If he had the chance (read: if his brothers weren't bugging him or stealing toys) he would sit and play with one toy for hours. He likes to get his face right down at floor-level and watch his cars drive around or watch a bug walk across the sidewalk. He's recently started singing quite a bit and we're always surprised at how well he knows the words to songs.

Monkey is still our little baby even though he thinks he's one of the big boys. We've watched in awe as he'll go up to his big brothers and tackle them to the ground, laughing all the way! He loves wrestling with them and stealing their toys and running away as fast as he can. He's quite a little tease! He also has his Mommy and Daddy wrapped around his little finger. He has the most beautiful long eyelashes that just make me melt when he smiles at me! True to his nickname, Monkey is quite the climber. He spends a good portion of his day playing on the dining room table. I discouraged it until it became evident that I couldn't win that battle, so now I supervise and make sure the chairs are in a good position for him to climb back down! Monkey's been slow on talking so I've been trying to teach him a few signs. So far he's got 'more' down to an art and uses it often to get more food!

We feel so blessed and grateful for all the blessings in our lives, especially the wonderful people! Thank you so much for being there for us in whatever capacity! We're so grateful for our Savior and for His plan. We love you all!

Merry Christmas!!