Our Chrismas letter, gulp!

Editor's note: This letter didn't get sent out, because I didn't get it copied quickly enough and then many of my cards didn't get sent out either. If you didn't get one, it's not 'cause we don't like you. Life got crazier than normal in December and needless to say, there's been no baking or wrapping either. So, please enjoy this letter and maybe -- or maybe not -- the card you get in January. (I'm thinking of scratching out the 2011 for next year's card!)

Dear friends and family,


I cannot believe I’m doing it – the dreaded Christmas form letter. I secretly swore to myself for years I’d never write one, even though I also privately love reading the ones I receive. For me to do it seemed impersonal, as if I should be telling you these things face-to-face. And indeed. I should.

I cannot believe how busy the kids keep us, leading to exhausting weekends and missed family gatherings. Missed chances to share these things face-to-face. Next year, I’m hoping I will not have to resort to another of these letters, but something tells me we’ll be in for more of the same despite our activity limits with the kids. Also, it was nice to look back on a year that passed so quickly and see that we did – thankfully – accomplish a few things. Here are the highlights from 2011:

Abby just turned 9, which was hard enough, and then Dan reminded her it will be double digits next year. Geez! Feed them and blink – they sure do grow up quickly! Abby tried basketball in the winter, softball in the summer and now she’s playing indoor soccer. I think she’s found her niche – it’s fast paced, forcing her constant attention for an hour. She loves it, and she’s very good! She even got the only goal in the last game of the first session! After six months of discussions and prayer, Abby got baptized in October by Dan. Needless to say, that was quite emotional! She’s still playing piano and singing at church, while crafting nonstop at home. Her fashion sense has continued developing at a rapid, neck-break rate, amusing the teachers and delighting her classmates with mismatched, layered clothing that is often rather unexpected – sometimes even for us! It was a rough start to the school year for her, not so much academically, but socially and emotionally. After meeting with the social worker and her teacher at school, we developed some goals at home and tweaked her ADHD meds. She couldn’t be doing better now. Abby is even leading the third grade in reading points at her school!

Speaking of reading, Ryker still cannot get enough of books. He breezed through the Harry Potter series that he got for Christmas last year (as did Abby), and his new infatuation is Captain Underpants. Not sure that’s a move in the right direction, but he loves reading so much that he wants to be a publisher when he grows up! He played football again this year and despite being perhaps the youngest player on the team, he did great. He’s hoping to play both offense and defense in the third grade. Right now, he’s playing on a competitive basketball team where they get points for more than just baskets. They must pass and rebound, etc. and I’m proud that he’s become a much better team player because of it. He surprised his coach and parents with an awesome pre-game prayer at a recent basketball game. Ryker played baseball last summer and every chance he gets in the backyard. He LOVES the Cardinals and plays his way through the lineup with his dad (or mom or Abby, depending on who’s available and willing) nearly every night. Both kids enjoyed watching the World Champion Cardinals parade in downtown St. Louis this fall.

Dan started the year with a bad back that got worse as the year wore on. A herniated disc treated with pain medication didn’t seem to improve after several months. Three spinal epidurals and several rounds of physical therapy have given him much relief, but it is definitely not completely restored. And if you know Dan, the year wouldn’t be complete without a project or two or twelve. He built a playhouse for the kids, a loft bed for Ryker and renovated our great room. He ripped out a fireplace (so we can remodel our bathroom on the adjacent wall next) and replaced flooring in the main living area of the house. The master bath has been demolished, so we’re all sharing one bathroom – like the good ‘ole days! We feel very lucky to have Dan around to make our house a home! (A late add-on, most of you know, Dan suffered a sudden bout of pneumonia this week and was hospitalized in ICU. A scary few hours in the Emergency Room as they tried to stabilize him from the effects of septic shock. Once in shock, a minority of patients survive. Those who do, often have organ or tissue damage. Dan seems to be recovering quite well—praise God! What a whirlwind, but it’s been a reminder of how blessed we are with prayers and offers of help from our amazing group of friends and family.) Dan and I both helped lead high school small groups this fall and will do so again in the spring.

I attended Christ in Youth in the summer with our high schoolers, which was amazing! I feel deprived that I didn’t go as a teenager. God is doing pretty awesome stuff in the lives of kids in our community, and I can’t help but want to be a part of it. If you would have told me I would be doing this a decade ago, I would have laughed! After careful consideration, I went from being a per diem employee to a full-time manager at the hospital in Lincoln. I figured it couldn’t be nearly as intense as the 50-60 hour work weeks I had in January through the end of March, when the new hospital opened. I’m now the manager of marketing and communication for Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital – my first 9-5 full-time gig since Abby was 9 months old. We’re so grateful for what my position has provided for our family – not just financially but also in friendships. And having worked around the kids’ schedules for this long, being part of their preschool and early school schedules? What a blessing that we could invest in their lives that way. It’s something I’ll always treasure! I’m still taking portraits, but strangely, there aren’t many people clamoring for them. A chapter closing? Look for more writing, though, next year, as I intend to spend more of my free time improving my blog and expressing my creativity with a pen. I hope you’ll follow along!

I should also mention the big highlight of the year was the kids’ first flight. We spent 10 days in Florida with Dan’s parents. We experienced Disney with virtually no lines or waiting (thanks to my friend suggesting Tour Guide Mike) and then surprised the kids with a day at Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal. We finished up our trip with a few days at the beach with extended family. It was truly a dream vacation!

2011 might have had its share of ups and downs, but boy, we sure feel blessed, mostly because of our wonderful family, friends and church family! Even though we don’t get to see you as much as we’d like, we do think of you often and are so glad you’re in our lives.

Merry Christmas with much love from the Denneys