2010 Christmas Letter

This year flew by with several notable moments. Kara passed her licensure test for Marriage & family therapy…ran 2 mini-marathons…and turned 30. Mark helped with cross-country again and led several new groups at CCJ while juggling everything else. We saw another Ohio State home game which was awesome and found that Ian’s explosion into language was more than exciting for us. Ian will turn two soon, very soon and loves to count. Occasionally he skips 4 or 9 but gets up to 10 and is hilarious doing so. One of his favorite words is “careful” or in his pronunciation “cawful”.

Between “pes” or please and “tank-cu” or thank you his words are becoming more clear. We do hope that this year has brought joy to you and your family in one way or another. It is trying times but we’re always persevering. While working with people is wonderful and exciting, it is also unpredictable and stressful. We’re continuing to find balance and acknowledge our limits.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you!

Working All Week - Full-Time

This past week was a unique experience for me. I worked 8-10 hours a day at Memorial Hospital & Healthcare Center in my Social Work role with discharge planning. It is always unpredictable and challenging. There are parts to it that are very much fun and some of the most interesting conversations (both with coworkers and with patients and their families. Sometimes there are tasks you do that you honestly do not know the first thing about but have to learn as you go whereas, there are tasks you could do with your eyes closed and says the same phrase over and over again. Either way it's interesting.


This picture shows my hospital office work space.

What I am most proud of this week is not only learning more but getting up at 5am to workout and keep my resolve to stay fit. I had my share of sweets this week now doubt but I know at least I was burning calories early, early in the morning! It's a whole 'nother world that early in the morning and I found it peaceful though exhausting. By Thursday morning I was good to go and ready to begin working out. An ice storm kept me from working out Thursday morning but Friday morning came and I was ok. My body is ready to go bed by Ian's bedtime (8:30pm) but I think I do accomplish more. It has been a good experience and in reality...I really, really hope that I can keep the 5am wake-up time and make it manageable for our family routine. Not going to bed with Mark is different and kind of sad but I just can't stay up as late as him - it's not doable.

To give you a glimpse into my other professional world...This is my Marriage & Family Therapy work space at the church.

My Resolve....

It always seems that once I set my mind on something that my resolve at some point is tested. I know this is what all people face at some point, but it is different when it is you, yourself.

I have a resolve to remain fit throughout the winter season and have a plan...my plan has to be flexible and I'm work 8-10 hour days at the hospital this week so fitting in time to exercise is hard and demanding. I did 5:15 this morning and worked until 5:30pm. I am spent. How do full-time peope do it?

I have a resolve to keep doing the "December Daily" pictures and photo collages but am quite behind on this project - alas but I'm still taking notable pictures so it's a matter of downloading, picking out pictures and placing them into collages.

I have a resolve of making Christmas simpler, though am finding myself crunched for time...time for wrapping, time for sending out letters or packages...

It will get done, it's just a matter of when and how.

snowflake ornaments diy with kids

This is a to do-list for next year's Christmas:

snowflake ornaments diy with kids Utah Mama

December Daily - 5th

This week will be a busy one so I want to get the 5th collage up.
I am between these two collages for this day (beautiful & solemn center or fun toes center)...


December 5th
Stories: sick & solemn, bubbles in juice, watching for daddy, SNOW!, watch Thomas the Train with the pillow


December 5th
Stories: sick & solemn, bubbles in juice, watching for daddy, SNOW!, watch Thomas the Train with the pillow

FINAL VOTE result done on facebook will be noted here.

December Daily 3rd & 4th

December 3rd

"sick, cuddly, some fun, wrapping, invitations & conversations with a kitty"

This day started out with Ian having a 101 fever and then going in and out of "feverness". He stayed home with mom & dad and really laid around most of the day but you can still see that he was somewhat himself with those faces and poses. :) We got his birthday invitations around and I stayed up late wrapping the majority of gifts we are giving.


December 4th
Tannenbaum Days with friend Jill & making chocolate-dipped pretzels! This day was most fun with finding new discoveries and new shops in our town. Poor Ian was still sick but enjoyed the company we had and did the best he could.

December Daily

December 1st
"Yay"; Tigger riding the train; "ouwey knee mommy"; reading Merry Christmas Maisy


December 2nd
"Putting Up the Christmas Tree"