Christmas 2007

We were so blessed to be able to fly home for Christmas. My sister Amanda flew over here to Iowa and helped me get ready to leave and then flew back to Oregon with the kids and I. Joseph stayed behind for a few weeks and finished school and then joined us just before Christmas. I feel so grateful for a family who is so supportive and caring...everyone pitched in to make our stay amazing. Joseph and I even got to get away for 3 days while family watched our kids. We went snowboarding and I got to go clothes shopping. Yay! It was so good to see friends and family and to just feel "at home" again. My sisters and I went to a spa and had massages, manicures and pedicures. I think every Mom deserves some pampering every once in a while. I felt like a new woman after four hours of pure relaxation. I love to be with my sisters too. They always make me feel good. Amanda is a Mom of three and makes sure she is deeply involved in all of her kids lives. She is always on the run, doing things for others and trying to better herself. She has this amazing ability to know what others are in need of and fulfilling it. She is always anxiously engaged in service for others. My other sister Trish just started Law School and survived her first trimester, way to go Trish! She is always there to add a fresh perspective on things and is so intelligent it makes me feel like we come from different gene pools. She has an amazing sense of fashion and keeps my sister and I young. Despite her sophistication Trish will always be the sweet little angel we all loved to cuddle when we were younger. She is so precious. I love my sisters to pieces. While were in Oregon my brother Tim and his wife had their first baby. He is so cute and they are besides themselves with joy. I am so happy for them. It was a long road of up's and down's but now looking back it all seems so right. Little Sam came at the perfect time. My other brother Mark and his family were finally able to move into their newly remodeled house (my parents old house) and are having lots of fun with all the extra space. My parents recently moved into a new condo in Lake Oswego. They love living in the city and have really found themselves a nice place to live. My parents work together doing Financial Planning and are super busy managing a Beneficial Life office there in Lake Oswego. I've never seen them so busy, but then again, I've never seen them so happy either. Well, there is an update on my family for those of you who know them. I love them so much and am so glad I got to be home for Christmas this year. Hope everyone's year has gotten off to a good start. We are excited to plow through this year and make it a good one. Here are some pictures of our Christmas Break...