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Like Mother, like daughter????

First pic is me, the rest is Gwena.  

Our Christmas Letter

Here's this year's Christmas Letter.

Merry Christmas dear friends and Happy New Year,

Each year, I wonder if one day if my letter is going to be tiny, with nothing new to say and every year I’m surprised with all I want to say.  We had a great year with our share of laughter and joy, but also disappointments but the happy and joy always win in our house. 

So let us begin with the smallest…person that is.  We had Gwena this year.  She is a dream of a baby.  Five months old now, the best baby…ever.  She is so happy and brings all of us the most amazing amount of joy.  My pregnancy and delivery went great and was beyond surprised since she was #12 but I was so happy to say, she is such a gift.  She sleeps through the night, nurses like a champ, smiley, happy and everyone just loves her. 

Tony turned 3 this year and the child has the best puppy dog, you gotta love me eyes you ever seen.  He is very intelligent, loves Mickey Mouse, talks and plays so well, he has a great imagination and I just love to watch him play.  He is finally potty trained and really is pretty much easy toddler and loves to do anything, goes shopping with me, loves car rides, all the back and forth driving I do, nothing seems to bug him, he’s ready with his coat and shoes on anytime I say we have to go somewhere.

Rosie started kindergarten this year.  Miss independent has the cute little mousey voice Jackie used to, she’s very determined, very sweet, super cute with a touch of bossy that keeps her quite entertaining.  Her big brown eyes are stunning and she looks super adorable in her school uniform.  She enjoys her dance class and her coordination and hand control have made super strides this year. 

Mikey received his First Holy Communion this year and lost his two front teeth. He looks so much like my dad that it brings me an extra joy; he has the best smile, very fun loving but serious and calm at the same time.  His eyes are beautiful, you know what they say about the eyes being the window to the soul; you can sense the beauty of his soul by just knowing him. 

Madelyn has become quite outgoing this year.  She does dance along with Rosie, Mikey and Evelyn too.  She still likes her quiet time to read, but she also has found a way to be outgoing as well, which is so good.  Her grades are great as all the kids, so we just couldn’t be happier with her.

Eveie has become such a big girl and is my #1 helper with Gwen.  She is very sweet, works very hard in school.  She adores her teacher, Sr. Cecilia and we get to hear all the valuable tidbits from the classroom each day.  She is true sunshine, with sweetness but a little spunk.  Her smile is genuine and she still radiates sunshine. 

Joeboy is in highschool and doing great.  He went to State and Nationals last year in his Archery, placed in State.  He loves it.  He was in the school play and is thinking about choir.  He has settled down  his high energy a little bit but him and Jackie still goof around a bit…. J & J.  hehe.

Jaclyn is doing great, still our reigning 4.0 student, she is learning to hunt, finished her hunter safety course and has even learned how to cut dear meat, and has been hunting with the Bishop when he has taken a group of kids.  Jaclyn is so talented and can do so many things to pick one to settle on is just still out of the question.  She’s doing extra Math and still loves the Drama and Choir and also does some Archery.  She’s a happy person, a bit young at heart and free spirited.

Carolyn graduated highschool last year Valedictorian and is currently in her sophomore year at University of Nebraska here in Omaha studying sign language and is fluent in the language, aiming for a career in sign language interpreter.  She put so much time last year at the Community College that she started out a sophomore.  She just had her 17^th birthday, has her first job at the grocery store on the corner and keeps up with work, study, family and friends.  She likes it when she’s busy but it really looking forward to Christmas break. 

Katelyn turned 18 this year.  She has been working at a sub shop and loves her job.  She is a senior in high school and is quite excited.  She is considering Culinary Arts next year, and we’re doing research now on things we need to get done this year.  We had a great party for her birthday and she has built a nice friend network for herself. 

And Me and Steve are great.  Had our 19^th wedding Anniversary in September, had a new baby, Steve finished his degree, but the jobs for his degree didn’t pan out like we had hoped, but we have found a great opportunity with Direct TV and are very excited.  The training will be over in a few short weeks and it has  been a god-send and we are very happy with the entire package, both financially and the training is very detailed and extensive (who would of known) and its right up Steve’s alley.  I’m very pleased about that.  This by far has been my busiest year.  Driving kids to school, Carolyn to college, then to their jobs, then to dance class, home for little ones and keeping up with all ten of them going different directions has been quite challenging plus a newborn.  But each year I think things will slow down and each year they get even busier.  But it’s a happy busy and one day they really will slow down and I’ll probably miss the madness, plus they keep me very young at heart.

Well try as I may, there are just too many kids to keep my letter down to one page, so if you are still reading…. I thank you for interest in our family.  Last year I got to visit my parents and Steve his, and it was very nice, I’m hoping to be able to do that again this summer.  The girls will be driving this year, which will ease up my tight schedule, we have graduation to plan for, Madelyn will be confirmed soon, Archery is around the corner and just enjoying my little ones.  Having a new baby has been very nice and to see my family continue their close relationship, the fun we have and to continue to have a happy marriage, strong faith with plenty to do keep us moving along. 

My wish for you is happiness, God’s blessings, with faith, hope and charity surrounding your heart, with the love of the infant in the manger, I send my love to you. 

Love Terrie and Steve.                                                                               

Condensed Christmas Prog.12/26/13 at OneTrueMedia.com

A shortened version, a few songs in about 3 -4 mintues in Madelyn and Michael sing the Italian song, I can see my daddy so pleased with his Madelyn.

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Christmas Program 12/26/13 at OneTrueMedia.com

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Christmas Morning

So we have a tradition of getting up later and opening gifts.  Carolyn was sick but well enough to sit up.  It seems like every Christmas, someone in the family does get sick.  We opened gifts and spent a few hours playing with the kids and getting rid of all the boxes.  We ate and then the big people in the house along with the little ones take a nap.  

We get up and make lasagna.  Note to self, make sure the sauce was properly frozen, we had to throw out one batch of sauce because it accidentally got put in the frig and not the freezer and no way of knowing how long it has been in there, last thing I need is more sick kids.  But we had just the right amount of sauce.  We made garlic bread out of break Katelyn had brought home from Jimmy Johns.  So dinner was nice, and yet we never had gotten dressed up but casual.

I began thinking so many people's pictures they look all fancy and dressed up so I said to the family, do you think we should dress up for Christmas dinner and they all shouted "NO"
  "We like our family Christmas' and lack of party, its just us and its family" So there ya go, guess the decision is made. hehe.  It is a time for family and that's what is important, I imagine someday when the kids grow up and get married and come for a visit on Christmas (hinting, hinting) we'll have to have more of a party type dinner but until then...its just us.  

Midnight Mass and Christmas Eve is always the best

One of our favorite days of the year.  We get up, a little lazily as I have worked hard to make sure very single thing was done and ready, so we can have this day.  We watch Christmas movies on the tv, have breakfast, maybe play with the kids, watch more christmas movies as we eat lunch and we have a family rest time, we all lay down and get up and make dinner, this year we had cheese enchilada's.  We had opened gifts at lunch time. We do an advent angel thing, in our house.  We pick names and we pray for our person all during advent, we also do nice things for them in secret, sometimes we make their beds or do their jobs.  We also get them a little 1dollar gift and we open them on Christmas Eve.

The teenage girls (Katelyn and Carolyn) decided to buy gifts for the family this year since they are working.  They got us wonderful gifts.  I got a set of knives and a multi purpose cooker.  I used the cooker for Christmas Eve dinner (we had nacho's)   They got Steve a fishing pole (from Kate) and a watch (Carolyn).  They also got all sorts of things for their brothers and sisters.

This year me and Steve exchanged gifts too on Christmas Eve, we don't always do that, but our living room is a little on the small side, so we thought best to have a clear under the tree in preparation for Christmas morning.

We had some giggles this year, Steve over the last few weeks has made comments about not wanting something that he had previously wanted (all these things I of course had bought him for Christmas) so it was so funny when he opened the gifts, he was very happy about them, but we laughed at all the comments he had made in the last few weeks. I had gotten him a wallet with the help of my great Uncle Bob, a bluetooth thing, a cover for his recliner and some shirts.  He got me my favorite makeup, a potato cutter from Cabellas, and jewelry that says "Best Mom Ever"  Love it!

So then we ate, and then dressed for Mass.  I think next year we are going to dress a bit earlier, maybe....maybe not....its kinda nice just being relaxed.