Christmas Letter
Dear Friends and Family
So, here we are, it's December and the year has run away again. I think we've reached that point in life where it seems to slide effortlessly away from us like sand in a glass. he more we chase it, the faster it runs. I think it's also because we're at the age where we know now how precious life is, so while we're trying to make the most of our live's the moments uncannily disappear.
This year definitely had a message to send us, loud and clearly it rang out after each difficult situation we found ourselves in. Like a giant gong resounding it rang, For everything there is a season which for us the lesson was, There is a reason and a purpose for every difficult time we see in life, we need to trust that God is in control and try to see the positives. It didn't feel like a difficult lesson to learn, not really, because we were so thankful to still have each other, our little family.
January burst out of the darkness of winter to welcome Ryley's 2nd birthday. We went a little out of control with the new found independent stage in Ryley's life and came together with family and friends to buy him his very first John Deere Gator truck. Little did we know he would be terrified of driving it by himself and much to his dismay none of us is small enough to get in and steer for him! (Insert an ironic chuckle here). Never-the-less he's gotten a few moments of joy out of it and in time he will certainly learn to appreciate it to help Papa in his chores around the "ranch".
February was an exciting time as we had finally decided to ry for a sibling for Ryley and quickly succeeded! We anticipated the arrival of a new baby for Ryley to play with and to teach all the exciting things he'd learned in his (at that point) going on three years of life. We were due November 11th.
March, naturally, laughed in our faces as another year came and stole another sliver of our youth! (Melodramatic much!) So, Eric turned 28, therefore, I turned 26. Which when asked how old I am, I have found I have now hit the point in life where I don't remember and have to count backwards from my birth year to figure it out. Because mentally I feel 22, of course this confuses me when I look in the mirror and the 22-year-old me is not looking back by the 26-year-old.
April was rather event-less, just life being lived in the details.
May ushered in my very first Doctors' appointment where I heard the heartbeat for the first time. This was exciting, though our excitement withered the day after Mother's Day on my first "real" ultrasound when we found out I was in the midst of a miscarriage. This sucked! At 13 1/2 weeks it was not news we had expected to hear. Neither Eric, nor I exactly knew how to deal with this as I'm sure it's not one of those situations people come prepared for. It was hard, but thankfully God helped us through it. And also we were luck enough to have the laughter and enjoyment that came with a nice long visit from my neice Bethany to help shake the blues away.
June marked the beginning of sprouting green things. Ryley, Bethany and I started our very first attempt at our "own" garden. This was no easy task. (Insert picture of Bethany caked in mud from head to toe as we both pulled out the gazillionth rock the size of Jupiter out of the spot we'd picked...HERE!) Eventually we had to cheat and ask my Dad to get out the big tools, (Giggles!), his back-hoe! And we unearthed what appeared to be a not so miniature Plymouth rock out of the ground. This explained A LOT! We still had tons of fun digging, planting, getting dirty. There really is nothing more invigorating than getting your hands in the earth. It was by no means a perfect garden, but we learned a lot in the process and enjoyed the time together.
July was a month started in awesomeness when the entire Prothero (Mansfield, Boston, and Liu) family came down for the celebration of the 40th wedding anniversary of my parents. This was, as pre-stated, awesome! Cousins Abigail and Ryley got to explore together and swim like fishes in the pool. We got to spend some good quality time together and figure out again that we are definitely related. Also, the end of this month ushered in another one of thsoe difficult times I spoke of in the beginning A freak hydroplaning going up a hill at a mere 35 mph had us swerve off the road and roll down a hill to the finale of Eric's car being totaled. All of us in the car were ok, that is, after a crappy ER visit. And after seeing how well his car seat handled in that ride, we have decided to never skimp on something so important. We were so grateful we hadn't and let me take a moment to plead with any parents of small children reading this to spend the extra money on a good, solid, safe car seat for your children, such precious cargo!
August ended with a twinge of irony, not the funny kind however, the real kick-in-the-butt kind. You know what kind I'm talking about. On my way to work on a regular morning just a couple miles from home I got a little close to the edge of the road where there was gravel, which pulled me off the road and straight into a group of small trees, therefore totaling my car. The front of my vehicle looked like it had been opened by a can-opener, who knew little trees were so powerful? I guess, and this is deep because it is true for more than just this example, so listen up; Never underestimate small trees, they could have very deep, strong roots! Another great lesson to learn. It really, really, really stunk because I loved my car and I get really attached to inanimate objects such as that. So I definitely went through a stag of grief over it, (haha, I'm sure most peopel think this is ridiculous). So, just weeks after finally replacing Eric's, I delved into the search of replacing my irreplaceable car. In addition this month we also had to say goodbye to Joey and Beckah who had remained for a visit with us after the rest of the family left, parting is such sweet sorrow!
September allowed for a lot of annoying and somewhat depressing searches on craigslist and various car lots for an SUV in the price range we needed and the value I wanted. I am a very particular person when it comes to spending my money, I am not going to invest thousands of dollards into a piece of junk! This, for a short while, seemed like it might be our only choice. I'm so glad I didn't give up because at the end of the month, after trusting in God to find me something I would be happy with, out of nowhere I found an ad for a 2004 Ford Escape that seemed too good to be true. The next day I met the guy, fell in love with the car, paid for it in cash and went to work! It has turned out to be such a humongous blessing. Gorgeous inside and out, just in our price range, and runs like a top!
October is always a fun time for us as we start to see the colors of fall trickle down the trees and onto everything insight. This year we finally got around to taking Ryley to the little privately owned pumpkin patch down the road, which was loads of fun. They had a "sandbox" that was filled with dried corn, Ryley's eyes got big and said "it's a corn box!" We must have spent a good half hour of him jumping in and "swimming" around in it. Then he took the task of picking out a pumpkin, which he took very seriously. Soon cae halloween, Ryley dressed up as Buzz Lightyear and Eric put his best "cowboy" outfit together; I, once again, was Alice in Wonderland. This month I also received a promotion at my job, which was a nice boost to my confidence and our finances.
November 11th passed without a lot of sorrow, but still regret that we didn't hvae a baby to add to our family, which didn't help that tons of people we knew were due around this same time and all had their babies. But all good things come to those who wait! We had an ace up our sleeve, I had been pregnant since August but we had decided this time to keep it to ourselves. We tried to ignore the fact that I was pregnant, somehow it made it easier to not think of it until we were sure it was going to really be valid. Although it was hard for me to forget I was pregnant, considering the first trimester drags with awesome symptoms like exhaustion, nausea and occasionally grumpiness that is "unexplained". (Large toothy grin).
December 2nd was my first Dr. appointment which was nerve wrecking util I finally got to hear the strong and distinct sound of a heartbeat that we didn't have to search for. At that point I was about 15 weeks. The week after that we had our first Ultrasound, which was another nerve wrecking anxiety moment, until we got to see the baby moving around in there healthy and alive. In a moment of watching the baby get measured Ryley exclaimed, "Look! It's a fish!" We still haven't told anyone (with exception of my boss, whom I'd told in November because I was so exhausted it was affecting my work) and had decided to try to keep it a secret for our families until Christmas morning, (talk about a cheap gift!). If you get this letter before Christmas, do us a favor and keep it a secret! You are now in the circle of trust. ;)
So, to break it down, life never hands you peace and quiet, you have to learn to find it in the middle of your storms. I have found making a list of pros and cons sometimes makes big moments of uncertainty a little less monstrous and a little more like you are regaining control. Because this is really what makes trouble frightening, isn't it? Feeling out of control? You are deciding to believe that difficulty is always a curse, but sometimes it can really become a blessing if you accept it as one. Perception is everything and so much in life can be lost depending on how you choose to interpret loss, hardship, and sacrifice.
We are so grateful for all of you and we send our deepest and most sincere benediction to you and all of your loved ones this holiday season. And as we welcome the upcoming addition to our family we turn our hearts to that baby that was born to make us all family so many years ago.
With Love,
Eric, Julie, Ryley and Brennan
So, here we are, it's December and the year has run away again. I think we've reached that point in life where it seems to slide effortlessly away from us like sand in a glass. he more we chase it, the faster it runs. I think it's also because we're at the age where we know now how precious life is, so while we're trying to make the most of our live's the moments uncannily disappear.
This year definitely had a message to send us, loud and clearly it rang out after each difficult situation we found ourselves in. Like a giant gong resounding it rang, For everything there is a season which for us the lesson was, There is a reason and a purpose for every difficult time we see in life, we need to trust that God is in control and try to see the positives. It didn't feel like a difficult lesson to learn, not really, because we were so thankful to still have each other, our little family.
January burst out of the darkness of winter to welcome Ryley's 2nd birthday. We went a little out of control with the new found independent stage in Ryley's life and came together with family and friends to buy him his very first John Deere Gator truck. Little did we know he would be terrified of driving it by himself and much to his dismay none of us is small enough to get in and steer for him! (Insert an ironic chuckle here). Never-the-less he's gotten a few moments of joy out of it and in time he will certainly learn to appreciate it to help Papa in his chores around the "ranch".
February was an exciting time as we had finally decided to ry for a sibling for Ryley and quickly succeeded! We anticipated the arrival of a new baby for Ryley to play with and to teach all the exciting things he'd learned in his (at that point) going on three years of life. We were due November 11th.
March, naturally, laughed in our faces as another year came and stole another sliver of our youth! (Melodramatic much!) So, Eric turned 28, therefore, I turned 26. Which when asked how old I am, I have found I have now hit the point in life where I don't remember and have to count backwards from my birth year to figure it out. Because mentally I feel 22, of course this confuses me when I look in the mirror and the 22-year-old me is not looking back by the 26-year-old.
April was rather event-less, just life being lived in the details.
May ushered in my very first Doctors' appointment where I heard the heartbeat for the first time. This was exciting, though our excitement withered the day after Mother's Day on my first "real" ultrasound when we found out I was in the midst of a miscarriage. This sucked! At 13 1/2 weeks it was not news we had expected to hear. Neither Eric, nor I exactly knew how to deal with this as I'm sure it's not one of those situations people come prepared for. It was hard, but thankfully God helped us through it. And also we were luck enough to have the laughter and enjoyment that came with a nice long visit from my neice Bethany to help shake the blues away.
June marked the beginning of sprouting green things. Ryley, Bethany and I started our very first attempt at our "own" garden. This was no easy task. (Insert picture of Bethany caked in mud from head to toe as we both pulled out the gazillionth rock the size of Jupiter out of the spot we'd picked...HERE!) Eventually we had to cheat and ask my Dad to get out the big tools, (Giggles!), his back-hoe! And we unearthed what appeared to be a not so miniature Plymouth rock out of the ground. This explained A LOT! We still had tons of fun digging, planting, getting dirty. There really is nothing more invigorating than getting your hands in the earth. It was by no means a perfect garden, but we learned a lot in the process and enjoyed the time together.
July was a month started in awesomeness when the entire Prothero (Mansfield, Boston, and Liu) family came down for the celebration of the 40th wedding anniversary of my parents. This was, as pre-stated, awesome! Cousins Abigail and Ryley got to explore together and swim like fishes in the pool. We got to spend some good quality time together and figure out again that we are definitely related. Also, the end of this month ushered in another one of thsoe difficult times I spoke of in the beginning A freak hydroplaning going up a hill at a mere 35 mph had us swerve off the road and roll down a hill to the finale of Eric's car being totaled. All of us in the car were ok, that is, after a crappy ER visit. And after seeing how well his car seat handled in that ride, we have decided to never skimp on something so important. We were so grateful we hadn't and let me take a moment to plead with any parents of small children reading this to spend the extra money on a good, solid, safe car seat for your children, such precious cargo!
August ended with a twinge of irony, not the funny kind however, the real kick-in-the-butt kind. You know what kind I'm talking about. On my way to work on a regular morning just a couple miles from home I got a little close to the edge of the road where there was gravel, which pulled me off the road and straight into a group of small trees, therefore totaling my car. The front of my vehicle looked like it had been opened by a can-opener, who knew little trees were so powerful? I guess, and this is deep because it is true for more than just this example, so listen up; Never underestimate small trees, they could have very deep, strong roots! Another great lesson to learn. It really, really, really stunk because I loved my car and I get really attached to inanimate objects such as that. So I definitely went through a stag of grief over it, (haha, I'm sure most peopel think this is ridiculous). So, just weeks after finally replacing Eric's, I delved into the search of replacing my irreplaceable car. In addition this month we also had to say goodbye to Joey and Beckah who had remained for a visit with us after the rest of the family left, parting is such sweet sorrow!
September allowed for a lot of annoying and somewhat depressing searches on craigslist and various car lots for an SUV in the price range we needed and the value I wanted. I am a very particular person when it comes to spending my money, I am not going to invest thousands of dollards into a piece of junk! This, for a short while, seemed like it might be our only choice. I'm so glad I didn't give up because at the end of the month, after trusting in God to find me something I would be happy with, out of nowhere I found an ad for a 2004 Ford Escape that seemed too good to be true. The next day I met the guy, fell in love with the car, paid for it in cash and went to work! It has turned out to be such a humongous blessing. Gorgeous inside and out, just in our price range, and runs like a top!
October is always a fun time for us as we start to see the colors of fall trickle down the trees and onto everything insight. This year we finally got around to taking Ryley to the little privately owned pumpkin patch down the road, which was loads of fun. They had a "sandbox" that was filled with dried corn, Ryley's eyes got big and said "it's a corn box!" We must have spent a good half hour of him jumping in and "swimming" around in it. Then he took the task of picking out a pumpkin, which he took very seriously. Soon cae halloween, Ryley dressed up as Buzz Lightyear and Eric put his best "cowboy" outfit together; I, once again, was Alice in Wonderland. This month I also received a promotion at my job, which was a nice boost to my confidence and our finances.
November 11th passed without a lot of sorrow, but still regret that we didn't hvae a baby to add to our family, which didn't help that tons of people we knew were due around this same time and all had their babies. But all good things come to those who wait! We had an ace up our sleeve, I had been pregnant since August but we had decided this time to keep it to ourselves. We tried to ignore the fact that I was pregnant, somehow it made it easier to not think of it until we were sure it was going to really be valid. Although it was hard for me to forget I was pregnant, considering the first trimester drags with awesome symptoms like exhaustion, nausea and occasionally grumpiness that is "unexplained". (Large toothy grin).
December 2nd was my first Dr. appointment which was nerve wrecking util I finally got to hear the strong and distinct sound of a heartbeat that we didn't have to search for. At that point I was about 15 weeks. The week after that we had our first Ultrasound, which was another nerve wrecking anxiety moment, until we got to see the baby moving around in there healthy and alive. In a moment of watching the baby get measured Ryley exclaimed, "Look! It's a fish!" We still haven't told anyone (with exception of my boss, whom I'd told in November because I was so exhausted it was affecting my work) and had decided to try to keep it a secret for our families until Christmas morning, (talk about a cheap gift!). If you get this letter before Christmas, do us a favor and keep it a secret! You are now in the circle of trust. ;)
So, to break it down, life never hands you peace and quiet, you have to learn to find it in the middle of your storms. I have found making a list of pros and cons sometimes makes big moments of uncertainty a little less monstrous and a little more like you are regaining control. Because this is really what makes trouble frightening, isn't it? Feeling out of control? You are deciding to believe that difficulty is always a curse, but sometimes it can really become a blessing if you accept it as one. Perception is everything and so much in life can be lost depending on how you choose to interpret loss, hardship, and sacrifice.
We are so grateful for all of you and we send our deepest and most sincere benediction to you and all of your loved ones this holiday season. And as we welcome the upcoming addition to our family we turn our hearts to that baby that was born to make us all family so many years ago.
With Love,
Eric, Julie, Ryley and Brennan
Comments
Hope you all had a great Christmas!