Here is our Family Christmas card and letter for 2010. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas 2010!
2010 has been a year of ups and downs. We lost my Grandma Schneiter earlier this year and really miss her presence. More recently some close friends of ours lost their 16 month old little girl after a horse accident; it has been a painful experience for the entire community. We also had to say goodbye to another horse (Carson’s) as well our dog, Rooster. Rooster passed away a couple of months ago; he had an undetected hernia in his diaphragm. Rooster had really become a part of the family and we have all missed having him around. A few weeks ago we got a new puppy, a female border collie the kids named “Sally.” She is very rambunctious, but the kids love her!
Cooper is 5 ½ years old and started Kindergarten this year. They changed our school district to a 4 day/week schedule this year and kindergarten is all day; 8 hours is really long time for a 5 year old to be away from home! Cooper loves school, though, and is probably too smart for his own good. It’s been really fun to see how much his reading ability has improved in the past few months. He is also a bit of a perfectionist and the first week of school he came home and told me that he organized his desk and then he felt the need to organize the boy’s desk next to him because it was too messy! He loves to go with Randall and help him work, and is a great big brother to Carson and Lainee.
Carson is 3 ½ and was very disappointed that they cancelled the 3 year old preschool program this year. Both Carson and Cooper were really looking forward to being at school together. It took some convincing, but Carson finally decided that doing preschool at home with mom is an ok substitute. Carson is a little more hesitant about new things, and on the morning of his birthday this year I went into his room and said, “Happy Birthday, buddy! You’re 3 today!” Carson immediately started crying and told me he didn’t want to be 3 because he wanted to be little still. I finally told him that no matter how old he gets he will always be my little boy. Carson also loves being able to go with Dad, anywhere!
Lainee will be 2 in February and has really grown up a lot the last few months. She is a little jabber mouth and talks in full sentences, if you can understand what she is saying. She has a trademark scowl that she gives to everyone, so don’t be offended if she has given one to you! A lot of people ask me if she ever smiles… which she does. She is a very happy girl at home and runs around smiling and laughing most of the time. She gives an excellent bear hug and loves to snuggle up with you when she’s tired. She has also become a Daddy’s girl and is very unhappy when the boys get to go with Dad and she has to stay home with mom.
Randall is still enjoying his job as the Staff Veterinarian for Simplot Land and Livestock. It seems he keeps getting busier and busier and his job is continually evolving. He loves the variety that comes with the job as well as the challenges he is asked to resolve. He recently received a new church calling. Randall is now the 2nd counselor in the young men as well as Scout Master. Yikes! Now that the shock has settled in he is really enjoying getting to know the boys, most of whom are not members of our church but come for scouts each week.
Melissa is busy trying to keep up with 3 kids and preparing for a 4th. We are expecting a baby girl with a due date of February 9th. We’re really excited for Lainee to have a little sister, and I’m excited to even up the boy:girl ratio in our house! I’m still the primary chorister in our ward, and I really enjoy singing with the kids each Sunday. I’ve also been volunteering with our school district’s wellness committee and helping them with their new Healthy Schools program. I always welcome the opportunity to use my nutrition knowledge to help others, especially kids! I was also able to run two half-marathons this past summer. Running kept me in shape and allowed me some alone time… double bonus!
Through all of our ups and downs this year we have become increasingly aware of how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away. We are grateful for the knowledge that our family can be together forever because of the sacrifice made by our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we all remember the reason we celebrate Christmas, that is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. And may we all find joy and peace as we strive to live our lives a little more Christlike each day.
Love,
The Raymonds (Randall, Melissa, Cooper, Carson & Lainee)
