Christensen Christmas Letter 2013----

Twas the Night after Christmas, and all through our home,
Were snow boots and laundry and a loud ringing phone,
There is much to do, but I feel like it’s better,
To ignore it all, and write a small Christmas letter!

This year has been full, it’s been fun, it’s been great!
…and how can we leave it without saying thanks?
To our family and friends, who stood by us in love
And for all of the blessings from heaven above.

Jeff’s been diagnosed with MS, not our plan,
But he stood up in faith and took it like a man.
Home from work for a while, but now back at L-3
Part time for now, we love this company!

Our oldest child may bring the most news of all!
He heeded the prophet, and he left in the fall
With a heart full of love, in the streets of Malaysia
He’s serving in Singapore, southeast in Asia

Before he left he wrapped up quite a year,
State Debate, Madrigals, and with no evident fear
He gave the commencement speech, how we all cheered!
And the professor in a musical, he even grew a beard!

Our Mckay, formed a band, with accordion and tuba
Mr. Mittens and the Spacewalking Adventure, go figure (figya, say it with a New York accent then it works)
Then he won state in track, and was even crowned,
Mr. SilverRush, our son is the “beauty queen” in town…J

Spencer is fun, and he lives for his sport
His favorite place is the basketball court!
He’s handsome and girls just think it’s quite keen
How he sports his blonde hair and his big eyes of green

So we thought You’d enjoy this 11 to 1
Picture of girls, all trying to kiss our son!
He went to state in Science Olympiad
And his favorite people are his Mom and Dad (It rhymed, Spen, just leave it)

Let’s talk about Joseph, who started grade seven,
And think that a book is the best kind of heaven,
Who played football this year, though he’s just 90 pounds
We’re glad that this little guy is still around!

Add the French horn, piano, and friends up the wazoo,
And becoming a teenager, add that in, too
And you’ve just about covered our great Joseph Ross
Rockin his life livin’ life like the boss!

Now Annie Angell (I’ll tell without permission)
Took over Coy’s dishes when he left on his mission
So to Studio C, she cleans stack after stack
And think’s it’s amazing how they keep coming back.

She plays the piano and wants to start cello,
And went out to Cali with her Grandparents Jello!
She started Ballet and on Nutcracker Night,
She was the fifteenth candy cane on the right!

Seth loves to teach, and when Mom razzed Mckay
About never being home , always being away
Seth pulled the 3d human body from the shelf
And quietly came in and explained things himself!

He said, “Mckay, do you want us to feel,
Like this (then he broke the heart) when you’re not here,
He always holds us all together like this
And wears the family pants, though he’s only six.

He was very surprised and upset when he found,
When Kindergarten, day 2 came round
That he must go again, he thought he was all done!
He’d been there and done that, all on day one!

In addition to kids we produced children’s plays
And hosted Korean camp with Awesome Uncle Nate
We totaled three cars, a curse it would seem
That we hope will be over in 2014

As for the mother of this family,
She is frankly amazed at how blessed she could be.
How is it that friends, so loyal and true
And family so precious and heaven’s blessings too

Can surround us and strengthen us, lift us in love,
Especially when the road can be just slightly rough
I feel like putting on my dancing shoes
And singing, THANK HEAVENS FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU!

So before I go downstairs, and start in on the mess
This little letter, I’d like to address
To our friends and our family, who make life SO RIGHT!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!