When it snows, it rains, and then snows again!!

We have been enjoying watching the snow from inside, however Terry has had to drive out in it everyday. I worry about him, but he seems confident with his chains on. With all of the wind and blowing snow, we aren't sure how much we really have, but without measuring, it looks to be about 8 or more inches of snow and they say we should expect more tonight. Tristan and Melissa took a ride on a friend's snowmobile today and had a blast. It is too bad that we got freezing rain as the kids aren't too interested in playing outside as it is just too hard to play in. The last time we had weather like this Tristan was just a newborn baby, but it didn't stay around so long. I am beginning to feel like a midwesterner!!

This picture was taken last night before the freezing rain hit. Today it is totally encased in ice and is so beautiful.Terry, Sofia and Tristan enjoying the snowy backyard last evening! They made snow angels, attempted to make a snow man but the snow was too dry and had a snow ball fight. Tristan doesn't quite understand the concept of a snow ball fight yet. His idea is to hit Papa but Papa better not hit him back!!

Tristan clearing off our "outdoor freezer". Last week our heat pump went out and this week our big upright freezer died. Great time to have a snow storm though as today these coolers are nearly covered in snow and ice today !!

We haven't heard of too many accidents during these recent storms and we pray that each of you who are experiencing the snow and ice will be safe and warm.

From our home to yours!!

Dearest Family and Friends,

Not every year have we written a Christmas card or letter, but every year we do think of each of you and enjoy so much the news you send along with the pictures of your families! In the interest of saving a tree (going green), saving stamps (Terry’s hard earned cash) and my time (precious) we are writing via our blog!! Maybe this will be the up-and-coming thing to do.

This past year began with a sad note in Cyndy’s family. Her Aunt Kay fell ill and several days later entered heaven! Thankfully her husband, her three girls, as well as her four grandchildren were present and they described her “entering heaven” as very calm and peaceful. As it seems to go, when you send one family member off to Jesus, another one comes to be loved. Cody and Anna surprised us with the news in February that they would be adding a fourth grandbaby to our growing family and on October 15th we had the JOY of welcoming Reid Michael Lail! Reid weighed in at 8 lbs, 13 ounces, 21 inches long and he continues to be a very healthy, adorable, sweet and precious little baby boy.

In May, our sweet little Lillie (grandbaby # 3), daughter of April and Chris turned one year old! What a milestone that was. She had several gatherings to celebrate her birthday and all of them included family and friends as well as an outdoor party complete with a wading pool filled with splashing and laughing children!

In June we all flew to LA to join up with Cody, Anna and baby boy Lail to enjoy the enchantment of Disney Land. It turned out to be the hottest on record in LA and you could have fried an egg on the concrete! No matter, we all enjoyed ourselves (and the pool) and vow to return to the Magic Kingdom as soon as we can. Terry and I drove to Pasadena with Cody and Anna and packed up their apartment to move to Portland!! We are so thankful that they are home again. Cody is currently working for California Pizza Kitchen while enjoying Reid’s every move and finishing up his degree via the internet. Anna loves being home with Reid, cooking with Cody, being close to family and renewing their Portland friendships.

We had a wonderful summer enjoying our back yard, playing with our grandbabies, throwing a few garden parties and camping with April and Chris in early September at our favorite campground in Madras, Oregon. April continues working for Lacamas Credit Union as a Manager and Chris is currently working part time for Costco. Chris is also continuing his education at Warner Pacific University. They enjoy their sweet Lillie and she is growing so fast. She talks a blue streak and everyday she adds words to her vocabulary! I am watching Lillie while Chris and April are working and she and I have had some wonderful one on one time together. She reminds me so much of April when she was little, that sometimes I forget what year it is!!!

Melissa is teaching Pre-Kindergarten this year and spent most of her summer preparing for her first classroom! Tristan is one of her students and most of the time that is a JOY for them. Like any other 5 year old he sometimes pushes his limits and learns that Teacher Melissa will discipline him just like any other student. Sofia will turn 3 in January and she has been going to school 5 days a week too and both she and Tristan have really blossomed both academically and socially. Sofia’s big accomplishment this year was being potty trained! If you listen and watch them while they play you will hear many songs they have learned as well as see them signing the words! Melissa and kids continue to live with us and we have learned how to co-mingle, most of the time! She continues to work for Starbucks but like most businesses this year, they have had to cut back and she doesn’t work as often as she needs to. Terry and I take care of Tristan and Sofia on the nights she works and it is special to have time with them alone.

Terry continues with Walgreens and thankful for a job. We both enjoy our family, our church and our friends!

It is snowing heavily as I write to you and I can’t help but notice how beautiful everything is when it is covered in a blanket of pure white snow. During this time of uncertainty in our world, we pray that each of you will feel the warmth of Jesus and know for certain that His birth is the greatest free gift you will ever receive!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Love,

Terry, Cyndy, April, Chris, Lillie, Melissa, Tristan, Sofia, Cody, Anna, Reid, our kitty Ashes and Tristan’s new 4-H project Nippers! (Can you guess why Tristan named him Nippers?)

We are finally all decorated for Christmas!

It seems that each year, I have the best of intentions to pack up Thanksgiving and Fall before we go Christmas Tree hunting. However, like every year before, I again didn't finish when I wanted to. We have had our tree up for over a week now with only the lights, ribbons and icicle garlands. Today we enjoyed the snow (what little Vancouver got), finished decorating the house and tonight we finally added the ornaments to the tree.



Sofia took her sweet time eating dinner so she only got to hang her own ornaments (below) but you can see by her picture, (above) that she was more interested in posing then hanging ornaments anyway! Don't you just love her choice of "snow day clothes"??

Tristan really enjoyed helping to decorate the tree this year! He was quick to add the gold hangers to each ornament and then before Grandpa or I could suggest a good place to put it, up it went. You can see that most of the ornaments are on the bottom third of the tree!!

A busy and Thankful weekend!

Isn't Sofia becoming such a big girl?

Our sweet Lillie is now 18 months old and really is enjoying all the festivities of Christmas!

Our Thanksgiving table was filled with lots of family and delicious food too!

These are our 4 grandbabies all dressed up in their new Christmas Jammies! Tristan is 5, Sofia almost 3, Lillie 18 months and Reid 7 weeks!

Tristan, now 5 just loved being by the campfire at the tree farm!

This is our precious Reid and his first trip to the tree farm!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL, AND BY NOW, A BLESSED ADVENT GREETING TOO!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day celebrating with our children, their children, Cyndy's Mom and Dad and older brother Terry and his wife Patti! We enjoyed great food, wonderful conversations, play time with the grandkids as well as cards, a fire, hot apple cider and delicious pumpkin pie!! Can you ask for anything more?

On Sunday we made our traditional trek to Farrell's Tree Farm, picked out the perfect trees, enjoyed a campfire, hot cocoa or cider and had the most wonderfully warm day with an awesome sunset as we drove home to have a taco bar for dinner, some more card playing, gift opening of Christmas pj's and ornaments for the Grandkids and a sleep-over with Cody, Anna and little Reid. This was Reid's first Thanksgiving and tree gathering and he was such a good little boy!