Christmas card/letter

Okay... if I still have people who check my blog after a 4 month dry spell, please do not die of shock that I am posting today, but I am hoping this is the first update of many more to come this year!  With that said... I hope you have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Also, special note to my cousin Brandon and his wife if you're reading this... Thank you for your card, I did send you one as well, but I sent it to your old address, they put the correct one on to reach you in California and then returned it to me... who knows?!?!?  Sorry.  I will send it again, but it will obviously be late!

Merry Christmas!!

As I write this letter I can only think of our family like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions yet our roots remain the same.   Each year we have an opportunity to not only see the growth of our family, particularly our kids, but to also contribute to that growth.  I was reminded once again this evening that each of our children is unique and different and keeping up with this is often times the greatest challenge.

Sterling is almost 2 and he alone creates a challenge to keep up with.  He learned earlier this year how to climb our climbing wall on our outdoor swing set and from there he saw everything as a wall to climb.  He also feels it important to be in the mix of all things older brothers and sister.   As a result, he thinks he’s deserving of the same privileges and it’s always a good time trying to convince him otherwise.   We also have fallen victim to something I never thought I would –unconsciously become much more relaxed in parenting him.  There’s no good explanation.   It’s just easier.  He also has innately discovered his right as youngest to torment his older sister and it brings him great joy and great trouble (If we as parents are feeling up to it anyways). 

Brooklyn is our future mom.   She stated yesterday that she wants to be a mom so she can do “gross kisses” – All I can say is at least she thinks their gross.  Her little brother is her nemesis and she’s very good at expressing that in various ways.  It’s amazing that a 20 month old has established dominance over this 4 year old.   I think my greatest memory of her this year that summarizes her perfectly happened later this summer as we were with some friends at their cabin.  I took the kids and our dog up to the pond just up from the cabin and she was wearing her new black leggings in which she is very fond of.  I was sitting on a dock and was looking at the kids as they were playing on the opposite bank.  Brooklyn was dipping a stick in the water as happy as could be as our dog was wading in the water close to her.  As Kola came out of the water she brushed by Brooklyn with her wet hair and it went from princess fairyland at the pond to the lake of fire and brimstone as she flung both her hands in the air and then threw them and her stick to the ground all while cursing Kola at the same time.  She then screamed that she was going home because Kola ruined her new leggings.  She marched off swinging her arms and hips with tears going down her cheek.  I could see that she got about half way between the pond and cabin and sometime in that short walk she experienced a change of heart and moseyed back to the pond and shed said she’s still mad but was ok enough to continue playing.   Good times.

Ethan is an up and coming Michael Jackson impersonator.   Earlier this year I was showing the older kids some clips of some Michael Jackson concerts and I didn’t realize I was about to unleash a beast.   It’s all things MJ.  To encourage this, he received the Michael Jackson Dance experience game on the Wii from Grandma and Grandpa Hansen and as a result has learned some of the classic MJ moves.  He must practice even when we’re not watching because every so often he’ll put on a dance concert for us and he surprises us each time how closely he is to getting many of the moves down.  Very fun.   In addition, he has a great imagination and its fun to see that expressed in the way he plays with his younger brother and sister or the many art pieces he produces. 

Briggs had a big year this year as he excitedly made the decision to be baptized this year.  He was very happy to have so many family and friends present to celebrate this great moment.   I think he was even more excited when Grandma and Grandpa Hansen gave him a really nice set of scriptures with a nice case to carry them in.  I don’t see too many kids, including our other 3, geared in such a way that would prefer a set of scriptures over all the other things that could be requested for a birthday.   But this just speaks to the personality of Briggs.  He’s a sober boy and we can entrust him with many things at his young age.  The other clear and strong interest of his is sports.  He focused on soccer a lot this year along with Ethan.  It was clear where he’s at with his abilities that half way through the season that every coach of the other teams besides one complained about him “being too good” and one of them elected to forfeit rather than play our team because she “didn’t want her kids’ confidence to be shattered”.  We weren’t even in a league that kept scores.  Ridiculous.  It’s this kind of parenting approach that I absolutely abhor.  Whatever happened to kids learning some basic life lessons through losing in sports just as much as winning.   If my kids complain about losing, guess what I tell them, “means that you need to practice more.” ‘nuff of that.

Lisa has really grown her photography business and has actually become busier than she would like and is trying to scale back until all our kids are in school. I am very proud of her and really try to support and encourage her as much as I can.  It’s cool to see her dreams materialize in such a way that people are willing to write her checks for her talents.  

I am very grateful for all that the Lord has provided us and although it’s not all perfect, it’s all sweet and enjoy my family greatly. 

I hope all is well with everyone and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,

Cory, Lisa, Briggs (8), Ethan (6), Brooklyn (4), Sterling (22 months) Hansen