Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas 2008!


I love getting Christmas cards this time of year and reading about the lives of my friends and family! In fact, cards, lights, and music are the highlights of the holiday for me! Every year I plan on writing my own “Christmas cards” BEFORE Thanksgiving…and then AFTER New Year’s Eve, I make the resolution to get cards done early the NEXT year. Believe it or not, I have written a Christmas card for 5 of the last 6 years—but sending them out has been a different story!
THIS year, I had my action plan back in February! I took a class to renew my Teaching Certificate, and the teacher mentioned that he liked to write his Christmas card update on his blog and then just mail out a family picture with his blog address printed on it. That would allow people to go on-line, read about the family, and even keep in touch better throughout the year! I’m hoping this idea will be faster, easier, and more effective for me than in past years!
Jacob (almost 5) and Dylan (almost 2) are SO MUCH FUN! They LOVE Thomas the Tank Engine and Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie CARS. They play together well—for the most part—and even LOVE to help me cook (a lot) and clean (sometimes).
Dylan LOVES being with his big brother and gets upset whenever Jacob does something without him (like go to preschool). He wants to do everything himself, and the phrase he uses most is, “I do it, Mom, I do it!” He talks and sings ALL THE TIME and he can even be kind of embarrassing when he starts singing (loudly) during Sacrament Meeting! He also upsets Jacob when he sings “Jingle Bells”—it sounds more like “Jacob bells, Jacob bells, Jacob away!”
Jacob does not seem to mind having Dylan follow him around all the time. He loves being “the boss”—both at home AND at school. Maybe that comes with being the oldest child? He LOVES Preschool and is learning SO FAST! At least once a day he tells me (out of the blue) “I really love you, Mom!” and then he’ll come and sit by me and hug me. I LOVE IT!
I’ve been blessed with a part-time teaching job and I now teach 1st grade in the afternoons. The biggest change is that after being separated since July ‘07, Ronald and I decided to get a divorce. The papers are filed, but not yet finalized. It has been a hard and crazy year, but I have also felt a LOT of strength and comfort from the Lord. Ronald continues to be a great dad and very supportive of the boys. I am also very indebted to many compassionate friends and family members. Overall, we are all happy, healthy, and doing well, so I cannot complain! I hope to do a better job of keeping in touch year and being a better friend by returning e-mails and phone calls and updating my new blog. Hope all is well with you and yours! I love and appreciate you and the influence you have had on my life!
Love always,
The Gonzalez Family