Merry Christmas 2010 From Kelly And The Monkeys!!!!

We hope this has been a great year for you and that this letter finds you in good health and high spirits! We are once again taking this opportunity to catch everyone up with our family and what has been going on.

Monkey1, age 12, started 6th grade this year. Her school has a fantastic gifted program that has been really good for her. She is continuing to make straight “A”s and to excel at everything she tries. She continues to do well in Chorus at school. She made the “State Wide Honor Chorus” this year. Her hobbies are reading, researching, listening to music, writing, singing, & watching old horror movies from the 1930s & 1940s. She is a wicked unbeatable chess player. Monkey1’s favorite book is The Red Pyramid [or anything by Rick Riordan]. She wants to be a private investigator, a singer or a chef when she grows up.

Monkey2, age 9, is in 3rd grade. He has morphed into a straight “A” student and is consistently on the high Honor Roll. He enjoys playing basketball and anything on the Wii. His hobbies include computer & video games, building with legos, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, bakugans & cooking with mom. He loves playing with his two younger sisters and they worship the ground he walks on. His favorite books are Dragon Blood and the Magic Treehouse series. Monkey2 wants to be a lego designer when he grows up.

Monkey3, age 7, is in 2nd grade. She is doing very well in school & is staying on the Honor Roll as well; definitely doing her part to keep up the family tradition. She enjoys playing basketball & playing with her brother on the Wii. Her hobbies include collecting animals, playing with animals, learning about animals, pretending to be different animals, reading & cooking with her mom, & playing Pokemon & Yu-Gi-Oh with her brother. Her favorite book is Go Dog Go! Monkey3 wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

Monkey4, age 5, is in Kindergarten. Kindergartners do not receive letter grades, but she gets 100% smiley faces. :) She enjoys creating art work, dancing, playing with her younger sisters, “babysitting”, cooking with mom, playing with Barbies, playing outdoors, & swimming. Her favorite book is Mermaid Barbie. Monkey4 wants to be a Mommy when she grows up.

Monkey5, age 3, started preschool this year. She has done very well at preschool and loves her teacher [she lucked out and got the BEST TEACHER EVER – truly a Blessing!]. She has made lots of friends in her class. She enjoys playing with Monkey4 and Monkey6, reading with mom, playing with Barbies, cooking, being with her Granny, playing pretend, swimming & drawing. Her favorite book is Fancy Nancy. Monkey5 wants to be a Princess when she grows up.

BabyMonkey, age 2, is the Lone Ranger at home during school hours these days [we tried preschool with her this Fall – it didn’t work]. She continues to be adorable & funny. She has developed her talents into becoming a First Class Cat Burglar – able to get anything she wants & steal it away, no matter how well it is safeguarded! She enjoys hanging out with her Grandfather, playing with dogs, reading books, destroying stuff, climbing, figuring out how things work, and pretending to be a puppy. Her favorite book is Llama Llama Misses Mama. BabyMonkey wants to be a Puppy when she grows up.

I, Kelly, am still hanging on by my teeth and somehow managing to enjoy the heck out of life in spite of it all. I was thrilled to get my old job back teaching childbirth classes at the Hospital, where I worked for 10 years until 2009. I enjoy cooking with my children, snuggling with the kids, reading, writing, walking around the neighborhood & lake with the children & the dogs, & amazing people by making fine wine out of the lemons Life handed me. :) I couldn’t possibly pick just one favorite book this year, but, like Monkey1, I have certainly enjoyed everything Rick Riordan writes.

The children completed a major accomplishment this year. For three years they were working, sacrificing [asking for cash donations instead of birthday gifts, for example], and saving to build a house for a poor family in Haiti through the charity organization “Food for the Poor”. This year they finally succeeded, and in May they were able to send off a check for $3,100 – enough to build a home for a homeless family affected by the Earthquake in Haiti. It was a monumental accomplishment. They were even featured in a half page news article in the local paper and in several articles on the Web. I am VERY proud of them!

We wish you a happy and prosperous 2011. May God richly Bless you in all that you do!

:) :) God is Good - All of the Time! :) :)