Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas! We hope this letter finds you and your family
doing well! 2014 has been a great year for our family- we wanted to share some
of it with you.
We have entered into a new stage
as Emma(5) started Kindergarten this
fall. She enjoys school, but does not
appreciate waking up in the morning. She
loves to learn about art and animals.
She often shares little tidbits with us like “bats use echo location to
know where they are going” and “starfish have the ability to re-grow their
arms.” She has worked so hard in speech
therapy this year and is so proud of her crisp “s”! This is a great example of her determination,
as she practices and works to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Her favorite things to do are color, dance,
swim and learn new songs on the piano.
Madelyn(4) has fun playing with her little brothers most of the day
while Emma is at school. She likes to be
the boss in our home and has figured out that the boys will let her! They play house, horses and much more. She is also sweet and gentle as she helps
mother them, especially when they are sad or frustrated. At pre-school, she loves creating things and
learning about the way things work. She
is very thoughtful, always delivering notes to friends and family. Cooking, riding horses, dancing and playing
soccer are some of her favorite things to do.
Our third little ball of energy, Briggs(3), never stops moving. He spends a lot of time with his cousins who
have taught him to wrestle, hike a ball, swing a bat and dribble a
basketball. He has a hard time choosing
which he likes the most, but today it is basketball. He is definitely the comedian of our family (intentionally
or not), and keeps us all laughing all day long. He is also so tender hearted and looks out
for others, especially his little brother.
He considers himself an expert on all things Batman, Superman and
Spiderman.
This year, Anderson(18 months), has become what we lovingly call “Hurricane
Anderson”. There is always a path to be
found behind him as he plays with not only toys, but shoes, clothes, pillows,
kitchen utensils and anything else within reach. He just loves to learn and explore,
right?! When he slows down, he can be
found cuddling with mom or sitting in the middle of a pile of books, flipping
through pages. His absolute favorite
thing to do is follow his big brother and sisters on their adventures.
Melody can usually be found driving the kids to or from school,
teaching a piano lesson, folding a mountain of laundry, following behind
Hurricane Anderson, wrestling with Briggs, cooking with Maddie, reading with
Emma or having a dance party in the kitchen while dinner is cooking. In her “free” time, she likes to run, bike,
read or take a nap if she is really
lucky.
Jared has been a Facility Engineer at ON Semiconductor for 3 years
and enjoys his work there and the new skills he is developing in that capacity. Outside of work and church, he spends his
time playing weekly basketball with friends, reading, playing with the kids and
building things for the house- he always has the next project in mind!
“As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this season,
let us also celebrate all that His birth symbolizes, especially the love. When
we see shepherds, may we remember to be humble. When we see wise men, may we
remember to be generous. When we see the star, may we remember the Light of
Christ, which gives life and light to all things. When we see a tiny baby, may
we remember to love unconditionally, with tenderness and compassion. May we
open the doors of our hearts and reach out to those around us who are lonely,
forgotten, or poor in spirit. As we contemplate the example and infinite
sacrifice of the Savior, may we also consider how we can be more Christlike in
our associations with family and friends, not just during this season but
throughout the year.” -Bonnie
L. Oscarson
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2015!
Love, The Daniels Family
