Happy 2009!!

I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season! We had a great Christmas week, spending time with all of our immediate family. Jeff's parents arrived Monday 12/22 and were here through Monday 12/29 (more on that in a minute!) Randy, Cory, Charlie and Sammie stayed the night Tuesday night due to the weather - it took me TWO AND A HALF HOURS to travel the 20 miles home from work that night, so I was soooo glad they stayed and didn't fight the roads! Christmas morning we spent here at the house with Jeff's parents and Melanie, and then we all headed to the Doan house for Christmas with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Julie, Uncle Matt, and Molly.

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Melanie enjoyed Christmas, at least what she understood of it. She understood that there were a lot of people around her a lot of the time making a fuss about her (she liked that). She understood that there were a LOT of new toys (she liked that - especially OTHER people's toys). One of the highlights of Mel's first Christmas was when she was climbing on Molly's still-wrapped mirror/microphone set, and "fell through" it, breaking the wrapping paper and initiating songs. While she was freaked out at first, that became her favorite toy - and the toy to which we first saw her dance! Now she dances occasionally to some of her own toys too - as long as you don't ask her to!

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Friday, Cory & Randy and the kids came back for dinner, and Sammie was having some breathing issues. Cory, being the Super-Mom that she is, decided that something didn't seem right, and she took her to Clarian North - the hospital that Mel was born in and is about 10 minutes from our house. Well, mother's instincts proved right yet again, and Miss Samantha was in the hospital through Monday!! She is doing much better now, and we pray that 2009 is a healthy year for both Charlie and Sammie! We were able to enjoy the company of Jeff's parents, Randy, and Charlie for that much longer, but under the circumstances, we would have rather them be gone and safe at home (you know what I mean!)

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All in all, we are very very blessed, and Christmas is yet another time to celebrate our family. We hope nothing but the best for you and yours in 2009!