Tuesday, December 10, 2013

the Christmas Letter...




Merry Christmas from the D. Quigg Family

It’s December, 2013. 
I haven’t written a Christmas letter in quite a few years, but I decided that today was as good a day as any to write one. 

Dan has been working at the same company for about 6 years now.  He does welding, carpentry, tree work… yes, he is quite versatile.  He’s out there on this chilly day welding at a lake for a dock job.  Cold and not too fun I’m sure.  He always has something around the house that he wants to get done, and is so full of creativity.  He has discovered that his thyroid is not working well so has been on meds for that.  In June he ran a half marathon, held here in town, and did very well. 

the boy turned six this year.  In January he began his year by asking Jesus if He’d come live in his heart.  And since then he has been quite excited that Jesus is with him always.  His latest prayer request has been to have wisdom, like Solomon.   He is in grade one and is doing very well.  He loves his teacher and is making friends.  He loves math.  He also enjoys helping out in his sister’s class at lunch times.  He is a determined kid with lots of creative energy.  He has been waiting for snow so daddy can teach him to snowboard some more this winter.  He has just finished swimming lessons, that he had requested, and did so well in them. 

the girl, our little 4 year old.  She also began her 2013 by asking Jesus to come live in her heart.  She has been asking a lot of questions about what that means.  She is excited to see great grandpa Quigg in heaven one day, now that she gets to go there.  She (and her brother) love memorizing verses for Sunday school and their mid-week programs.  Her favorite verse is 'When I am Afraid I will Trust in You'. Psalm 56:3.  She is in Junior Kindergarten.  She goes three days a week, and loves the days she’s there.  She has a wonderful teacher and is making some good friends as well.  She loves going on the bus with her brother.  She just finished 14 weeks of gymnastics lessons and had a blast, loving everything about it.

Michelle is still at home with the kids.  She loves being at home to see them on the bus, off the bus and to be home if needed to take care of a sick little one, or to help out in one of the classes.  Every Monday she volunteers in the school library and loves it.  Seeing the kids when they come in, and having lunch with the boy every Monday.  Monday has definitely been a hi-light of her weeks.  She has been able to take some of her time to work on her photography, with the desire to improve on her passion. She is currently in drama rehearsals for the Church Christmas Play (dinner theater) that will be performed the weekend before Christmas.  She also completed her first ever 10K run in June.

In the summer we took a family trip out to British Columbia.  To Summerland, in the Okanagan Valley.  We were there for a Quigg family reunion.  What a wonderful trip it was.  The kids had their first airplane ride, and enjoyed everything about it.  We had the opportunity to see so many family members and for the kids to meet people they had only heard existed.  We are so glad we took that trip.  We also stayed after for another week and had a chance to visit Dan’s sisters and families at their homes – homes we had never been to.  And to spend time with the nieces and nephews we really didn’t know well at all.  The kids loved their cousins, and can’t wait to see them all again. 

When we got home we had Dan’s parents staying with us before they moved out to BC.  It was nice to have them stay with us, and we miss them lots.  The kids want to go visit about every other day.  Not so easy.  But they are now getting to see their other grandkids and enjoying being in their lives as much as they have been in our kids’ lives all these past years. 

In September we, as a family, participated in the Terry Fox run.  Dan and the boy biked the 10K, Michelle ran the 10K and the girl and her papa did the 5K.  Later that month Dan and Michelle participated in Tough Mudder.  It is an obstacle course challenge.  About 17Km in distance.  We had a team of 5.  What an amazingly fun day it was.  Tough? yes.  Sore at the end of the day? Yes.  We are registered to do it again August 2014. 

So…now it’s December.    At the end of this month we will be celebrating our 11th Anniversary.  We are also preparing for Christmas…  ok, not really yet.  This is the start.  Each morning Michelle reads a little of the Christmas story out of Luke for the kids, and they have been enjoying listening to it. 

Christmastime will only be as busy as we allow it to be.  But no matter how busy we allow it to be I hope that you remember to take some time remembering that Christmas is a time to celebrate Christ’s birth. 

Love Dan, Michelle, the boy (& bear) & the girl (& Lammie)




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