Merry Christmas from our family to yours

Hello All-

This has been another busy year for us. We ended last year with Zack's first Christmas and then went right into his 1st birthday extravaganza. We may have gotten a little carried away last year and invited pretty much every one in our address book!!

After Zack's 1st birthday came tax season and Jake got a real taste of being a single parent. He dropped Zack off, picked him up and many nights put him to bed only to do the same thing all over again the next day. I still have the same job as last year but this year I'm going to try to work from home more to try to limit the time I am away from them both. Jake's new job keeps him pretty busy and I think Zack needs a reliable schedule.

As for Jake, he has a new job. He worked for the mobile home park for a little over a year and then one day he came back from lunch and they told him his job had been eliminated. Downsized due to rising gas prices and the bad economy. In the end though, it all worked out for the best. He now works for a water company and while the hours are a little longer this job offers benefits which is a real plus.

As for Zack, he is an active toddler. He says more words than I can even count and he talks from the time he gets up until he goes to bed. He has such a personality and he makes Jake and I laugh out loud at least once a day.

He loves to be outside and just a week or so ago he got his first taste of snow. He LOVES it. He is always asking me if he can walk in the snow. He doesn't seem to care at all that it is only 20 degrees outside and I think he will be an avid outdoorsman just like his daddy.

Speaking of loving nature, he L-O-V-E-S the horses and cows at both grandparents houses. All summer that was the highlight of his trips, getting to see the horses or the cows. He has no fear of either of them and would walk right up to, or under them, if we would let him.

His other favorite thing is the "tack-tors" and the "bombine" at Grandma & Grandpa's house. Until it got cold out every time he was over there he would convince one of them to ride on the gator or one of the "big tacktors." At least once a week he asks me to ride in the combine and I tell him it is too cold. So I'm not sure what I'll tell him when it warms up and he still can't do it. Perhaps by then he will just be happy with getting to ride in the tractors again.

Happy Holidays to all of our friends and family!!

Jake, Heather, & Zackary