Christmas Letter 2009

Greetings all! Most of you will remember that we have shifted into an electronic video format for our Christmas letters. I invite you to watch our 2009 Christmas Video and our Christmas videos from years gone by. Also, here is our Christmas letter from Dixie:

Hooray! I am getting my letter written BEFORE Christmas this year! Last year I felt like quite the slacker having to post it after Christmas. I've been a little more on the ball this season, it looks like. Wonders will never cease, it looks like.

Our 2009 has been full, as I imagine yours has been as well. I'll try to sum up quickly so that you can hurry up and get to the slide show, since that's all anyone really is interested in, right?

Isaac is now in 3rd grade and has just turned 9! He has moved to the upper elementary school (Highland Elementary) and will be there for 3rd-5th grade. This school is not in our neighborhood so I no longer get to walk him to and from school. He's happy to be with the big kids though, and is excelling in school. He has a great teacher for whom we are very thankful. Isaac's basketball season has just started with practices. He is so excited about playing in UPWARD again. He's decided that he will probably be an NBA player...if only such things were attainable by sheer desire. It's good to have a goal though, and he practices in the driveway whenever it isn't raining. Isaac is a pretty avid reader and I'm happy that he’s content to read lots of things.

Ethan is 5 ½ and has had a big milestone this year. He is now in kindergarten! His first day was exciting and not accompanied by the same tears (by me!) as was Isaac’s. I am so familiar with his school and all the teachers and the principal, I just had no doubt that he was going to have a blast. And he has. He really loves school and he loves his friends. His teachers are wonderful and one of them goes to church with us. She was his 2 year old bible class teacher and her grandkids are friends with all my children. The icing on the cake though, is that his best friend from church, Bella Rose (our Youth Minister’s daughter) is also in the same class. So he was well set up for a smooth transition into school. Ethan also has become a great reader. He was reading some before starting kinder but has just really blossomed as a reader. In fact, he has recently started reading silently, which I think is really neat.

This leaves Jaylie (who is now 4) and I home alone together. It is quite different having just one child at home during the day after all these years of having several. She plays so much differently than the boys do. I am thankful for our neighbors across the street who have a little girl just Jaylie’s age. Jaylie and Greta play together quite a bit. Jaylie started ballet this fall. It is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. She LOVES ballet. Of course, I think she’s a natural at it. Since she’ll have one more whole year at home before she starts kinder, I think ballet is a good outlet for her. Jaylie’s hair continues to be super curly, and it is getting longer (much longer) and thicker and altogether quite difficult to comb out. She’s real patient though, which is nice. Jaylie is also the most gregarious of our kids. She seems pretty confident to talk to just about anyone. She recently performed a solo at our children’s Christmas talent show at church! She sang Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and threw in some sass with it! It was cute.

Eric is currently between semesters. It is so nice when he doesn’t have school on his mind constantly. This semester he had 4 trips to make to Nashville! Crazy, but it’s over. He has enrolled for his final semester this spring and we are all looking forward to his graduation from Lipscomb in May. He’ll receive his Master of Arts in Theology! I’ve teased him about being a theologian after he graduates. I know I’ll not be winning any biblical arguments, that’s for sure (as if I have in the past!). Eric is also perpetually busy with things at Meadowbrook. In March we will celebrate 4 years of ministry with the church here. We are grateful for this body of believers who are striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I am keeping up with the kids and house and Eric as best I can. Since Jaylie’s ballet class is on Tuesday mornings, I am not attending Ladies’ Bible class like I have in the past. I miss the fellowship with those ladies but have met some real neat moms at ballet. It’s nice to have my circle getting bigger, sometimes I feel like the only people I know are those I go to church with! I am still on the PTO board at Ethan’s school and really enjoy that. It’s fun being ‘in the know’ on so much of what goes on. It also helps me with that circle I was talking about. Some of you know that I have struggled with a low B12 problem for a few years. Well this continues to be a problem for me; a thorn in my side--literally since I have to give myself weekly shots to help compensate! I wish my levels would stabilize and I’d not have to do these injections but that keeps not happening. I think I’ll be 80 and still jabbing myself with a needle every week! In the grand scheme of things, it’s a rather small problem to have, I suppose.

Right after school was out at the end of May, we went with my parents to Galveston for a week. It is nice that we get out of school before Memorial Day because the beach was deserted. We had a great time. At the end of that week, Mother and I went to San Antonio to help my Grandmother move into her new place there. In July, Eric had a summer class that was a whole week so we went to Nashville and had fun with Dawn and Brad and the girls, as well as Grandma and Grandpa. In September, the Nashville family came to visit us for a few days, which is also always fun. We are planning to leave on my birthday (2 days after Christmas, for those of you who don’t know!) to head to Missouri to visit Eric’s grandparents and aunts and uncles. We’ve not been there for a while and we’re looking forward to catching up with them.

Most of you will remember that my Granddaddy passed away last Thanksgiving. Well my Grandmother entered into hospice care last week. Ever since we moved her to San Antonio, she has had severe health issues, all surrounding her bone marrow. It has quit making platelets and white blood cells. After numerous treatments and regular transfusions, she has decided to cease treatment and go be reunited with Granddaddy in the presence of the Lord. Mother has gone to be with her. Your prayers will be appreciated as our family faces another major holiday with the pall of loss hanging over it. We are joyful for the prize she is gaining, just sad that we will miss her so.

In all things we give thanks to God for the love he has showered on us. It is our prayer for you that you will feel the nearness of Christ always, but especially during this season of Hope, and Peace, and Joy and Love. The season of Christ’s first coming. May He come again quickly!

With our love,
Eric, Dixie, Isaac, Ethan and Jaylie

Eric’s blog: www.ericnlivingston.com
Dixie’s blog: www.lookaway-dixieland.blogspot.com
Email: ericdixie@yahoo.com
And you can find us on facebook too!

2008 In Review

Well we're at the end of another year. I want to share our 2008 Christmas eLetter (the text is below) which Dixie wrote. Also, be sure to check out the PHOTO PAGE that has our 2008 Year In Review Family Video.

Dear Loved Ones,

I know, I know. I’m late. This is the first year EVER that I have failed to get the update letter completed by Christmas. I’m sure your holiday seemed hollow and empty without it:) I suppose I should call this a New Year’s update instead.

As you can imagine, it’s been a busy year. I’ll try to fill you in on all our goings-on as best I can.

Probably the most significant thing that has added a new dimension of busyness to our lives is that Eric has gone back to school. He is working on his masters degree in Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville. This requires him to study and write a lot and also to make trips to Nashville for the classes. (This is either 1-3 weekends a semester or 1 full week a semester, depending on the class.) Since he already works a lot at church, this is an added load. So far, so good. I’m very proud of his A’s and if he would tolerate gold stars, I’d stick them on his papers:) Besides school, Eric continues to love his job of service at our church. We are honored to be blessed with such a loving church family to serve.

Isaac is now in 2nd grade and turned 8 last week. He had his first ever spend-the-night party. He invited 3 friends and we took them bowling. We all had a great time. I was glad he had so much fun, but wow – those boys were noisy! Isaac has had many firsts this year. He played his first season of baseball this spring and loved it. He did great. Isaac lost his first tooth in March. (this was followed by 2 more in the same week—very exciting) He learned how to mow the grass, much to my delight! Isaac has also started his first season in basketball this fall. He thrives at school and really enjoys his PATHWAYS class the most. He hates to miss those days. He now knows about 35 or so Greek roots that he has started using in regular sentences. It’s a little unnerving that he will be smarter than I am in a very short time. He is already almost as tall as I am. He passed my shoulders earlier this year.

Ethan is 4½ and started preschool this fall. He goes 3 days a week with Eric to our church’s preschool. It is just in the mornings for about 3 hours and he has a blast. He has never been a bit sad or unsure about going to school like Isaac sometimes was. Ethan loves his teacher and his friends. He is very matter-of-fact about the things he’s doing in his class. He gets all serious when he talks about the activities he has done. Ethan is such a fun little boy to be around. He is almost always happy and if he isn’t it’s usually because he’s ‘worn out’, which is what he says all the time. He continues to bother Jaylie on a regular basis but a lot of times, it’s just payback for something she has done earlier. Ethan loves to spend time with my folks and it is great to have them so near. Ethan learned to swim without floats this year. It is so fun to watch him in the water.

Jaylie is now a 3 year old. That’s right! There are no longer any 2 year olds living here!!!!! This is quite a happy thing for me, however, Jaylie seems to be a rather sassy 3 year old:) She is terribly sweet and really cute. Her hair is still wildly curly. As a matter of fact, she got 3 Shirley Temple movies for Christmas! Whenever she sees other people with curls she says, ”Look, he/she has curlies like me!”. Jaylie is very clever and swipes things very frequently. Not to be mischievous, but just because she sees a little something that interests her and she pockets it. This is sort of cute until it is car keys or shoes or the top to a brand new lipstick…you get the idea. Jaylie learned how to swim without floats as well this summer and now swims like a fish. She loves the pool. Jaylie still enjoys dressing up in her princess clothes. Her favorite color is pink or purple. She loves babies. She also loves to shop…go figure:)

I have had my hands full as usual. I am now on the PTO board at school which takes up a bit more time and requires me to deal with several more people, but I enjoy it. I am also helping with the Hospital House ministry at Meadowbrook. Every year since we have been here, I, and another friend of mine, have taught the same group of kids in Sunday school. We just keep moving up with them. This year they are in 4th grade and it is so exciting to see them grow and mature in their faith in God. They are a wonderful blessing to me.

This past March, my mother and I took the kids to TX for the week of Spring Break. We spent 2 nights with my Pawpaw and then 5 days with my grandparents in Beeville. Many of you know that my Granddaddy past away the day before Thanksgiving so that week we spent with them is really a precious memory to me. There are some pictures in the slide show that are at their place in Beeville. I love that place. I miss him a lot. My Grandmother is here in MS right now, staying with my mom and dad for a few weeks. It is good to get to see her all the time. She is doing well but still needs prayer cover.

We went to Gulf Shores to the beach for a week in July with Eric’s sister and her family. We had a great time playing in the water and sand there.

Eric and I had a STAYCATION this past September when my parents took the kids to Galveston for a week. They had to come home a day early because of hurricane Ike (a name Isaac did not appreciate) but they had a blast.

In September we rescued a Bassett Hound from the Humane Society. Her name is Gretchen and we (that means me and the kids---Eric is tolerant) love her. She’s about a year old and very good natured. She’s small for a basset, which is good. The kids have a lot of fun with her.

In October we went to Nashville for a week, tagging along with Eric since he had school. We hung out at Dawn’s house and enjoyed a relaxing time…poor Eric was busy the whole time. We had a great time trick-or-treating with cousins.

This Christmas has been very special as Eric’s parents came to be with us for several days. So we had them over here and my Grandmother at my parents’ house along with my brother, Jason, who was here for a week from Florida. It has been a rich time of blessing being with so many of my wonderful family.

I think this is pretty much the gist of our 2008. I hope it has been a year of peace and blessing to you. I am looking forward to the upcoming year and praying that the world settles down a bit. If you’re like me, you may have felt an uneasiness with the global economy falling apart and all. I hope that as the calendar turns, things even out. But if 2009 is a year of turmoil, my prayer is that God’s people handle themselves well. I hope that you allow yourself to be attentive to the voice of the One who made you. You are precious to Him and a gift to me.


Much love to you all
Eric, Dixie, Isaac, Ethan and Jaylie

Eric’s blog: www.ericnlivingston.com
Dixie’s blog: www.lookaway-dixieland.blogspot.com
Email: ericdixie (at) yahoo (dot) com