Sunday, December 18, 2005
This week while we were eating lunch, Noah and Denver and I were talking about being kind to the earth and ways we can take care of "Home Sweet Home." Of course, we got on the subject of trees and how it's important to not cut down too many trees, since we need them to make oxygen for us. As a result, this year we've decided to save the trees and post our Christmas letter here and only here. Of course there's the added dimension that everything we've done this year has already been written about once and I didn't want to waste the paper writing about it again. So . . . with that said, may I present to you our year in review minus the paper.
In January Hunter had his sixth birthday and celebrated it by duckpin bowling with his buddies. We also found out we would be having our fourth child, although we didn't know what kind. We discovered mice in our cupboard and learned that Denver is allergic to penicillin. Denver prayed for his copy of Polar Express on DVD.
In February we drove to Kansas to visit Grandma and Grandpa Stout and enjoyed swimming for two days at Great Wolf Lodge and bowling and playing Laser Tag and eating out. We all got kicked in the pants by a nasty flu bug and Mark went head-to-head with some smokers in McDonalds. We hope Smiley and Jersey are having a happy, but smoke-free Christmas. Denver continued praying for his copy of the Polar Express on DVD.
In March we celebrated Noah's fourth birthday with pizza and Monkey Ball and everybody came. We learned that Hunter officially has Benign Childhood Epilepsy and they kept him on his meds for a little bit longer. A leprechaun visited our house and left a pot of gold hidden in our stove and the stork left 24 fertilized chicken eggs on our doorstep. And Denver remained steadfast in his prayers for Polar Express on DVD.
In April we hatched four fluffy baby chicks: Hero, Lucky, Jack-Jack, and Wilbur. Hunter started T-ball and I was assigned his coach. Hero died. Mark tried out for Jeopardy and we enjoyed all the gifts of spring including some April showers, giant bubbles and Noah's dandelions. And of course, Denver prayed for Polar Express on DVD.
In May Hunter continued playing T-ball and Mark stepped up to be Coach. We discovered the best waffle recipe in the world, a nest with eggs in it right above our front door, and Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser. Mark got a raise and the doctor told us we were having our fourth boy. Jack-Jack died and Denver prayed. . . for Polar Express on DVD.
In June we enjoyed Trumbull Days and the beach with Grandma and Grandpa Henrichsen, celebrated Father's day with a Betty Crocker Bake-n-Fill, and had a baby bird hatch above our front door. Denver prayed for Polar Express on DVD.
We spent most of July in our swimsuits at Lake Mohegan where the boys took swimming lessons and I tried to keep cool. When we weren't swimming we were busy visiting the library trying to tackle Hunter's summer reading list and sitting in front of the air conditioner. We had a very fun Independance Day with the sister missionaries, got drenched at the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and picked a bunch of plump blueberries for blueberry pie. And Denver never forgot to pray for Polar Express on DVD.
We discovered pluots in August and Denver got tubes in his ears. We visited the Bronx Zoo for the first time, enjoyed lots of yummy tomatoes from our tomato plant and I had my first ever baby shower. Denver turned three and Wilbur died. Denver prayed for Polar Express on DVD and Mommy starting praying too.
In September Hunter started first grade, Mark won an Ipod Nano, I attempted to teach Preschool at home, we finished rearranging the furniture to make baby number four fit, Lucky laid an egg and I went into labor. The entire family started praying for Polar Express on DVD and an early release date.
In October, Caleb Allen joined us at a whoppin' 8 pounds 11 ounces. Noah started Karate, we made pumpkin pie with a real pumpkin and we went trick or treating with Darth Vader, Captain Hook and a witch! We started begging Denver not to pray for Polar Express on DVD—but he persisted!
November was filled with excitement. Noah learned to crochet and got his yellow stripe in Karate. We discovered the Garbage Museum and visited it several times. We raked 66 bags of leaves and made applesauce from apples. We enjoyed a Stout Family Reunion down in Florida and visited Magic Kingdom and SeaWorld. Grandma and Grandpa Henrichsen and Uncle Michael came to visit us for Thanksgiving and Mark made a super yummy turkey. Oh, and Denver finally got his hands on a copy of Polar Express. . .24 hours before its release date and 1100 prayers later! Hallelujah!
And here we are, back to December. We're keeping busy wrapping presents and eating Christmas cookies. We've enjoyed a couple of snowstorms and have been sledding already. Caleb has started sucking his thumb and giggling. We are reading the Book of Mormon as a family and we're almost finishsed. We're planning a trip to Ohio in a few more days and can't wait to see everyone there and rest and play. All in all it's been a wonderful year. We look forward to next year and the excitement that awaits us in 2006. We feel truly blessed and know that the Lord has watched over us in every event of our lives and that He will be there watching over us in the year to come. We hope your year has been as splendid as ours and that you have a wonderful Christmas and an even better new year!
Love, The Henrichsens (Mark, Shana, Hunter, Noah, Denver and Caleb)
posted by Shana # 9:10 PM 
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