Merry Christmas from the Andersons

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! We love this time of the year especially living in Phoenix . . .drinking hot chocolate outside in our sandals. As a kid it seemed like the month of December couldn’t go by any slower, but times have changed. . . now with our own, five moves, three kids and two guinea pigs later it seems like the month of December soon fills up with parties, dance recitals, plays, school programs . . . and the list goes on, the month of December wont slow down so we can just enjoy it.

Like the month of the December, we have had an eventful year. After Dusty’s “sike deployment” we decided to make the most of our time here in Arizona. (For those of you who don’t know, Dusty nearly spent this Christmas serving in Afghanistan. Last March he was given a five-day notice that he would be heading overseas for a one year Air Force deployment. Then, two weeks into his training the deployment was canceled. What a whirlwind.) We knew this might happen during our time serving in the military and tried to take things in stride. We were however, grateful that Daddy did not have to leave us for a full year. We have learned a lot about the military this past year and a half, our appreciation for the military has grown and we definitely feel more patriotic. We are blessed to have had these experiences.

Dusty’s flexible schedule has provided opportunity to take some fun vacations. The highlight was probably our Disneyland trip this past fall. We truly had a “magical” time watching Isaac, Emma and Sophia meet their favorite Disney Characters. We have also enjoyed a few Utah trips as well as a couple of San Diego and Las Vegas trips. We are looking forward to our move in June to Gainesville, Florida (Go Gators) where Dusty will complete a three year residency in anesthesiology.

This year Dusty and I decided to train for and run the St. George Marathon. During the long training runs I was able to listen to a lot of books on my ipod. I usually don’t get much reading in at home with the kids so this was a great way to multi-task. I really enjoyed the race and even qualified for the Boston Marathon . . .just failed to sign up for the race before registration closed. Darn. Dusty enjoys mountain biking much more then running, but still pushed through the race. He recently participated in a 12 hour “Dawn ‘til Dusk” mountain bike race with three other physicians from his clinic. They competed against other “sponsored” teams finishing 12th of 40. We spent the day watching the race and cheering for Dusty and his team members.

This year Isaac (6 years) started kindergarten. He loves his class and his teacher Ms. Goetz. He has made friends quickly and is excelling in his schoolwork. Isaac has an interest in sharks, alligators and reptiles he loves to read books and learn new facts about them. He has enjoyed soccer, swim lessons and most recently tennis lessons. He is totally into Star Wars –he got a guinea pig for his birthday and appropriately named it “Saber” after a “light saber”. He is very energetic and keeps us laughing.

Emma (4 years) loves to sing and dance. She has enjoyed a tap and ballet class and a dance play group. This month she will have two different performances, one the “Nutcracker” play and the other a dance recital. She is excited to perform “on stage”. After Isaac got his guinea pig Emma quickly saved some money so she too could have a guinea pig to “mother”. She named it “Sparkles”. She loves to read books and enjoys going to story time on base. Dusty and I are Emma’s primary teachers at church. We have enjoyed Emma in class and appreciate her sweet spirit given she is the only girl of ten energetic children!

Sophie (1 ½ years) is running around and trying to do whatever her older sister is doing. She likes to carry purses around and hold baby dolls. She loves to feed herself and will even try to pray before she eats. She definitely knows she is the baby of the family and gives us a very high-pitched squawk to get what she wants. We love when she gets sleepy and slows down enough to cuddle with us.

In the hustle and bustle of this Christmas season, I hope we are all able to remember the true meaning of Christmas and keep our Savior Jesus Christ in our hearts and minds. We are so grateful for our many blessing and the freedoms we enjoy everyday. We wish you a merry Christmas and hope 2009 has also brought you happiness and joy.

Love, The Andersons

Dustin, Jandee, Isaac, Emma and Sophia