Our Christmas letter

Ok, so this year its my turn to write our Christmas letter!........this is Josiah, I’m 7 years old and I’m in 1st grade!!!! I love going to school, playing with friends, being in AWANA, helping Mom and Dad with chores around the house (well, ok, sometimes I like to help them), and the best thing this year? I learned to read!!!!! I am so excited about that! Mrs. Blomgren makes us bring home small books everyday to read with Mom and Dad and I’m getting better at reading! I’m always trying to figure what words are by spelling them out and then I ask Mom and Dad what word that is (well, my brain gets tired to trying to figure all that stuff out! – there’s a lot of words to see!)

Isaac turned 10 this year. Mom said that he’ll be in the double digits for the rest of his life now! – that’s a LONG time! WOW!!! He had some friends over for his birthday and I got to invite a friend too and we went bowling! We had a blast!! Isaac likes school, playing with his friends, he’s a Webelos in Cub scouts now, he’s in Chess club afterschool and he’s gone to a chess tournament too. He’s played Dad a few times, and Dad says that he can tell Isaac is getting better at Chess cuz he cant’ beat him right away anymore! Isaac also sold the most popcorn for Cub Scouts too this year! He sold $2,300.00 – that’s a lot of popcorn! He sold enough popcorn to get himself a Nintendo DS and he won an Apple ipod shuffle!!! Lucky guy!! He was so excited!!!

Dad started a new position at Bargen Inc. as Roofing Foreman/Estimator. He loves his job! He says he’s got a passion for roofing (whatever that means) and can’t wait to help build that division up!! He’s been home a lot more this year (versus being gone M-Th all summer long last year) and we love having him home more! Dad is still doing projects around the house, and I try to help him, but his list never ends!! His latest project is the bathroom in me and Isaac’s room – its almost done, but he needs to finish the plumbing in the sink. Otherwise its painted and has a new floor so its ready to go!

Mom is still Secretary for Bargen Inc. She told me she’s been there 13 years already! (that’s a long time!) This summer she took a vacation away from us and went on a “Wild Women” trip to Glacier National park in Montana this year. At first I thought she was going to see Hannah Montana, until she explained it to me (he he). She went hiking up Hidden Lake Trail at Glacier, sailing, white water rafting and then a high ropes course. She was gone for a whole week and we missed her, but she had fun! She went with a group from church and I think she said there were 13women that went. She had to find a name for herself, so she was “Mellow Michelle” and I wonder what everyone else had for names, but oh well. She showed us pictures from her trip – sliding in snow on a mountain, rafting, hiking, and she said she was in God’s country! Oh yeah, she also said they stayed at Flathead Lutheran Bible camp there and slept outside in tents! (that is NOT Mom at all!) They were told that they see bear out there, so Isaac gave her his whistle, a compass, his flint and some lint to help start a fire in case she needed it!

Isaac and I enjoy being with Grandpa and Grandma too! Whenever Grandpa isn’t busy, he’s picking us up from school, or at our house til Mom and Dad get home from work, he’ll take us with him in the semi when he’s hauling corn, or just making the rounds in the fields when its harvest time……

Just a few weeks ago we took a trip to Lubbock, TX to see Dad’s family. We got to go on the Polar Express there! Aunt Liz got us tickets, so we (Mom, Isaac and me) got on the train in our jammies, had hot cocoa, cookies, danced in the aisle, saw Santa clause and got a sleigh bell! We had a blast!!! We had Thanksgiving at Aunt Frannie’s house and ate lots of good food there! We had lots of fun playing with our cousins, playing with Shorty, Grandpa’s dog and going to the Mudd room to paint some projects – I painted a 4 wheeler and Isaac painted a pirate ship!

From our hearts to yours~ Merry Christmas!

Josiah from all of us



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