Christmas Letter 2011

Critchfield Family Christmas 2011
I have an autobiography I had to do as a sort of senior project in my AP English class in high school. My kids ask me to read it to them at bed time. Can you believe I have forgotten some of the things that I wrote happened. Not just forgotten, like “Oh yeah! I remember that now!” I mean forgotten like, “Did that happen? Did I make this stuff up?” It is a sign of my growing older I suppose but also a sign that is it good for me to write things down. So with that attitude, I start our annual Christmas letter.
Bridger has had some shifting of job duties at work this fall as part of a company restructuring to be more efficient. He is now basically a call center claim rep which means he doesn’t have to drive 5 hours in a day to inspect a claim in the nethermost regions of SE Idaho. He won’t be called to work in Montana for a week or more on the last minute because of a storm that just came through. He will have to sit in a cubicle for 8 hours a day from 8-5 specifically to answer phone calls. There are good and no so good parts to the change and we are trying to take them all in stride. I think it is easier on me to take them in stride because he is home more and I don’t sit in a cubicle 8 hours a day. He was also just given a new calling at church. He is the assistant scout master. I had someone tell me what a good job he does with these boys. We also had our neighbor return from Iraq so he is no longer maintaining 2 yards. Instead of working the hours of 2 jobs and having 2 callings and 2 yards, he is down to one of each which is a nice change.
Corban turned 11 this year and is in 6th grade. He has been going on camp out with the scouts. Corban’s response to Bridger’s new calling was, “Does this mean you will HAVE to go on all my campouts with me now?” Corban is not so thrilled with the new calling. Corban started middle school this year and is loving it. He is really thinking of himself as a teenager now and acting more and more like one. It is better to tread into these teenager years slowly. I guess it is good he is giving us a head start to adjusting. He did wrestling at the school this year and really improved in his strength. summer. He did electronics and swimming.
Kjerstin got glasses this year. That is probably what she wants everyone to know. She asked if she had to wear them in the shower, in bed, at gymnastics while doing back handsprings, etc. She likes her glasses, and color coordinated her outfits to match her glasses her first few days of use. She is 9 and in 4th grade. Her best friend across the street moved this summer. She did sewing, fitness, electronics and swimming in 4H. She liked sewing so much, she has also sewed PJ pants for herself since then as well.
Brynna is 7 and in 1st grade. She is an excellent reader. Many times I find her reading a book I think is too hard for her but she wants to read it and figures it out. Brynna’s friend also moved this summer. She is still my snuggler. Brynna did sewing, fitness, electronics and swimming as well in 4H. She also tried out gymnastics this year and is improving in her handstands and cartwheels.
Daven is 3 years old(4 in 10 days) . His speech has dramatically improved! Now I find myself wishing if for just a moment he wasn’t talking non-stop. He is very busy and the things he says often crack me up and make me smile. Last night at the store, he asked Bridger to carry him. Bridger picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. Daven said, “Not like that!” Bridger said, “Yes, like that!” Daven said, “Okay, whatever you want” as he was carried upside down. When he sat on Santa’s lap at the church Christmas party, he received a brown paper bag with an orange, some nuts and candy in it. He came joyfully down and said, “Santa gave me a lunch!” He loves Mario and wears his Mario hat more days than he doesn’t. Corban is his best friend.
Gideon is 22 ½1/2 months old. He is not a whit behind Daven and wants to be doing whatever Daven and everyone else is doing. He is saying new words everyday it seems. The only baby thing about him is his binki which he is reluctant to get rid of. He has a killer smile and is a Grandpa’s boy. He has a special relationship with his Grandpa Critchfield. He is also a little mischievous. He currently will stealthily look for anyone to leave a bathroom door open so he can climb in the sink (and has turned it on twice now). We have to keep our eye on him!
I stay busy with the kids at church in primary, volunteering at the elementary school, PTSA president at the middle school, mystery shopping and generally duties of wife and mom. My only complaint is I don’t have as much time to read or write as I would like right now. I still find time to exercise as it helps me keep my sanity J. My accomplishment of the year is I finally refinished the table I have been talking about for several years. Woo hoo! 1 down!

Here is a quote from a blog I like to read to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

"Tis the season! And no, I’m not talking about Christmas. I’m talking instead about the season of illness, of cold, flu, strep, croup, and all the other contagions that seem to prey on the unwilling. Turns out, viruses and bacteria aren’t the only things that are contagious. So are moods and actions.Studies have shown that both sadness and lonleliness can be spread from person to person. Luckily, positive attitudes can be just as contagious. We’ve heard of pay-it-forward movements, where acts of kindness spread like a particularly pestilential pink-eye. Happiness is also contagious. This year, as I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to give (and get) at Christmas, I’ve also been thinking of what I’d like to give (and get) in terms of spiritual contagions. I’d like to catch a spirit of optimism and a gift of discernment. I’d like to pass on kindness, persistence, and thoughtfulness.Of course, I realize that these attitudes are earned through our efforts–they don’t simply pass through the ether like germs. But I think that we do find ourselves inspired by the attitudes and behaviors of those around us, often more than we think. And if that’s the case, why not seek out those who possess the attitudes we’d like to have? Why not strive to embody qualities we’d like to pass on? This year, what kinds of contagions would you like to be part of?"