Our Cyber Christmas Card

I never got around to ordering Christmas cards this year. Oops.

But if I did, it would probably look something like this:

It is important to note that I am not pregnant. It was poor posture and too much gelato :).

This picture represents very well what having three kids looks like most of the time minus the incredible backdrop (and that is when there are two parents around, imagine when there is only one). Despite the craziness at times, these kids make us SO HAPPY we can't even keep from smiling when we talk about them. They are amazing people. 

In way of a brief year review...

ESME (15 months)

Esme is a very adored child. She loves to snuggle with stuffed animals and is somewhat drawn to pink, but other than that she loves all the things that her older brother's love. She plays with cars, destroys their block towers, and is fascinated by legos. We are so smitten with her that our greatest fear is spoiling her rotten. She has an easy laugh and is very fun to be around. She absolutely never gives up when she sets her mind to something. She is the perfect addition to our family.

CAMERON (4 in January)

Cam (here pictured as a peregrine falcon) started preschool this year and is loving it. He is forming a reputation for being very easy-going and happy which makes him very popular for playdate invitations. I have to admit, he really is SO EASY. He is obedient, usually happy to do whatever we are doing, has a great sense of humor, and picks up on things really easily. I don't know where he came from but I am so grateful for his spirit in our home everyday. He does, however, know how to hold his own with his older brother and sometimes I forget that they are over two years apart. He knows how to get under Luke's skin without breaking any family rules which is another testament to his intelligence. This winter he will start playing indoor soccer and is very excited.

LUKE  (6)

Luke (holding Esme) is absolutely the sweetest older brother a Mom could ask for. He dotes on his little sister and is so excited when she does the slightest new thing. He has told me before that he wants to have 10 kids when he grows up (I can't wait to remind him about that when he is older). Of course, he also wants me to have 10 kids which is not going to happen :). Luke told me once that he wants to be a grandpa when he grows up and I am pretty sure he will be the world's greatest grandpa. Luke is a very diligent student in kindergarten and loves to learn. He often comes home and becomes Cam's "teacher" which doesn't usually go over very well but I think Cam will be well prepared for kindergarten whether he wants to or not. Luke played soccer this year and improved so much from start to finish...we were so proud. He is starting to pound out songs on the piano, can climb like a monkey, and is becoming quite skilled at legos. It is such a fun age to see all his emerging talents. 

ANDREW AND LAUREN

We have had the opportunity to do some fun things in 2014. For the month of April, we were able to go to Italy as a family while Andrew conducted research at a retinablastoma referral center in Siena, Italy. We also went to Utah (family reunions), Chicago, and explored northern Michigan. Andrew began his final year as an Ophthalmology resident in July which means it is our last year in Ann Arbor. Andrew recently accepted a fellowship position in Ocular Oncology at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London starting July 2015. We will be living in London for one year. We are really excited about the opportunity and feel like it will be a great experience for our family, but it has definitely added a bit of stress to our lives as we figure how to get our family settled in London. We are also preparing to sell our house and downsizing our possessions significantly. The next few months (or years) will definitely be busy.

We are so grateful for all that we have. We often find ourselves thinking of ways we can teach our children to be grateful and understand what a great blessing it is just to have a family, a home, and to live in relative peace and comfort. They think it is so normal to have such a happy and carefree life and we are happy to provide that. But in small, manageable amounts, we hope they will begin to see that the great blessings they have are not so common. They are blessings that are in need by many. We hope we can teach them to share their gifts willingly as Christ does for all of us. This next year, I hope our family can do more to see the people around us and recognize the ways we can help each other.

Merry Christmas! We are so grateful for you friends!

Love,

The Staceys