Christmas morning 2010

Merry Christmas! 2010 has found the Dowdle/Thompson family together!

Every Christmas morning starts with seeing what Santa brought ... stockings so full that gifts fall out all around them. The kids (no matter how old) love this part!

A Christmas tree filled with memories and gifts

Me and my honey-bear. Our kids are getting older, but Christmas is Christmas and no matter how old you are, it's so magical.

Our 5 kids ... sigh. They are SO big. We love them so much! The best Christmas present of all is having Ryan home and completing our little gaggle again.

"here, let me see the camera!"

"I need to get pictures of the kids opening their stockings ... one of their favorite parts of Christmas morning."

Autumn bought me a silver chain with a pendent that has a "D" on it. I love it. It is extra special because my daughter picked it out for ME.

And what did Autumn pick out for Daddy-O? A tie and SALT PACKETS!!! She's an accomplice to his horrible addition!

It's not just any round poinsettia wrapped sphere. It's an indoor basket ball that he can play with for years. Joey has to get at least one ball or another each year.

High five Cody!

On the side...

To slo..... oh, you got me!

Granny got us cool shirts from Aeropostle. Thanks Granny. You did good!

And look what Granny got me... Something for my eyes when I sleep. I really did want this! How did she know?

Granny got Shawn a Christmas piano book and Ryan a guitar music book. They were both ecstatic and surprised Granny nailed them so well.

Dad got to open the gift from Auntie Claire; a little Christmas embellishment for our tiny cottage. Thanks Claire!

Granny has to get us something to do with maps. You see ... she's a geography teacher!

Now for Ryan's gifts. Joey got a gift certificate to Mrs. Cavanough chocolates --- $20! Lucky.

Autumn got a darling little apron to support her new love of cooking.

And it deserved a high five!....

And a hug.

Ry got Dad a tie. A nice one! Eric studied the packaging. Well, of course he did.

And mom last. Ryan got me some book reading lights. And I love them. But what I liked even more was the hand written, well-thought, amazing letter he wrote. Contents private ... but any mother would be so happy. What a boy!

Cody actually guessed this gift. He's been asking for the sixth book in the David Bowman series; Who's Your Hero, for months. I read it to him that night. It was amazing. Get it for everyone you know!

Ryan got dishes for his apartment. Yay! He'll be moving in two weeks. sigh....

soooooo snuggggggly!!!! grrrrrrrr

"How to yarn. Um... thanks." We laughed hard over that one. It was actually a really neat video on family history from our neighbor. But Joey got to open it. Boy did we pick the right person for the job. [snicker]

Thanks Oma! I remote control truck for Cody.

I waited to the end to open my gift from Marshy. It was an amazing book she made about Mother's. She wrote me the most amazing letter in the back. There was a darling picture of her and me too. It was the perfect way to end our lovely Christmas. What a great morning!

I asked Cody what gift he liked best. "This!" he said. At the time he was playing with a squishy tomato that Auntie Jane bought him. He threw it up to the ceiling and it stuck. It stayed there most of the day. Kinda funny.

It's been one of my favorite Christmas mornings ever. I had all my children all day. We put aside our toys and played games to make us laugh. It was such a good idea. Our family feels wrong when even one member is missing. What a blessing to enjoy this day TOGETHER!

And most important, we remember our Savior who has given us the greatest gift of all.... HOPE!

Baby Andy

Andy Nicolas Landa

December 23, 2010

5 lbs 15 oz --- 17.5 in

St. Marks Hospital, SLC, UT

Renzo and Claire, we are so happy for you and your little family of boys! Yay for boys!

He opened his eyes for .25 seconds and I snapped a picture

There's NOTHING better than snuggling a new-born

Look how tiny and adorable! I love that little Andy's brothers are looking on in this picture.

Little squishy ... Claire looks in love

He's finally on the OUTSIDE! Actually, Andy was a month early. But the nurses say he's a very healthy premie. He got to go home pretty quick.

I had to wait four days to see my nephew because we had colds at our house. But man! I was so happy to finally hold my little Andy!

It's a pea-pod!

Auntie Deb's first kiss from Andy captured on camera!

An angel

He looks like Claire! How did he override the strong peruvian genes!?

2010 Christmas Letter

Dowdle/Thompson loooooooooong 2010 Christmas letter

A car hit Eric last week while he was running. He rolled over the hood and without any scratch or injury continued on his run with a forgiving wave. The mortified driver was relieved to be able to continue on his way. It’s just one of those near misses that become one of the blessings of 2010.

2010 has been deemed “family memories” year. Mostly because Ryan came home from his mission and from that time forward we have tried to create as many memories as we could with our whole family. We knew it wouldn’t be long before Ryan moved on again, as well as our teenagers who are starting to make life plans of their own … the inevitable path of all children. Our family experiences have varied from lovely trips together, raking leaves, or just sitting on our bed in pajamas and talking. We especially like the ones that involve good food and extended family -- like doing things with Caramie and Brennan’s families (Deb’s step-children from her first marriage). We love them so much and were really happy to include them in family pictures this year.

Eric had a landmark moment this year --- we celebrated his millionth puzzle sold! What an achievement. How surreal it has been to see how his 15-year career as an artist has started to move from the root system to the tree. His artwork and puzzles are being sold in every Costco in the US and Canada for the Christmas season. He has been traveling the world doing research for more cities to be painted. He is also starting the process of creating fabric from some of his images. Quilters are waiting on pins and needles … especially Mom who has made over 10 quilts this year – so fun!. Eric recently returned from a trip to Kenya where a woman’s co-op worked together to stitch some of his quilt art panels. This was an extra special trip because he was able to spend time with our Kenyan son Ben. Another highlight was a Dowdle family cruise earlier in the year where he and his large family of 12 siblings were able to honor their parents in beautiful Alaska.

It has been a very eventful year for me as well. I have tuned to a new chapter in my life, leaving an enjoyable career to focus on family and home… never an easy transition but worth every minute. The little bit of free time this afforded me was soon filled with a church calling as Relief Society president. What a wonderful blessing this has become as I have learned more what it means to “love those you serve”. I have always wanted to surround myself with dynamic and loving women. And now I find them everywhere I turn. That’s pretty awesome! I have also been blessed with good health, which has given me the ability to take care of family and others. I have recovered well from my surgeries and look forward to living more fully beside my sweetie – God willing.

And now a brief synopsis of our children … starting with our little Squishy;

Cody (6) has decided to become a Ninja. He does his best at Taekwondo but his gentle nature doesn’t lend itself to the testosterone-filled environment he’s now surrounded by. I find myself laughing under my breath a lot as I watch him gently punch the air with a high-pitched yelp. Despite his gentle nature, Cody likes to make the rules and finds himself with crocodile tears when others try to “control my life!” What a new adventure it has been to have a child with a personality all his own. He plays well enough by himself, but his biggest request is “Mom, can you get me a play date”. Nothing beats time with his friends!

Joey (15) is now wearing size 11 shoes! I know. We can’t believe it either. I think there may be a little wiggle room in those Nikis though. But he wears them to school and to all his sporting activities – a new basketball league being his favorite. Joey and his Dad try to catch Jazz and BYU games when they can. It’s their shared passion. ESPN seems to afford the “man-time” Joey craves with his dad. Joey earned the money to go to EFY this year at the University of Utah campus. As a BYU fan he had to suck-it-up and take what life allotted. We were very proud of him for earning his way and making this happen. As a 9^th grader, Joey has a lot on his plate. He moved back to his mom’s house in November. She gives him some personal time he needs to help him with his studies. As always, he would rather be with his friends than anywhere else. Joey has a sense of humor that keeps us all laughing. It’s a special treat to watch him and his brothers go off. They’re always making people laugh. The most fun part is to watch them crack up until they’re crying. I’m sure they’ll one day look back and see these times as their favorite memories.

Shawn’s (17) greatest highlight of 2010 was his trip to England in August. He worked for months to earn the money to visit a friend there. We were so proud to see him take the initiative to make his goal a reality. He was able to visit ancient cathedrals and castles. He made some great friends as he toured England in double-decker buses. He watched Les Miserable which he loved. He had planned to spend a week in a youth church group but it was cancelled due to the rain. This six foot, two inch man is surely spreading his wings. He especially loves seminary and the new group of friends he’s collected as a Junior in high school. Something special for us parents were watching him and Autumn perform in a skit for the homecoming pageant. They were a hoot!

Autumn (17) is a senior this year and busy beyond belief. She is a blur of activity. This will give you an idea why; She is the vice president of the DECA club in school, seminary class president and Stake youth committee president. She has worked hard at school and made the honor roll for first term. She was instrumental in teaching her best friend about the church (who was baptized a few weeks ago). And on top of all that, she works part time for her Dad as an artist. She calls it the “coolest job in the world”…. (as she should!) Oh, and she dates. She has become a beautiful, dynamic girl who will surely do well as she makes plans for her life as a college student.

Ryan (21) is home!!! He got home in June… surely the greatest highlight of our year. He served his mission faithfully in both Bolivia and Peru. It took a few weeks before the Spanish accent starting giving way to something we could understand. Ryan got home and hit the pavement running (in full-Ryan style). He is in finals at UVU right now and will start BYU in January to finish his pre-med work. He also plans to move with some buddies to an apartment soon. On top of working two jobs and going to school full-time, Ryan is also studying to become a certified personal trainer. Oh, and he rock climbs and hikes whenever he gets a free moment. He’s already hiked three summits since he’s been home. We see little of our son, but every once in a while we stay up late and have wonderful deep conversations. These are moments we will never take for granted. Ryan adds an important ingredient to our blended family. He brings both peace and laughter to the home. Oh … and he dates!

And now for our “children by choice” who we have come to love in ways that word cannot express…

Brennan and Marshelle were married only months after Brennan returned from a mission to Mexico. They just celebrated their one-year anniversary. They are two peas in a pod. If we didn’t know better, we would think they were twins…. so alike it is a bit spooky. Brennan is in college studying a subject he already knows (web design and graphic art). He’s made the deans honor roll three times and has tested out of many of his classes. He just started working with Eric as his graphic/media/web expert and is very excited to experience career advancement. Marshy works as a gymnastics coach and loves working with the children. In fact, she coaches our own little Emmy. And even at 20-years-old, Marshy can do perfect splits! We’ve seen it. She is very accomplished at the piano and cello and we LOVE to hear her play whenever we get the chance. We always remind Brennan of how well he married. May all our sons choose so well!

Caramie & Levi have given us too very precious grandbabies. Yes, we’re grandparents! A very distinguishing feature of this darling little family is height! Levi stands at six-foot four and Caramie at six feet. They are lean and healthy, all enjoying a whole foods lifestyle. They are very devoted parents spending time with their children and offering them opportunities for growth verses material excessiveness. It seems to have paid off because Emmy, (4) who sometimes likes to be called Cindy – her first name, has taught herself to write, count, dress herself so she matches, do her hair, sing, play violin, clean her room and help take care of her baby brother, Ronan. Ronan (1) is BIG (as you can imagine) but one of the most laid-back adorable squishy babies to ever grace the planet. He looks and acts a lot like his Uncle Brennan as a baby. We enjoy every minute we have to hold him (however it requires a back massage afterward). Always smiling and amiable, he only screams when his sister loves him too much. Some of their family’s highlights are planting cedar trees, ridding themselves of much of their clutter, and spending time “learning from” their children. What great examples they are!

And now for Benson Mmbaga (21); As many of you already know, we met Ben on a research/humanitarian trip to Kenya in 2008. As we visited one of the Primary Schools there, I felt a maternal connection to him immediately. He had been orphaned since the age of 6 but had persevered and done adequately well for himself. Within minutes of chatting with him in his broken English I felt bonded and didn’t want to leave him. The feeling was mutual. After Eric and I went home, I couldn’t get him out of my head, and through prayer and discussions with my husband; we eventually decided to raise tuition to send him to college. With the help of very dear friends we were able to send him to a teachers college. He was overjoyed and has been a great student. His principal and teachers have been impressed with his integrity and determination to work hard. Ben is a god-fearing man who believes he will one day have the opportunity to serve as a teacher and in any other way God requires. Ben will graduate this year. We hope to one day bring him to the States to visit his American family. We have all grown to love him. Ben has a blog if you’d like to follow his progress; www.bensonmmbaga.blogspot.com

Here is Ben’s Christmas message he asked me to include:

This has been a wonderful year where God showed me victory in my academics; I have never gone home for fees just because it was paid on time. Then this year I was sick for two weeks although I recovered from the coughing. On the other hand it was a nice time for me especially when I took

part in the drama competition and we came out the 5th best in a total of 15 college that took part in the competitions. This year will be a great one because I have met with new friends like Jim, Barry, Ann, college friends among others ,unlike other years my friends were only people from my district or the local school I had gone for studies. It is also through this year that I have had a chance to sit with Eric and talk together. It was fun meeting him. It is also through the same year I had a chance to hold on a laptop. I say it is marvelous and I say glory be to God. Say hi all family members, friends and relatives.

BEN.........

At this glorious season, we are grateful for a quirky and beautifully blended family. We love this time of year! We have eternal hope through our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that He is the greatest giver of gifts, the atonement being the greatest gift ever given. How grateful we are for His birth. May we all learn to love each other as he has loved us.

Merry Christmas to you all!

And … thanks for reading the whoooooooole letter! Whew!