Merry Christmas

Dearest Friends & Family,
The Larson household has been a very busy one this past year. We spent the beginning of the year getting accommodated to having to take care of a puppy. Monster, our pit bull, joined our family just three days after Christmas last year. He has fit in well with Den & I. He is spoiled rotten and has such a great personality.
I have continued in my calling working with the Young Women at church. Dennis has worked with the cub scouts and is currently reliving some experiences from his youth. We welcomed a few nieces and nephews into the family and took trips to visit them.
Dennis started working for Guardian Pest Defense in April and continues to wow his customers with his vast pest control knowledge. I ran my first 5K in May, it only took me 45 minutes and a hurt ankle to finish it out, but it was a great accomplishment. I finished out my year teaching kindergarten at Kensington and occupied my summer as a nanny for a 6 and 9 year old. I spent the summer living it up, hanging by the pool, visiting the zoo, and catching up with girlfriends while we had play dates at the park. Really it was tough! I was also able to domesticate myself with all of my free time. I beautified my front yard with flowers, got better at my quilting and sewing skills by creating curtains, blankets, pillows and many other things. In July, I was given the opportunity to see LeAnn Rimes in a private intimate concert in Chicago. I was about 2 feet from the stage and even got her autograph. That same month, I attended Girls Camp for church in Michigan as the Camp Leader for a week. It was the spiritual highlight of my year as we bonded and grew closer as a “family”. Dennis got his business up and running at the latter part of this year. He found a company to bottle his sauce and sold his first batch within 3 weeks. He is currently working on getting his business license and website up and running.
I got caught up in the Twilight frenzy and started to read more this summer, that is until I started 2 jobs in August. I started at The Education Cove, a new teacher store just 1 minute from home as a tutor/Asst. Manager. A day later, I was hired as an Intervention Specialist at a school just a few miles from home. I spend most of my day working one on one with students who are struggling in math & reading. It is a great experience and I am learning a lot.
We celebrated our Third anniversary in September. Dennis won over the hearts of the women I work with by sending me 2 dozen roses at work. Of course he earned double brownie points with me. In October, I started volunteering as a leader of a Rainbows group. It is a group where children meet together whose families have suffered life altering events such as divorce or death and learn how to talk about it and cope with it. It has been a huge blessing in my life and I have worked with my group of second graders and have been given the opportunity to help them deal with their pain. In just a few weeks I will start up with The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. I am excited to become part of a child’s life as a positive role model and one that she will be able to look up to.
Monster continues to be the best dog anyone would ask for. He spends most of his time curled up on the guest bed watching over the neighborhood, scaling dads back as they play tug o war, cuddling with mom and hanging with his neighborhood friends. He continues to amaze us every day with the things that he does and he brings so much laughter to our home.
No new news on the adoption process yet. We are just trying to get things more prepared before we officially turn in our application. We still have Faith that our Father in Heaven will bless us with a precious spirit of our own that we will be privileged to raise. We will keep everyone posted as more things happen.
We have been grateful for all of the blessings that Heavenly Father has given us this year and look forward to many more in 2009. We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and an exciting & happy New Year!
Love,
The Larsons