As per the usual, I was running a bit behind on cards this year, so I decided to forgo the killing of a tree and publish an online version of our Christmas letter….

SO.  It’s been a busy year for the Clan Mac.  We ended a deployment with a happy reunion, traveled more times than I can count, surprised my big “lil” bro for his birthday, went to an amazing family camp, got Sam & Jim Ed hitched, hosted Thanksgiving for my family & had an amazing Christmas!  I’m sure I missed much in that little synopsis, but I only have so many operational brain cells during the week after Christmas… and here are the updates!

Charles has certainly ridden the proverbial roller coaster lately….after returning from deployment to a crazy house of excited kiddos, he returned to work at Camp LeJeune, only to be routed on over to Camp Johnson for most of the summer on a special audit project.  After returning to the regular disbursing office again, he decided it was finally time to hit the reset button on his education and finish up.  So, he became a full time student at University of Maryland once again, this time he’ll be plowing through to the end since we have NO plans to add to our family again and we are NOT moving.  Yup, you heard it right.  For the first time in recorded history, the Clan Mac is going to be in one place for longer than 2 years and 11 months…(We did blow that record this year when we went over 3, but weren’t sure we’d be staying past this summer.  Charles was blessed to be chosen to go the schoolhouse at Camp Johnson, where he’ll be instructing.)  So, buy your lottery tickets, folks.  The universe has shifted and it’s all up for grabs.  🙂 

Eva has matured in the sweetest of ways this last year.  Some of it was simply the passage of time and some was the (sad) result of being Mommy’s big helper while Daddy was gone again.  It was a rough year for all of us & I don’t know how I would have survived without my right hand gal.  She hit double digits in November (Mommy freaked out AND cried…,) started Essentials in our homeschool group (this is BIG, since it’s an intensive writing/grammar class and is TOUGH,) performed 3 dances BEAUTIFULLY in the Nutcracker again and competed in her first Geo Bee.  She keeps busy reading constantly, singing, dancing, playing piano, enjoying her American Girls dolls, being a member of American Heritage Girls and homeschooling with all her heart.  We are a little awed every day at the young lady she is blossoming into and I’m excited (and terrified) of all the future holds for my oldest blessing.  

Charley….where to begin?  She went from reluctant kindergartner to almost 2nd grader in less than a year.  The inner workings of her brain are something I am awed by on a daily basis.  Her love of learning and all things mathematical and mysterious is quite fascinating.  She is not one bit girly (except for the dangly earrings she loves to wear…) and every BIT the tomboy.  Shirts and ties are the uniform of the day for all things formal, cargos and superhero T-shirts cover the rest of the occasions.  She lived for soccer in the fall and has already begun pestering me about spring soccer.  (I have avoided this question…I’m enjoying the lack of chaos for a bit.)  She loves playing piano and has picked it up quite quickly (alliteration there, my nerd friends…heehee)  She is also a scripture nerd… She LIVES to memorize her AWANA scripture and advance through her books.  It’s so inspiring to have her ask to pray for our family, a wonderful habit she recently developed.  Underneath her tough exterior lies a heart of gold and the sweetest of intentions.  She is a little mommy to not only her siblings, but her best friend G, who is practically our 6th child.  (and she is the 3rd child to G’s awesome mama.)  

Mercy, oh messy Mercy.  My little dirt magnet is the prissiest of my 3 girls.  She lives to be fancy, made up, styled, dressed to the nines and IN CHARGE.  Miss bossy pants has quite a mouth on her and often finds herself in hot water…She and her other half have developed some pretty sneaky signals and I often find myself terrified when I don’t know what they are up to.  She is a complete and total fib telling queen and only tells the truth about 5% of the time.  I’m hoping she is getting it all out of her system NOW.  (If not, I’m going to need to be heavily medicated when she becomes a teenager.)  She adores dancing, school (for her this is our CC day, sunday school and story time,) her Nanny Leah, playdates with her pals, my iphone & ipad, and learning all the dances her big sis Eva choreographs for her performance.  The mannerisms that exude from sassy gal #3 are priceless…and way too grown up for such a tiny little person!  She talks from the time she gets up until she falls asleep and NEVER stops moving, shaking or twitching about…it’s exhausting just to watch.  I think she stole ALL of my energy! 3 going on 30….I can’t to see what year #4 and the beginning of “real” homeschooling holds for my lil’ sassafrass.  

Max…Max…Max!  Superhero in disguise…Completely his father’s child.  Happy alone or with his sibs, he is my early riser and breakfast buddy.  I cherish my sweet mornings with my lil’ man.  Although…when he first started popping out of bed so early, he had a sneaky habit of relocating the candy and cereal to his closet!  His voice is amazingly cool and his accent on certain words just makes me melt.  (see previous post about  Maxism’s…)  He is a carbon copy of my brother and interestingly enough, has many of the same idiosyncrasies…thanks for that, God.  LOL  He’s regularly corrupted by his sneaky twin and it cracks me up to catch him in his little schemes…He’s completely Type A, (sorry dude, you’re stuck with that from Mommy,) extremely bright and incredibly sweet.  For him, the universe rocks when it’s filled with legos, trains, superheroes, cars, transformers, books and his “hawk.”  (slang term for his faux hawk hair style that is amazingly COOL.)  He too, loves “school” and I am excited to begin the learning journey with my oldest boy.  

Sam.  Wow.  That boy is ON FIRE.  He is such a little turkey.  Stares right at ya while he’s breaking the rules and just grins, daring you to catch him.  And, oh boy, when he is caught… end of the world, melting, yelling, fit time.  It’s just so lovely.  (not.)  He is every bit the big boy when he’s playing with his sibs and every bit my baby boy when it’s time to rock and snuggle before bed.  He is currently on a hunger strike unless he gets exactly what he wants to eat, so I’m not sure how he weighs 35 lbs and feels like he weighs 50.  I think Max might be sneaking him candy….He had a rough 3rd Thanksgiving when he knelt down on a fish hook and had a subsequent ambulance ride and removal of said impaled object.  He shocked both Charles and I with how well he did during the whole ordeal!  I think we were more traumatized than he was.  He is really not so little anymore….  🙁   And definitely not your typical youngest child.  He is very vocal, tough and well spoken.  His voice is so sweet and amazing…I love to listen to him chatter on.  This next year will be the end of an era for our family as our littlest man grows out of toddlerhood.  I’m excited…and a little sad!  

As for me?  Well, it’s been one heck of a year.  I survived the deployment, year #2 of homeschooling, started year #3, traveled so much I’m determined to stay home (possibly without leaving my house… for a LONG time), grew a little wiser, discovered that I just might be able to dip my toe back into the world, and decided that it was time to slow things down just a little (or maybe A LOT.) Charles and I entered into this year of homeschooling with a firm belief in this calling for our family and a dedication that has helped change both the tone and the focus of our little one room schoolhouse.  We’re in it for the long haul, folks.  And what a blessing this year has been.  I’ve come to the end of 2012 with a renewed awareness of God’s all-encompassing presence in our lives, gratitude beyond words for my husband and children, thankfulness for friends who ARE family and joy in the fullness of my life. Beyond it all, I am thankful for the blessing of Christmas and the ultimate gift brought to earth from our Lord, His Son that we celebrate!

I thank each and every one of you for your friendship, love, and kindness throughout the years.  I hope this “letter” finds you and yours well!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

With Love, 

Tiff