Christmas Letter to Marcus

As most of you know, Marcus is now in Basic Training for the Navy. While we miss him terribly we are very proud of him. We write him almost daily. Here is our Christmas letter to him. Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas Marcus!
While we sorely wished you were here, we are very happy that you are almost in your 2nd week of basic and that your life is moving forward! Here are some Christmas memories for you to have. We love you!

Benjamin eagerly woke all of us at 7:11. He was threatened that for every minute BEFORE 7 he would lose a present. As his gift to us, he waited until 11 minutes AFTER. What a nice kid. Still, we had some of the usual morning adjustments to waking.

Soon the destruction began! Since we opened most of our presents while you and Dad were here we only had a small smattering for this 2nd Christmas morning. As is customary in the house where Mom delegates the work, each kid had wrapped the other kid’s presents the night before. If you can see the big present in the front-left, that was Ben’s wrapping job. We’re still working on that skill. But he did get professional Mom help with the Marvel Comic book he wrapped for Jordan. (The last present he wrapped, of course. How Timely!)

Casey is laughing because the boys got her a 360 Rubic’s cube. Hah. See how long it takes her to figure that out! Plus, all that time on the cube (circle) means all that time she’s NOT bossing them around! Good choice boys!

After presents we went onto the next Christmas tradition – cereal!

Casey wasn’t with us when we got the cereal, so I had to use her directions and get something yogurt in Mini-wheats. We also got smaller boxes than normal – thanks to Casey not being there. To his credit though, Ben did try to get the Jumbo Lucky Charms – but I convinced him otherwise. Poor kid – he must have gone up and down the cereal aisle at least 3 times, trying to decide what cereal. So many choices, and only 2 Christmas mornings! Casey was surprised to learn her mini-wheats had stuff inside them! So was I.

This year even I got cereal! My choice – Apple Jacks. Jordan got chocolate Cheerios and Ben got Fruit Loops – how appropriate. What would your choice have been? Have you had cereal in Basic? Are you allowed? It was weird not to have Captain Crunch.

After/during cereal the kids opened their stockings. This year without you and Dad I tried something new – I had the kids choose the stocking stuffers. Jordan chose for himself NERF bullets. He and Jordan found out the day before that the reason they are missing so many bullets is that every time Casey cleans the basement and finds them on the floor she throws them away. LOL Hence not many bullets left in the house.

In the second picture on the first page you can see Casey laughing = that’s because when looking for a stocking stuffer for her I suggested a new Rubic’s cube. They couldn’t find one, but instead found a 360 Rubic’s ball. They insisted that she needed this.

In their stockings they also got NORAD tracks Santa stuff. We have your stocking stuff set aside. I’ll send it this coming week, and hope you’ve been good enough to get it!

I don’t know if you can see it in Jordan’s pic to the left, but there’s a very important item there in his stocking. Here is Ben demonstrating it. . . .


We have been blessed with music all morning long now. While I was chatting with Dad he was working on “She’ll be coming down the mountain when she comes!” He has also discovered there are “tabs” online for “about a million songs!” and had downloaded a Beatles for Casey and Jingle Bells for a video duet with Jordan for Dad.

Oh, one of their presents (and yours too!) are techno hoodies! You can see it on Ben’s hoodie. Instead of strings for the hood are earphones. There’s an outlet in the pocket to hook your device too. When Casey was wrapping Ben’s present she was worried that his was hers. And Ben was bummed because I told them there were only adult sizes available. But – magic Mom pulled it off, and you – big brother have a navy blue (appropriate color – huh!) one waiting for you as well!

Last but not least – Our newest member of the family (which celebrated his 1st year anniversary with us today!) Got his gifts. Of course, Frosty doesn’t get ANYTHING without being teased first. Here’s Jordan teasing him at his kennel.

Funny, but I got him 3 presents – a new bed, toys and a new coat. I made the coat this week, and the bed was by the tree, but I couldn’t find his toys! I had to have one of the kids find them (turns out they were in Casey’s room.). Anyway, we let him out of the kennel and he immediately went to Casey and sniffed his toys. Then he bee-lined it to his food bowl. When he got there he was like “Oh yeah- wait! I have toys!” and ran back to Casey and the toys. LOL . Casey of course gave him a run for his money. After playing with his toys (he was VERY excited about them) he collapsed happily on the floor. Then a minute later he was at my desk, nose in my arm, like he was saying, “Okay! Can I go to the bathroom now? Please?!” Jordan and Ben then put his new bumblebee coat on him and away he went. Ben said, “Mom! You even got his peephole area perfect!” Yay me.

So now it’s almost 11:30am. I’m waiting for Dad to get online to chat (I already was able to chat with him earlier. I’m also waiting on you to call. Promising myself if you do I won’t cry, knowing I’ll probably break that promise.

We’ve already tested out the Kinect Sports game. (I rock at discus. Jordan rocks at Ping Pong and Javelin, Casey rocks at hurdles –I managed to hit EVERY one of them). I tried out my dance workout game, Zumba. It was a SERIOUS workout! The boys have put together their Wii lightsabers. Problem is, that Wii game (Force Unleashed?) stunk and we don’t have it anymore! Oh well, I think the boys are going to try it on another game. Oh, and the boys should be done practicing Jingle Bells on their harmonicas. Ben can jam it. Jordan wants to video each note and splice it together.Ben and Jordan are on their 2nd bowls of cereal.

I’d better go start the turkey. Of course, it’s a sure bet that when I do Dad will get on to chat. Just as soon as I get my hands mucky.

Love you son. Merry Christmas. Hope you are enjoying all the letters. I know you’re doing well. I also know it’s hard for you. But you are strong. Spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Hang in there. By the time you get this you’’ll have 2 weeks down!
Love you bunches. Mom.