Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this finds you well, and enjoying another beautiful Christmas season. We have been blessed with another wonderful year, full of excitement and joy.

Megan - 7 years old - She is in the second grade. Her reading skills have blossomed and she enjoys it more than ever. She loves math, and she had her first horseback ride this summer!

Michael - 9 years old - He is in the fourth grade. He is always asking mom to teach him new things in math (cubing numbers, multiplying fractions and the distributive property). He earned his Bear Scout award and is really hoping for a pocketknife for Christmas so he can practice the skills he learned at scouts. .

Nathan - 11 years old - He loves being an official boy scout, has been on two campouts and has earned two ranks and three merit badges. He is in the sixth grade and is already talking about junior high next year.

Liz - 12 years old - It has been a big year for Liz. She is now in the Young Women's program at church. She attended girls' camp in the mountains of Utah and helped pull a handcart on a 28 mile pioneer trek this summer. She started junior high, joined the band (flute) and has started some babysitting.

Not much has change for Jen and Brian. Jen continues to help with literacy at the school and tutor math at home. She is still working with the 12 and 13 year old young women at church and went to camp and on trek with Liz. Brian is still in the BYU Registrars' office, has many new responsibilities and opportunities and works with great people. He also attended the Pioneer trek and has been on Nathan's scout campouts too.

We have had many opportunities this year to spend time with extended family, and we look forward to more of these opportunities throughout this holiday season. We are grateful for our friends and family who bless our family in countless ways.

We are grateful for the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are grateful that no matter our circumstances, whether a time of relative ease, or challenges that make each day feel a little bit hard, we can feel joy, and peace, and hope. We are grateful for this Christmas season, for this time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is his life, and his Atoning sacrifice for us that bring us that joy, peace and hope.

Merry Christmas!

Love, the Chantrys

Megan and Santa

Megan's first Christmas (she was about nine months old) she met Santa for the first time. She had on a cute red velvet jumper and looked darling as she stared at Santa's beard and tried to eat her gift. The next year she screamed. The closer we got to Santa the louder she cried. (we felt a little sad because it was Great Grandpa wearing the Santa suit, but we didn't push it.)

The next year we didn't want her to be afraid of Great Grandpa, so her Grandpa (who also dresses as Santa at times and has a beautiful costume) took her downstairs and showed her everything. She tried on the boots and the hat. She saw the beard and mustache and coat. The next day she stood right next to Santa and even gave him a hug. Each year she was less hesitant to visit with Santa as long as she knew exactly who was in the suit. One year Megan told me, "I am not scared of the REAL Santa, just the fake ones." That is irony at its best.

Last year Megan learned the Santa secret. She seemed almost relieved. She isn't scared to sit on Santa's lap anymore, but still likes to know who it really is.

WEll, this year she wrote a letter to Santa. She folded it and asked me to put it on Santa's desk.

Dear Santa Claus, How are your rein dear?Do you have four elvs? How is Miss. Claus? I love stuft animils a cat plese. Mady (Maybe) I will like something that will help my legs I have growing panss (pains). Love, Megan

p.s. I know how (who) you are

Brian wasn't sure if the postscript was just a statement, or something more sinister.