2009 HANSEN FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARD

We want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas! May you be safe and spend time with the one's you hold dear!  We love you. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Love,

Jeremy, Amy and Miss Savannah

Savannah's first service project

Savannah like any other little child is always doing small acts of kindness. I say this is her first service project because this was thought out and planned.  She worked really hard for a week coloring Christmas cards. When she finally finished twenty five of them we took her to the local nursing home and she individually handed one of her homemade Christmas cards and a candy cane to each person there.  She did so well. She even told them Merry Christmas.  It was the absolute sweetest thing to see such a youg little girl interacting with someone on the opposite end of the scale.  It brought tears to my eyes to see my little girl being such a big girl. There was this one elderly woman that loved Savannah's baby doll she brought in with her. Savannah got to see the baby birds that they had in a cage.  It was such a fun thing to do as a family.  We have started this as a new family tradition.

PoTty TrAiniNG

Potty training is so frustrating! I have tried probably ten different times to potty train Savannah.  When I say ten different times that means that I tried a few days each time.  I have tried to put new toys in front of the potty and when she goes she gets to open one.  She doesn't care she just tells me, "Mommy, I don't want a new toy".  I have tried M&M's and other candies such as suckers, etc.  I have tried when I don't have any diapers in the house.  And I have tried those pull-ups that are supposed to feel cold when they go potty in them.  I don't know what else to try but to just wait until the day she will do it on her own.  The frustrating part is she will go to the potty other places.  Just not at home and not for me.  Anyways, I thought I would try again this week since I will be home because of Christmas.  She has tried going to the potty twice since she woke up and the last time she said, "Mommy I can't go, how about on Saturday?" You can't help but laugh when they make those comments.  So hopefully by the end of this week she will be doing better with going potty.

Tis the Season to be Jolly!

This month has been so busy with all the fun things to do during the holiday season; parties, baking, decorating, shopping, and of course reading all the wonderful Christmas stories and remembering what Christmas is really about!  We are having so much fun with Savannah.  She is old enough to know what is going on and she is so in love with anything to do with Christmas.  It could be something as small as wearing her red dress or as big as going to see Santa Claus.  She talked about seeing Santa Claus forever and when we took her she wouldn't say a word to him.  As soon as we left she didn't stop talking about him. 

She got to go sledding this month thanks to her "Dinana" and Josh.  She is so adventurous!  She loves to do anything that might me dangerous!  But she will make sure to tell you before you do it to "be very careful, very, very careful".  When she went sledding, Josh fell off the sled and she loved telling everyone about that.  She would laugh so hard when telling you the story. 

She is quite the Christmas singer.  She surprises us every day with how many songs she knows.  And I must say she has the most beautiful voice.  It just melts your heart.  We love to hear her sing! 

We are trying to teach her early that it is better to give than to receive so every toy she sees, she will say "this is for my friend, huh?"  She is always talking about how she loves her family and friends.  It is amazing how much a two and a half year old knows!

Savannah made her first gingerbread house.  It was the most perfect little house!  She loved making sugar cookies with Momma and loved eating them with Daddy.  While we were making them she would tell me, "Mom I need to leave, I just need to leave" and then would come back in the room "Mom, I'm back".  She kept stealing little pieces of the cookie dough and going in another room to eat it.  You gotta love her!

She really loves all the Christmas lights up everywhere.  She gets so excited when she sees them! Thanks to all those who decorated their homes.  She always wants our Christmas tree lights on and I am always finding her finishing touches to the tree.  Whether it is her Barbie stuck in the branches or her bracelets hanging from the tree limb.

We hope that we can continue to carry on the Christmas spirit through this whole year and to always look for opportunities to help those around us.  We appreciate all of our family and friends and hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

    

Merry Christmas!