Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hello Family and Friends,

This year has been so hectic so instead of mailing out Christmas cards that might possibly not even make it to you by Christmas, I am writing a Christmas letter on this blog for you all.  Maybe we'll get some "Thinking of You" cards sent out at the start of next year! :)

So, what's been going on in the Farrell house in 2010?  Quite a lot actually.  The girls have quickly gone from babies to big girls this year.  They learned to crawl and walk, feed themselves with forks, brush their teeth, learned how to climb (and fall off) of the couches, learned the word "no", experienced their first "Happy Meal" and loved it, experienced snow for the first time (well sort of...there were flurries), started playing on playgrounds, started talking (and we actually understand them), have sat their first "time outs," learned to test their boundaries, started to show love and compassion, give real smoochy kisses, give high fives, wave bye bye (and say it), blow kisses and the list goes on...and on...and on!  They are amazing little people and Jason and I have enjoyed watching these milestones tremendously in 2010!  We cannot wait to see the great strides they will make in 2011!

Tyler is 13 and a half now.  He has officially made it through the first half of his 7th grade year.  He is GIRL CRAZY which is apparently pretty common at this age.  He loves his baby sisters dearly and is so good with them.  He continuously surprises us daily (both good and bad!)  He has made great strides to do well in school lately and hopefully will continue to keep trying hard in 2011!  I am excited to see the kind of man he evolves into in this next year.

Jason is still working with the City of Austin, Austin Energy.  Not much has changed for him there.  In October he enlisted in the Airforce Reserves.  He has not served his first weekend yet but we are expecting sometime in January (hopefully anyway--he can't wait to smell like jet fuel again!).  He will serve one weekend per month at Lackland AF Base in San Antonio and then two weeks during the summer.  The great thing about it being so close to home is he won't have to spend any nights away from home!  He is really excited to be a part of the armed forces again.  He was made for the military!  In February he was baptized at the Fellowship at Plum Creek.  That day sits right up there as one of the best days of our lives along with our wedding day, the day we found out we were expecting and the day the girls entered into this world.  Jason has been such a great spiritual leader in our house.  I am so proud of Jason's accomplishments in 2010.

As for me, I am still at home raising babies.  In January a very good friend of mine and her husband offered me a great job working from home.  I have been enjoying my position and expect to be with them for many years to come--so long as they want me anyway.  ;-)  I started attending a bible study on Wed. mornings back in September and we have now gone through two different studies.  We are currently on break for the holidays but I cannot wait to pick back up in January with a Beth Moore study.  I so love my bible study sisters and will miss them for these next couple of weeks!  I have thoroughly enjoyed being a stay at home mommy and watching my beauties grow up in 2010 and pray that I will continue to have the privilege of staying home with them in 2011.

I hope that in the craziness of this holiday season you all will remember what Christmas is truly about.  It is about the virgin birth of our savior Jesus Christ, it's not about what we get, or what we give to others.  Please remember this as you're frazzled baking that one last batch of cookies or frustrated with the tape as you wrap that one last gift, or as you push through crowds at Target on Christmas Eve buying that one last stocking stuffer.  Remember the gift that Christ has given you, eternal life in Him!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  Luke 2:14

I hope all of you have had a fantastic 2010 and I pray that 2011 will be a year of many blessings! 

Love,
Amy

(You all know I couldn't post a blog with no pictures!  Here are some faves from the past couple of months)

Bubba and Maggie

Bubba and Emma

Maggie, left, Emma, right (I think!)

Emma, Tyler, Maggie and cousin Cheyenne

Maggie and Emma

Uh huh!  Their fave thing to do at Grammy's--I think they like it so much cause they know they aren't suppose to stand on the chair!

Crazy Maggie

Silly Emma

Being silly with Daddy (Em, left M, right)

Yep, they climbed up there themselves! (M left, Em, right)

Sweet babies