2010 Recap/Christmas Letter

We have been blessed in 2010 with a year full of many wonderful and memorable moments.

Will and Levi turned 3 in May, and we had a great time celebrating their birthday with a party full of their favorite things. The menu consisted of Chick-Fil-A nuggets, Bueno bean burritos, Cheeto puffs, Apples with Peanut Butter, Chocolate Milk, and cookies! We decorated with a few basketball things, because following March Madness, they were obsessed with playing basketball all.the.time. These two boys are the best of friends, and it is truly a joy to parent them. They go with us wherever we go (and we are always on the go!), and they have turned into quite the great travelers!

At the very end of May, we were able to visit Zach’s sister and her husband in Alaska. I have always dreamed about going to Alaska, so this was literally a dream come true vacation! Most of Zach’s family was able to be up there at the same time, and it was so much fun to witness the grandeur of Alaska with them. We hiked some beautiful water falls, drove down the Kenai Peninsula, went halibut fishing on a chartered boat, and got to experience about 20 hours of daylight in a day! I can’t wait to go and visit them again…I have already made a list of things I want to do on the next trip! The boys LOVED Alaska, and they still talk about the moose they saw, the big fish, and Uncle Matthew’s bear in his room : )

We spent the 4^th of July in Colorado Springs for a beautiful wedding of a family friend. The boys were ring bearers in the wedding, and they played the part perfectly. Levi loves any opportunity to dress up in ‘workin’ man clothes’ (as he calls it). After the wedding, we met my parents up in the mountains near Buena Vista, CO to camp for a few days. We love any chance to get away and spend time in God’s amazing creation. The boys had a great time playing in the (freezing) river and going on all sorts of adventures. Will had a little run-in with a chipmunk, and we have never seen Will run as fast as he did then! It is a memory that can make me laugh anytime I think about it. Poor kid!

Zach and I have always been interested in family camps, and after doing some online research, we found a great camp in Westcliffe, CO. We left Abilene at the beginning of a heat-filled August, and spent a week at Horn Creek Family Camp enjoying uninterrupted time together as a family in much cooler weather. We did some horse back riding, swimming and sliding (in a heated pool), hiking, fishing, and we met some wonderfully kind people. We can’t wait to go back to Horn Creek next summer, and we would love for any of you to join us! Seriously, let me know if you’re interested. When the boys get a little older, we will be able to enjoy more adventurous things that the camp offers- white water rafting, kayaking, alpine swings, zip lines, etc. You get the picture- tons of fun set in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been!

Any of the spare time I had during the summer was spent completing our paperwork for adopting from Rwanda. I feel so fortunate and blessed that God called us to the journey of adoption. I could probably write a short novel about our decision to adopt and everything I already feel for this child who we have never met, but I will spare you that….for now! Although we have been filled with fear, doubts, and concerns along the way, we know that God has some unique and exciting plans for our family. We are very hopeful that 2011 will bring the next little Sheets to us. We would love for you to join us in prayer in this endeavor. Obviously, we would love to have our child in our arms sooner than later, but we have to trust that God’s timing and ways are perfect.

In August, we started our second round of being huddle leaders at church. We start with all the high school freshman, and we meet with them every Wednesday night through their senior year of high school. We did this a few years ago, and those ‘kids’ are now juniors in college! Our new group has about 20ish kiddos, and we already love hanging out with them!

We are so thankful for our wonderful families. We spent Thanksgiving in Muleshoe with Zach’s entire family and a few others who were able to join us! It is such a blessing to enjoy and be encouraged by family. As always, we miss Tyler so much, especially during these times. Things will never be the same, but we are finding our way and figuring out along the way that God is so faithful. His promises never change, and He is showing us true joy. Landon & Whit welcomed baby Peyton into the world on September 12^th, and Nate & Terah announced that they are expecting a girl come February! The Sheets crew is starting to grow at an alarming rate, whether through people marrying in or children being born, and I love it!

Right now, we are at my parents’ house soaking in the Christmas traditions and holiday happenings. My oldest brother and his wife (Andy & Melissa) welcomed their third child and first girl into the world in January. She is the sweetest, most mellow little girl, and she makes me think that maybe I could handle a little girl…maybe. : ) It has been a bittersweet year for us. Both of my mother’s parents passed away in the past year. I am so thankful that I had such wonderful, loving, Christian grandparents, but they will be greatly missed. Both of my dad’s parents are suffering through some major health issues. We are about to go visit them, and I’m looking forward to hugging their necks and playing dominos, cards, and watching movies with them. It has been such a blessing to share the Christmas season with Will and Levi. They love to talk about baby Jesus, and they can re-tell the story of the birth of Jesus with such sweet innocence, and sometimes lots of humor…

Last night, we were talking about the birth of baby Jesus. Will told us all about the angels, shepherds, wise men, gifts, etc. He finished telling the story and Levi added ‘and baby Jesus libs in our hearts’….….’but you can’t weally see him’ ‘but (pointing to his nipple)I see baby Jesus right here!!’ I guess Jesus can take many different forms….

Zach and I have been blessed beyond anything we deserve. We are so thankful for our friends, family, jobs, church, and home. We look forward to 2011!

Merry Christmas!