PARK FAMILY CHRISTMAS LETTER

Needless to say, letters didn't get mailed this year so decided to post one here now that all the holiday hoopla has died down.

We have had a good year and know that we are blessed beyond anything we deserve. Here are the highlights from our year. (Those of you who read this blog will find most of this repeat info.)

As a family we enjoyed trips to Adventureland in Des Moines, with our good friends the Brockmeiers and a two-day visit to Oceans of Fun and Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. We also attended the Holmes Family Reunion in Wichita. One of our very favorite things we did as a family this summer was tanking down the Calamus (near Burwell, NE) with some of our favorite people. This was something I had wanted to do for a long time (it was on my "list") and we all agree that it may have to be an annual event. Claremarie was in my cousin Natalie's (she married Cody) wedding in Oct. (another thing that was on my "list") and I'm not sure who was more excited her or me. The kids have spent many nights and some weekends out at Fremont with their Grandma and Grandpa Park. They always have so much fun playing games, exploring, wood working and basically being entertained 24/7 while they are there. In June they got to attend VBS in Hershey with Grandpa and Grandma Holmes. We also all enjoyed a week in Hershey in the fall where we had the annual Holmes campfire and weenie roast and took a trip to the town where I entered this world (Mullen, NE). Speaking of small towns in Nebraska, we continued on our quest to visit all of them and even got mentioned in an article in the Fremont paper as we were visiting a town the same time one of their reporters was doing a story on it (Nickerson, NE).

Claremarie turned 8 this year and started 3rd grade. She did cheerleading in the spring and took tennis and swimming lessons in the summer. She wants to check out volleyball next. She got her ears pierced and has become quite a good helper to me as she even volunteered to learn how to clean toilets and do laundry. (Yes, she is our favorite child right now!!)

Camden turned 4 and started preschool which he absolutely loves. A few tears were shed on the afternoon of his first day, as I drove away and realized that for the first time in 8 years there would be nobody in the car with me as I was running errands. Camden played t-ball and took swimming lessons last summer. He is a very precocious child who has a big vocabulary (pathetic is the word today) and loves his big sister. Camden always keeps us laughing with his antics.

Sam and I are both still doing pretty much the same things as we were doing last year. Not much has changed for us. I just celebrated a landmark birthday and he is going to in March. We made it to most of the home football games this year and can honestly say we enjoy it again!! We have also both been enjoying connecting with old friends on facebook and through this blog.

We don't know what 2009 will bring for us and I must confess to feeling some anxiety about that. However, it is awesome to know HIM who does know what will happen and who on HIM we can cast our worry and fear.

We wish you and your families a very happy 2009.

Love,

The Parks-Sam, Sherilyn, Claremarie and Camden