Merry Christmas

Another Christmas season is upon us. I am typing this as I listen to Josh Groban singing, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. It is a beautiful clear day outside here in Ohio but very cold!
I always feel a bit of nostalgia as I go back and remember the last year and all the fun events. The Lord has truly blessed us.


Joseph turned 12 this year and received the Aaronic Priesthood. He is in 7th grade. He loves to play video games. He is enjoying school and his favorite subjects are social studies and math. He is a happy kid and loves to read. He is always recommending books for me to read. He has currently earned 10 merit badges in scouts and wants to have his Eagle before he turns 14. With lots of coaching, he just might.




Jacob turned 9 in October and is in 3rd grade. He has some struggles in school with reading due to his dyslexia, but he works really hard to overcome them. He played tackle football this year and seemed to really enjoy it. He loves to play video games and collect little treasures. His current fascination is rocks and minerals and has several he has collected from our various outings. He also is doing well in cub scouts. Jacob is a great example of working hard to achieve his goals.




Samuel turned 7 in August and is in 2nd grade. He is our little brainiac. He loves to read about all different subjects. He loves math and loves us to test him on basic pre-algebra problems. He also loves the piano and performed in Sacrament meeting a few months ago. He is a joy and a great helper around the house. He recently lost both of his front teeth. They quickly filled in as you can see in his picture



Benjamin is 4 1/2 and in preschool. He is a great joy to have around and always has a bounce in his step. He loves preschool and is also learning to read with mom and doing very well at it. He loves write his name and is getting better every day at it. He is a great helper at home and loves to help mom with her chores at home.
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I (Rachael) am enjoying being the mother to these four wonderful boys. They each bring different gifts and blessings to our family. I am also busy studying Organic chemistry and teaching fitness classes at a local community college. I try to sneak in some reading when I can. I have been taking a basket class every month and am digging deep to try to find an inner crafter. I also teach the 4 year old class at church which is a great joy and volunteer at the school organizing their monthly fundraising nights.


Chris is busy going to school full time studying Operations Research (a combo of math and statistics) at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is enjoying his studies but they keep him very busy. He teaches the 12 year old boys in Priesthood on Sunday and is the assistant boy scout master. He goes on lots of camp-outs! He is also playing on a rec league for soccer with a bunch of his friends and is really enjoying that! We are grateful for all he does for our family and country.


At this time of year I send a special thanks to all those that are serving our country overseas. I know it is a tough time of year to be away from family and friends and the traditions of Christmas.



This year during the month of November we did a "thankful" jar. I had a bowl full of strips of paper. We encouraged the kids to write down various things that they were thankful for throughout the month. Then to fold them up and put them in the "thankful" jar. Then the day after Thanksgiving, we read through each of the things they had written together as a family while we ate a leisurely lunch. It was so great to read some of the things they had written. Sam was very grateful for tools and appliances. Joe was grateful for his Mom for helping him with his scouts. We really got a kick out of it.



I love also this time of year to reflect on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly is our redeemer. I know he is the Son of God and that He lives and loves us. I am trying to be more like him.


We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Love The Chris Haines Family!