Never a dull moment to remember

Ken here ... Happy Advent!

Word on the street is that Mom sent an abridged version of her Christmas letter this year. In the spirit of documenting this business of life,I figured it a good idea to snag the rest of her letter and plop it in the middle of the blog-o-sphere for your pre-holiday enjoyment.

Consume as you'd like, but be warned: Much of what follows is Mom's attempt to reflect on a few favorite moments of 2013, as well as the evolution of my (and Sam and Georgia's) character. She does this with full knowledge that it can sometimes result in a tone of 'hey, look at my family and how great we all are.' Trust that there is a healthy dose of humility and imperfection woven throughout the events of this year; Mom just didn't write about that stuff this time. Enjoy, my loyal readers, and happy holidays.

Ken

Ken: Age 4

...Fall 2013 marked the beginning of school for one Kenneth Conrad, Jr. Having looked forward to this milestone for a solid 12 months, Ken holds his own in the river of early childhood education. He is most comfortable when there are rules to be followed. He chooses his friends because they "are nice, and they are funny," and he'll be the first to tell you that he's tired and needs to go to bed. His best friend is a pre-K gal named Sophia (she makes the prayer list every night), and his favorite school stories typically involve an art project, a song with spanish words sprinkled into it, or time with friends on the playground. Any remaining wonder of mine regarding his ability to stand on his own two feet was completely assuaged when, while performing at his recent preschool holiday music concert, he not-so-eloquently shouted to the boy in front of him: 'Please MOVE! I can't see my DAD!'

Georgia: Age 1

Georgia turned one in June. Have you ever seen what happens to those tiny dogs that befriend the big dogs? Right. Georgia runs with the big dogs: jumping, climbing, zooming cars. Her shriek is likened to that of the tornado siren, and her eyes match the clear blue sparkle of her Grandpa Ken's eyes. While she insists on growing up as fast as her brothers, I contend that she still carries the scent of a baby -- my baby -- and the glimpses that we do get of her actual age match that of the typical toddler. She has recently figured out that my name is not Dad, and her vocabulary abounds with about six words: Mom, Dad, hi, Jesus, bacon and good. I'd say she's got her priorities straight.

Spring 2013 introduced Sam to his first biking experience. It's a bike with no pedals (that's intentional), and

Sam: Age 3

on the evening of his first balancing adventure, his toes barely graced the pavement thanks to the clumsy thickness of his up-and-up diaper. Having since graduated to the studly-ness of Thomas the Train underpants, his biking excursions have proven to be more comfortable and completely aligned with Sam's innocent determination and love of the outdoors. He carries his three-year-old self with a cheerfulness unmatched throughout the household: singing, drawing, dancing, humming and talking -- all in a rhythm that is only his own. He delights in the little things: a song on the radio, a new book, a candy bar. He offers his own blanket when Georgia can't find hers, invents stories of himself in Kindergarten (just to make sure Ken doesn't get all the glory), and last week, upon turning on the Christmas music for the first time, giddily announced,"That man on the radio said that Santa is coming tonight! Tonight!"

This year, Adam and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary (and our birthdays and our Christmas) with a trip to the Great American Beer Fest in Denver Colorado. Like two kids in our respective candy stores, we hung out together -- mingling with more than 1300 

Mom & Dad: 2013

professional brewers (Adam's candy store) and meeting the people, restaurants and scenery of a whole new city (my candy store). Did you know that, in Denver, the sun shines about 300 days of the year? I love my husband, and I'd return to vacation in a heartbeat.

The finer points of imagination continue to be discovered around the Corrigan Conrad abode, and with that comes the ability to believe in all sorts of possibilities. One rainy fall day, Sam and Ken each found his cuddle blanket and a clothespin -- declaring himself princess for the day. Not to be outdone, Georgia snagged her favorite blanket and a magnet, and reached to Dad for help. Not only did Dad find sufficient blanket fasteners for his three budding blue-bloods, he also fashioned three paper crowns (pictured). Upon speedy assessment of the trio's wardrobe completion, Sam formally declared Georgia to be king.

Royalty: 2013

And so it goes. My husband, king and two princesses continue to teach me much about what it means to be curious, intentional and unabashed. I can only hope that my approach to life contains more of these traits -- thanks to the loyal presence of my Adam, Georgia, Ken and Sam.

Cheers to an eventful 2013. Peace to you, and Merry Christmas!
Molly