Pages

Welcome to the KingZoo and Funny Farm, where we learn to live, laugh, and love together. Here you'll find snippets of life in our zoo, parenting tips we've learned along the way, reflections on shining God's light in this world, passions in the realm of orphan care, and our journey as parents of a visually impaired child with sensory processing disorder. Have fun!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Each year we go through this debate; to send Christmas cards this year or not. This year the decision was kind of made for us as my address book went missing. I have a suspicion it will magically appear in one of the kid's rooms someday but until then... If you sent us a card with a return address, you probably got one from us. If you didn't, then this one's for you!


Hello friends near and far! Mister VIctor here.

I thought I would take over writing the Christmas letter this year. I saw the one mommy wrote last year and I thought it was pretty dull. I tried to tear it up (just to hear the sound of the paper) but Mommy didn’t let me. So here we go! My first ever Christmas letter!!!

This has been a great year! The whole family’s lives have pretty much revolved around me, so I think we can all agree that life is grand! :)

Even though I put up quite a fuss, Andrew decided to head back to Asbury University for his second year of college. He’s an RA this year, whatever that is. The grown-ups all say it’s quite an honor. We miss him but we’re glad he’s getting to help out with a lot of video projects and that he’s learning all kinds of fun filming secrets. Maybe he’ll make a movie about my life someday.

Jesse is a senior and HopeAnne says that means he’ll leave us next fall. He’s narrowed his search down to two colleges and both of them are in PA. That means I’ll get to drop in on him quite a bit. He wants to be a teacher. I think he should teach blind children but I am biased. He’s doing an internship a few hours each morning in a 3rd grade class and of course the kids love him!

Mariana sings a lot. I don’t mind. I give her requests and always ask for more. She’s going to play Peter Pan in the high school musical in March. If I promise to be really quiet do you think Mom and Dad will take me? Ana’s looking for colleges, too, because she’s a junior this year.  She’s probably going to get her driver’s license really soon but Mommy and I are afraid to be in the car with her.

Shoun is going to real school for 8th grade this year. He leaves so early in the morning that I don’t bother to wake up to say good-bye. He is at a charter school in Hbg. and believe it or not, he really likes school. He especially enjoys science. I don’t know much about science except that when I drink too much water it makes me burp and everyone laughs.

Isaac is also in grade 8. Isaac often babysits me when Mom has to go away. He teaches me useful skills like growling or hitting myself in response to a certain sound he makes. Whenever I do these things, Daddy talks about Pavlov’s dogs, whoever they are. Isaac plays viola in the Messiah College orchestra. I hope he’s not leaving for college soon, too.

Eden is 10. She likes to make lots of crafts and leaves messes of paper scraps, empty tape rolls, and cardboard all over the house. She has a really kind heart and in the fall she had an idea to collect backpacks of PJs, toys, and supplies for children entering foster care. Since launching Backpacks of Hope in Oct., she has donated 26 backpacks to our county’s Children and Youth, with more to come.

HopeAnne is a really fast runner and they keep dragging me to her races. It’s okay because she usually wins. She also goes to gymnastics and practices in the living room. I have to be careful that I don’t get knocked over by an errant cartwheel.

Daddy still works at church but that doesn’t make sense because when I go to church I don’t work, I play. He also teaches classes at Messiah College and sometimes he listens to people talk. I’m told it’s called counseling. Mommy says she doesn’t like it when Daddy tries to counsel her.

We all keep Mommy busy just by being us. She did agree to do some house managing for a local theater during the Christmas season. She said it was for a little extra Christmas money and because she had to take Eden and Hope anyway since they were in the show but my theory is that she just needed to be around adults.

Mommy said I had to be sure to mention the big news of the year. And no, we didn’t add another child. Well, we are renewing our home study but that’s a story for someone else to write. The big news is that Mommy and Daddy are starting a business called Victorious Hope Adoption Consulting. They are going to provide assistance, encouragement, and networking to partner with families who want to adopt cute babies and kids like me. Spread the word; they should be up and running in January.

Oh, and me, Victor. Of course you want to hear about me. I’m 20 months old now. People say I’m a chunky little guy but mostly they just say I’m adorable. I learned to walk in July and Mommy says that now I’m trouble with a capital T but secretly I think she likes it cause it means I don’t let my lack of vision slow me down. I’ve decided to start talking and someday in the future I’ll tell Mom and Dad exactly what I can see. In the meantime, they have figured out that already God has healed me so that I see a whole lot more than the doctor thought I would.

It was a tough year for many of our family and friends. We’ve had our trials, too. We pray for healing for the sick, comfort for those who are grieving, and restored relationships for those that are broken. It was also a great year of many blessings. We have each other and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for each of us in 2015. We have a lot of fun together and who knows what could happen next year with this crazy group we call family!

I could go on and on, but I’m ready for a p-p-p (cup to you less informed folk) so I think I’m just gonna end with - -

Merry Christmas, Everybody!!!

With Love,

Victor (with permission from Dad, Mom, Andrew, Jesse, Mariana, Shoun, Isaac, Eden, and HopeAnne)

No comments:

Post a Comment