Merry Christmas everyone! My name 1s Bethany and I'm 3. . .and a half. . .well, almost 4. My daddy and mommy have been busy lately. I'm a big girl now and a good helper so I thought I would write oar Christmas letter this year. I've heen watching this being done for a lot of years now and I think 1 can do a really good job. My daddy and mommy are teachers in Mt. Lake. Mommy works with the cheerleaders, too. She says when 1 grow up T can be a clieerleader instead of the runner that Daddy says Iwill be. Petra is my sister. She's 12 years old and always wrecking my stuff but I love her anyway because I'w teaching her how to share. Petra and I go to Jody's house when Mommy and Daddy are at school. T love Jody and Like going to her house but vhen summer cane and we all stayed home everyday, my momny and daddy wore so happy. I guess everyone misses me when T'm not with them, Whaz can I say? Daring the summer, Daddy took off our old porch. 1 thought that was very naughty but then he built a big wrap-around porch! Wow! ‘Then he replanted all the nice bushes that used to be by our house, They looked beautiful so that got me thinking. . .whab else can he do? I told him how T needed a sidewalk to ride my trike on so he built very mice wooden sidewalk. Then T said that a driveway would be even more fun so he had the driveway and the yhole basoment cemented. What a dad!! He's really cool! My mommy is pretty neat, too. She spent the whole summer taking care of Petra and me. She said she likes doing "nonmy-things" and even vhen we were naughty, she still loved us. Go figure! For a while during the sumer, Mommy secmed especially happy, people said she was glowing. Then one day, Mommy came hone from the doctor looking very sad. Daddy asked me to be especially good while Mommy rested, I heard him say they'd sce their baby in heaven, so 1 let Monmy play with my babies, then she oiled. Petra and I had to stay with other people a few tinés during the summer, Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 5 year anniversary. (1 don't romomber them getting married.) ‘They went to the Sonshine Festival and Monmy's 10 year reunion. ‘Then they went to a Victorian Inn in Annandale with their friends. I'm still not sure why they didn't take us. In the fall, Deddy had to go to the hospital, His heart waa beating trregular and the doctor had to shock it back to normal, We prayed for im a lot. Now he's fine. We think God is really incredible! Then a little later this fall, Mommy wrote Daddy a little poem, Tt went like this: Life can seem so hectic, so forgive me if T whine. You know when all is said and done, I'm going to be fine. Shs: while T go through ups and downs and my mood swings may be wild, Just please give me extra love, that's what happens when I'm with child!! Iwasn't sure what that meant until they told me thet she had a baby in her tummy. It's funny, but I had been talling about more brothers and sister (although they tell me that I can't have older ones). I even prayed about it, What a great God! But I would think Teese eee ease ian Hee Monmy said that this will probably be her last year of teaching for ayhile so she could stay home with me, (1 told you she miases me a lot!) At the end of November, I got to be a flowergirl in Aunt Lona's wedding. I did a super job! Nommy said 1 looked like @ princess, I think she was right. Daddy wore 4 fux, he looked very handsome, When T'n not busy being Mommy's helper, T mostly like to cue paper and color it, too, My babies are very special. T take them everywhere and when | need to be away, their grandparents make nice babysitters. Petra likes Barney even more than T do. i'yen though 1 can sing all the songs, I try not to laugh at her when she tries to act Like Barney does. She also likes to get into things, usually my things. She 1s learning to talk, She's even putting words together! Daddy and Monmy just mostly Like to be with us and with each other, They love us so much, They tell me God is teaching then how to love so much. I think they're right. I'm so happy that we all get to live here togetlier because my family is so special. We think all of you are special too, and we hope you can come see us sometine soon, Remeuber to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus at Christmas tine. . it's His special day and a special day for all of us who love Him. Love, On eK ie baby (along with Dawg, Sonnier, & Schuyler) Christmas 1993 @ethany “and again, "I will put my trust in him, , .!" Hebrews 2:13