Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

We totally forgot to take any photos of Thanksgiving this year. The food turned out great :) And we had company whose previous plans had fallen through. It was fun. The kids had a ball. We managed to get some smiles for our family photo outside, even though it was freezing! This will be our Christmas photo, so if we don't send one to you, be glad that you have one less paper photo to throw away or organize. Merry Christmas!

Here is the text of our Christmas card this year:

Ripplinger Christmas 2009— Welcome to the printed word of summary for Matt & Maggie's family this year! We are excited to have your eyes upon this page! Wait! Don't go! It'll be fun! All quotes are from 2009.

Sierra is 15 months old now, running shakily around the house and squealing literally like a screeching firecracker. She is the first of our kids to suck her thumb for comfort, and she gives monkey hugs (latching on with arms and legs) that make us melt. She was the master of stealth spit (where you don't know she's spit up until you feel it start to evaporate on your arm). Also, she'll squeeze in kitchen chairs tied tightly around the table (to keep her down), complaining all the time, till she gets up to the table top.

Raquel (3) is often a great ray of sunshine in our home. She breaks spontaneously into song a lot, like "Follow the prophet." She draws faces all over the paper with circle eyes, nose, and smile, then she identifies them verbally, "This is daddy, mommy, Adam, Kait'in, Sehwah." Mags told her she was a weasel for spilling cereal, and she responded, "Weazuh? What you talking 'bout, Mom?" She shut off the electrical breaker to the heater two days ago-- just as our first big snow hit; it took us nearly 24 hours to realize why the house was at 60 degrees! :)

Kaitlyn just turned 6 and often makes us smile. “Please bless that we will all have happymares” (as opposed to nightmares). To Mags: "There's so much good things in my life." Like what? "Dad gives us ice cream and gum, and he wrestles with us, and he gives us things that used to be his [e.g., some pictures I had to spare]." She has said and prayed: "I'll never ever obey Satan." As we watched the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on "For Unto Us a Child is Born" (Handel), she turned to me and said, "this music is so beautiful– it makes me want to cry."

Adam (~8) wants to make movies when he grows up. He asked me, "what kind of movies do you think I'll make when I'm older?" He loves to talk with us in bed at night. He expressed a desire to help lighten the load on Maggie's back, "I've been watching you, and I know you work a lot, and I've been trying to figure out a way to help you without having to work hard myself." He has often prayed: "help Dad to do good in work so he can earn lots of precious money for us." Once he brought Mags a glass of water and a clove of garlic, saying "I thought you'd want to feel good, and I heard garlic is good for you." One morning: "These scrambled eggs are so good, Mom; are they slow roasted?" Or: "Mom, remember when I used to lie? Now when I want to lie I just tell myself to be quiet."

Matt & Maggie are keeping busy. We will move for a 1-year radiology abdominal fellowship in 2011. We will take the kids with us.