December 2019

Elara wrote me this adorable Christmas card.

Derek is smack in the middle of his Interventional Pain Fellowship. This means in 6 months time we can go to a few different military locations, or stay in San Antonio.

We have been told the top 3 places that our family could end up were #1 England, #2 stay in San Antonio, or #3 Anchorage Alaska.

So, we have been prepping the kids because it will be a big adjustment for us if we move because we have been in San Antonio for 6 years in the summer. That's basically most of their lives and all they know. However, that being said every single year there is a big flux of military people moving, and this just might be their year, and I think for the most part the kids consider it a fun adventure.

Dear Mommy, I wish you a happy Christmas. That's how you say Merry Christmas in Great Britain. And a happy new year! I love you so much. Can't wait to go to Disneyland and Seaworld. Love, Elara

The pugs bring our family so much joy. I love it when the kids say quick Mom take my picture with the dog. We sure love Freya and Odin.

Every year we usually make a Thankful Tree, and then a Christmas Tree with our gifts we want to give to Jesus for his birthday. We missed the Thankful tree, BUT we did write what we were thankful for on a pumpkin this year.

Some of our gifts on our Christmas tree include: Saying prayers, serve others, listen to good songs, develop our talents, be thankful, play with Connor, read good books, be a missionary, smile, go to church, try your best, complete faith in God book, do chores, and be friendly.

I'm so proud of the kids for trying their best to have and do good things in their lives. Each year their answers get better and better.

 One of our favorite holiday traditions is to decorate gingerbread houses. This year we used graham crackers, but we also attempted to bake some gingerbread people, and they were delicious and a lot of fun. This never gets old.

 Our village and people.

 Our ward Christmas party was on December 6th and the kids got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

 Apparently you are never too big to sit on Santa's lap. Kael was just as excited as the younger kids.

 Connor loves hanging out with his primary buddies. The boy can't get enough of his friends.

FINALLY Episode 9!! IT WAS AMAZING, but read the whole story.

Lead up to this picture. Connor threw up Friday the day after school got out. He was totally fine on Saturday and felt sick Sunday. Elara wasn't feeling great on Sunday so Derek kept Connor and Elara home from church. Kael sang his duet with Swift Webber for the ward Christmas program and Eden and I sang with the choir too. Sunday night Kael threw up, but by Monday morning he was feeling better. So we decided to go to Star Wars with our friends the Webbers because everyone was feeling great! The movie was epic and awesome! We got in the car to drive home and Connor started throwing up again... It was awful! Eden was feeling sick all week and then Kael got sick again and Derek got sick that night too and was throwing up all night on the 23rd. We were suppose to go to Sea World with Rob and Julie Pinkston's family on Christmas Eve, but we were barely functioning and opted to just stay home. Everyone felt a little better on Christmas, but on the 26th they weren't feeling great again. Thankfully I was the lone survivor who didn't get sick. I'll be happy to play nurse and take care of people as long as I don't get sick!

 We have absolutely LOVED our piano teacher Mrs. Smith the last 4 years! Kael was the first to start and we have added the girls. Every December and May she has a piano recital for the kids. Elara got to participate in her first one on Dec. 22nd. Every Christmas she has given the kids an ornament she makes and they are beautiful. I'm so proud of these kids and all the hours they put into practicing the piano and improving each day. They work hard and it shows! They all tried to memorize at least one song and they all did fabulous!

 This brings us to CHRISTMAS EVE!

The kids got to open their letters from Grandma and Grandad Sapp and Grandma on Christmas Eve and were spoiled rotten again.

 We did our train of bringing out the presents from family a little earlier this year.
I love this tradition also. The kids LOVE bringing all the presents to the tree. I love using big boxes to wrap everything in... It makes it look more fun. Thank you amazon for the BIG boxes!

 They each got to open their Christmas Eve present that has to do with sleeping or bedtime.
This year they all got travel pillows! We will be doing a LOT of traveling this next year, so we made the investment and the pillows are SO cute!

We read from the bible and talked about Christ's birth:

AND THEN BEDTIME!

Sure enough Santa Clause did indeed come to our home that night.

Connor wanted a robot and got a remote control truck, Elara asked for a Woody doll that talks and got it, and Eden asked for Monster High Dolls and got them (although I'm pretty sure she asked for other impossible things probably like her own dog), and Kael asked Santa to surprise him and got a remote control truck.

The kids with their Santa presents.

 Opening presents from Grammy!

 Spoiled I believe is an understatement. The kids made out with some sweet stuff this year.
When the kids were finally feeling better we headed to Sea World! We had tickets already purchased we needed to use and Derek had time off.

 

 

 LAST on Monday December 30th we went to Six Flags with Jamie and Jessie. Kael brought his buddy Dean Fillmore along to keep him company. It was so much fun!

The kids get a little braver each year. We are really starting to look forward to Disneyland. They all say they are ready for whatever it throws at them now and want a little more adventure!
We say bring it on!
We have felt truly blessed this last year. 2019 was a good year! Derek came home, began fellowship and will probably be our last year in San Antonio for a while. All 4 kids are school age now! We have loved spending time with family close by and we have just been so happy to be so loved.

 To end I'll include our 2019 Christmas letter.

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s time for an end of year update from the Bradley’s!

January: Brought us home from our trip to Utah surviving the holidays without Derek. It was nice to get back into a routine, but we greatly missed all of our family who spoiled us rotten and it was hard saying goodbye to Grandma. We were blessed to have Derek’s beautiful cousin Heidi come stay with us while she finishes school. We felt so blessed to have extra hands and a friend to have around. We get her until May 2020 and we aren’t sure we are going to let her go.

February: The girls had a daddy daughter church dance where Derek’s amazing cousins Andrew and Blake stepped up and escorted the girls for a fabulous evening. They also helped Kael to build his pinewood derby car, which he took 4^th place overall and 3^rd place for his age division.

March: Eden turned 9 and we stayed insanely busy with 3 kids in soccer for the first time ever. It seriously helped keep us from having any time to miss Derek very much.

April: Connor turns 4 and had an epic Spiderman birthday. Derek got on a flight at the end of the month to begin the LONG journey home to Texas!

May: The much-anticipated arrival happened on May 9^th! Derek was HOME! We were able to get away a week later to Corpus Christi at the beach and enjoy every single second of having our favorite guy home! Derek and I also finally got to explore Austin, TX without the kids. “Thank you Ashley, Morgan, and all other helpers!”

June: Swim team and Grammy came to visit! All 4 kids were on the Olympia Otters this summer and became excellent little fish and improved all their swim times! This will definitely be a repeat sport for our family. We love having family and friends visit and our door is always open. Connor was the first to break a bone in the family dropping a 14 lb bowling ball on his finger while Eden made two strikes in a row.

July: The Day family came to visit and we float the San Marcos river as often as we can. Derek begins his Interventional Pain Fellowship and has exactly 1 year to FINALLY finish his bajillion years of medical education! LAST YEAR people!

August: Kael turns 11! The kids go back to school. Kael begins homeschool for 6^th grade. The other 3 attend Randolph Elementary: Connor begins pre-K, Elara 1^st, and Eden 4^th.

September: Elara turns 7, and fall soccer begins and all 4 kids play soccer and Sharice tries out coaching 4 year old soccer.

October: Sharice visits the Sapp clan in Las Vegas and does a Tough Mudder run while Derek holds down the fort. Soccer comes to an end and we consume way too much chili and candy on Halloween.

November: Grammy comes to visit again! We all attend our first San Antonio Rampage Hockey game and became hockey fans.

December: Brings us good memories of our friends and our family. We are so truly grateful to all the support and prayers we received while Derek was deployed. It is truly life changing and we are complete now that he is home. We are not so patiently waiting to hear about our future for summer 2020 whether we will stay in San Antonio or head on for another adventure with the military. Whenever we get news, we will be sure to inform everyone. We are grateful for a loving Savior who was born this Christmas season and who died so we all might live again. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!