Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to you and yours.

So here's the Holiday Rundown....

Ainsley: This little bird was born at the end of February in the middle of a below 0 cold spell. Although it took nine months to double her birthday and she's still the size of a paper weight. Over the past couple months, she'll yell and babble and crawl and she never loses sight of her siblings. In fact, in her usual spot - the high chair, she's usually got her neck craned around and all you see is nose and eyes. Her sibling dote on her and are her best cheerleaders that is, until she starts pawing at their stuff.

Grady: My little boy isn't so little. In fact, it's hard to believe that he was my smallest baby as he's sure to catch up to his sister in size, he's pretty already caught her in weight. He's a gentle soul that has a temper when pushed too far but he listens or does whatever he thinks his sisters want. Over the past year, he's really worked on his words and his sentences really come along. We probably understand 85% of what he says, pretty easily. One of my favorite things is listening to him and Eleanor's little conversations. Sometimes it's a squabble more than a talk but it does make me chuckle. Another of my favorites is his belly laugh - Grady will get to laughing and it takes over a whole room.

Eleanor: Oh, this girl may be too smart for her own good. She's in the preschool room at daycare and her thirst for knowledge and learning blows me away. She knows her letters and knowing her numbers. She sees things and makes conclusions. Her intelligence and tenacity will take her far. She's really grown up over the past year - her hobbies continue to be book reading but she's added other creative outlets such as painting, coloring, markers, cutting, gluing, and anything artsy.

Matt: He ensured the runway project was finished at work - which has lasted three years. He got his mule deer, which was 6 years in the waiting. He was pretty happy that he got the boat out this year and managed to take the kids fishing. He made a trip to Nashville for work and together he and I went to Minneapolis for fun.

Myself: I had a few big changes too, final pregnancy and birth but I also changed jobs midway through the year. I left state government for private sector and it's been a great move. I've enjoyed the change, the pace, the coworkers, and the work.

It's been a blur of a year - one that passes in late nights and early morning but those little smiles do so many things for me. They make me laugh, warm my heart, and make me realize how lucky I am.

I will admit I'm about 9 million thank you notes behind, probably owe people a phone call or two, heavens knows we don't visit enough family or friends, but someday we will catch up - and until we do, thank you for the understanding!