Rouse Family Christmas Letter 2010

Happy Holidays from the Rouse House! December, 2010

Christmas is here and it’s time to stop and look around at what the year has brought!
It’s been a full and happy year here at the Rousehouse. We are blessed with good health, happy kids and rested parents!

Claire is in 3rd grade and excelling as usual! She is truly a dream-child. Smart, happy, kind, talented, caring, helpful, and just the right mix of sass to keep us on our toes! She continues to swim for the Walnut Creek Dolphins Swim Team. She also picked up piano this year and is progressing amazingly well. She is taking lessons from my childhood teacher, which makes me feel both proud and old! Claire has developed some very good, solid friendships this last year and is a great big sister.

Ella is conquering 1st grade with great enthusiasm and flair! She is so smart and has really found her talent as a writer! She is definitely a free loving spirit and is still one of the kindest and most caring people I know. She is following in her sister’s finprints, mastering the breast stroke and having a great time on the swim team. Ella is a great friend and sister and is so much fun to be around!

Avery, oh that Avery! What a kid! She is getting so big. I absolutely love spending time with her, laughing and being completely entertained by her personality and behavior. She is so funny and crazy smart! I can’t believe some of the things she comes up with! Avery is non-stop entertainment and always good for a hug and snuggle! She is doing great at preschool and loves playing with her friends and teachers. She is also Jack’s (our dog) best friend. She loves him and plays with him often.

David and I are so happy and content. After 10 years of marriage, 3 homes, 3 kids and many great life experiences we are very happy to be in the moment, every day, with our family. We love family nights, talking and laughing with the kids. We love to read, or be read to, bedtime stories. We love our Friday Night Date Night. We stay busy working (still at Hummel’s and DMACC) and volunteering (church and PTO) and playing (cards and Cranium are our favorites!) Dave and I know how blessed we are and we thank God everyday for those blessings!

This year our hearts have gone out to those we love battling cancer and other health problems. Our eyes have been opened to the treasure of friendship, the love of family and the fragility of life. We pray that we never take for granted the blessings we’ve been given. We praise God for his healing, his love and his grace.

We wish you all a blessed holiday season, filled with love and laughter!

Love,
David and Janelle
Claire, Ella, Avery and Puppy Jack
www.rousehouse5.blogspot.com

Over the river and through the woods....

to the Grandparent's houses we go....

I say this all the time, and it is true,

my kids are SO lucky to have such awesome

grandparents living so close!

I may be biased, but I think that my parents

are the best sets of grandparents around!

(and I know that my kiddos agree!)

Christmas weekend we were able to spend

some great time with both sets of grandparents

and Aunt Jamie and Uncle Kyle.

Let the spoiling begin ~

First stop: Grammy and Boppa's house

Fine looking family, I must say (Dave is the photographer)

Nothing like Christmas joy on a child!
Avery is never shy with her feelings.

This doll went right back in the box!

Dora and friends, however, she loved!

Happy again!

Ella showing Julie her new desk.

The girls' dolls got matching school desks.

Ella's big thank you to Claire,

for handing down her ipod!

Barbie mania!

Next stop: Grandpa and Grandma Johnson's house!


Beautiful Avery (I still miss that front tooth!)

"Whoa! That's a lot of presents!"

Claire's already thinking about her next itunes purchase!

Aunt Jamie and Ella taking a break ~

Avery kept Uncle Kyle very busy ~

The best gift of all: Grandparents!