Christmas Card 2011

Snail mail Christmas cards escaped us this year, so instead we sent out an email. I'm sorry if you didn't get the email...you can leave me your email address in the comments section so I can include you next time :)

Dear Family & Friends,

We’ve had a wonderful year with many exciting changes! It wouldn’t be life without change, right? We started out the New Year by traveling to Washington to visit George’s family. It was so fun to get to introduce Sawyer to many of his relatives on the Bates side. Then in March we were able to gather with most of my family in Colorado and hike to a bear den where my brother does research on black bears. Our job was to snuggle the bear cubs while they worked on the mama bear. Very tough job J Throughout the summer we got outside to play and hike and got some camping in at Zion and Jackson Hole – still fun even with a baby J In September George accepted a job working in British Columbia driving some of the largest trucks in the world at a coal mine. It has been a good change for our family, and nice to see progress paying off debt. George is still actively looking for helicopter pilot jobs, but for now things are working out. In October we found out that another baby boy will be joining our family in late March. Sawyer and the new little guy will be 17 months apart. We’re SO excited about our new addition, and anxiously await his arrival. We’ve loved the experience of being parents. Sawyer has taught us so much and we sure do have a great little boy. He is very patient with us and gives us smiles and loves all the time. Sawyer has grown so much over the past year and is such a joy in our family. He is very busy and usually very happy. As I write this letter he is sitting next to me playing with play doh.

We’ve had a ‘white’ Christmas here in Canada, and it really is a wonderful time of year. On this day we remember that the Savior of us all started His Mortal Ministry as the most vulnerable and precious of creatures. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Merry Christmas to all!

Love,

The Bates Family

George, Liz, Sawyer and BB