2013 Christmas Letter

To our wonderful Friends & Family,

  We have had a crazy year! 2013 has definitely been one for the record books in our family! This year has been tough, but so worth it to have three healthy, smart, beautiful boys! From births to birthdays to finalizing adoptions to moving churches and changing positions this year has held a whole lot of crazy, a ton of fun and firsts and some struggle just thrown in there for balance I guess! Here’s a little update on each of the Gordon 5... starting with our newest member.

   Casen Cole Gordon arrived on Monday, February 4th at 3:50 pm. He weighed 6 lbs. and 14 ounces and was 20 inches long. He came out fussy and remained so for the first six months of his life. He struggled with colic and reflux for months while we all struggled to adjust to having two babies three months and three weeks apart. (It’s as hard/crazy as you’d imagine.) But thankfully somewhere around the six month mark his whole personality changed and he is the sweetest little booger now a days. He is ten months old (gulp!) and he now weighs 20.4 pounds and is 26.5 inches tall. His favorite things are pulling up, cruising around the furniture and chasing his big brothers. He refuses to be left out of any of the action! He smiles easily and is very friendly. He has handled being the littlest Gordon very well and adjusted to the move with ease. Casen is also starting to talk up a storm. I think his oldest brother may have some competition! Casen can say “Momma, Daddy, Nana/Granna, and Bubba.” He loves to jabber and is rarely quiet. He is such a perfect blessing and addition to our brood of boys. We can’t imagine life without his little three toothed smile and curly black hair. We are looking forward to celebrating his one year birthday in just a couple of months. 

   Bennett Harris turned one in October and is into everything! He loves to run, wrestle and play with both his brothers. Ben’s favorite toys are balls, hats and anything either of his brothers are playing with. He also has a lovie blanket that we do not leave home without! He carries it around and sleeps with it - our little Linus! He weighs 23.13 pounds and is 30 inches tall. Bennett is for sure our most stand-off-ish child. He hasn’t shown much interest in talking although he says “Momma, Daddy, Bubba and Bite.” He is very particular about who he likes/wants and doesn’t like new situations much. He is also our least picky eater. All three boys love to eat, but Bennett will eat just about anything. His favorites are strawberries, turkey and cheese. We are so thankful for Bennett and his quiet spirit. We can’t wait to see all he will learn next year and how he grows. What a blessing this boy has been in our life!

   Tucker William turned three in April and he is ALL that is boy! He is smart as a whip and has taken quite well to being a big brother. He is very tender hearted and doesn’t like it when anyone gets in trouble. He is still a big car guy and also likes books and movies and going to the park. Tuck weighs 48 pounds and is 39 inches tall. One of the things we’ve been working on since this summer is memorizing Scriptures. He knows 10-12 memory verses by heart and loves to learn more! It’s a precious thing to hear your child learning God’s word or singing His praises. He is going to start going to Mother’s Day out in the spring and will probably start school in the fall. He is a social butterfly and loves our new church! He is ALWAYS singing or talking. He loves Veggie Tales, Turbo, the color green and making his baby brothers laugh. He’s so sweet with them! Our oldest is still so precious and amazes us with all he retains, how he loves and his never ending energy! Three has been a trying year, but also rewarding to see how much his little brain is absorbing.

   As I mentioned before, Chris is now a pastor. He’s doing a great job and is feeling very fulfilled in his newest calling. It’s been so fun to watch him step into this new role with passion and grace. I think Greenfield is lucky to have found him! He is great from the pulpit and as always he loves people so well! With three boys under three he doesn’t get much time for hobbies but he still loves to golf, OSU sports and spending time with family.

   This year held some changes for me as well. In April I was drowning in diapers and feeding schedules and needed something that was just for me so I started selling Thirty-One and it has been a fun little extra for me! Sometimes its nice to get dressed in real clothes and go out among other grown-ups. I also became a “Pastor’s wife” and while I will confess I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this role change I am loving Greenfield! We have been so loved and taken care of in our short time here and we are looking forward to developing deep friendships here. Although leaving Sayre after five years was REALLY hard, we couldn’t have asked for a better place to move to. 

   I think we have squeezed just about all we could’ve into one short year and while there have been times I wondered if we’d survive - we’ve made it! I know that is nothing short of a miracle and it wouldn’t have happened without the love and support of our friends and family. God has been so faithful to us! He not only provided the finances for one adoption, but two! He allowed both placements to go smoothly and we were able to finalize both boys this fall. We have watched all three boys grow, learn and flourish. He has also provided us with exactly the right church for Chris to follow God’s call to the pastorate in. Holy Moly! Much better than we deserve for sure! We can’t wait to see what crazy adventures 2014 will hold. 

   Thank you all for the special role you play in our family! We wish you the Merriest of Christmases and the very best 2014! We are unbelievably thankful for each of you!

We love each of you!

Chris, McKenzie, Tucker, Bennett & Casen Gordon