Our Holiday Letter 2009

As I begin this letter from Janurary of last year, it starts with very sad news. We lost my sister, Laura to stage 4 Lung Cancer. It was an awful time for our family. She was diagnosed a few weeks after my daughter Abbie was born in September and was told with Chemo and Radiation, she had a good chance of living up to a year. She barely held on for four months. She died suddenly on Janurary 3rd 2009. What a way to start the new year. Then to follow, a drunk ran through my mother and father's house totalling their car and a shed and part of the wall in my mother's bedroom. Thank the Lord above that the car and shed were blocking the house, or that would have been my mother's sleeping head the drunk's car would have hit! Then a week after that, my daughter got RSV, which is a very severe respiratory infection in babies which requires a breathing machine, antibiotics, and steroids. Lucky I caught it in time and she didn't have to spend time in the hospital. By this time, I was ready to throw in the towel. We had both Nico and Abbie baptized in April and it was very beautiful. They were baptized Catholic. Nico's Godparent's are Dave's Aunt Mary and Uncle Joel and Abbie's Godparent's are Dave's Dad and Stepmom(Mom). I couldn't have asked for better people for Godparent's for my kids!
My Mom had to have another surgery in June on her neck...this makes three! Hopefully the last! Can God please give this woman a break! She really did well considering she had a large blood clot in there and scared he hell out of us! I'll tell you, that woman is a trooper!! I am hoping this will be the last of the surgeries for a long time.
My dad is still the same only , you all ready for this...HE STOPPED SMOKING!!! Isn't that the best news EVER??? I am soooo proud of him. Keep up the good work dad!
My kids are getting SOOO BIG, smart and handsome!
David will be 10 years old in March. He is smart. Mostly A's and B's. He takes Karate and Jake turned 8 in July. He got his first Quad!!! He is a very responsible rider.
Nico will be 5 in May. He is over 4 feet tall and weighs over 80lbs.He is my little tank. He is so remarkably intelligent that sometimes it scares me. He will be starting school next fall. Abbie Cadabbie will be 15 months on the 4th of December and I am here to tell you, she is a PISTOL! She has an altitude to match her cuteness! She sasses and beats the crap out of Nico and defineately rules the roost here on Cedar Ave...I taught her well! You go girl!!!!
Dave and I will celebrate our 5th weding Anniversary on Christmas Eve this year. Wow, it's hard to believe that we have been together for seven years already. It seems like yesterday we met! We are re-newing our vows on June 12, 2010. We are having an actual wedding and reception. The kids will be in the wedding, which will be great. I am hoping everyone stays healthy and put until then! It will be a joyous occasion!
My niece Ashley got married on New Years Eve last year. It was kind of last minute, because she wanted my sister to be a part of her wedding. I am glad she did, because my sister passed away three days later. Ashley and Doug will be celebrating their one year Anniversary soon.
I hope you all have a wonderful, and happy Hoiday Season and I sure hope the next year is better than the last. It has to be for me and my family. May God Bless my sister Laura, up in Heaven. We love her very much. We miss you and it will not ever be the same here without you.

Happy Holidays...

Love,
The Kieta's
Dave, Shannon,
David, Jacob, Nico, and Abbie