Christmas Letter 2008

Our Dearest Family and Friends,

We hope this letter find you all well. As a family we want all of you to know how much we love and appreciate you. And wish you a very Merry Christmas. This time of year is a wonderful time to reflect on the last 12 months and realize how truly blessed we all are. For us, we started the year 2008 as a family of 3 but very quickly became a family of 4. On January 25, 2008 we welcomed our sweet baby boy Ryan Braxton into our family. He has brought us all so much joy and happiness. Andalyn absolutely loves being a big sister, and is very good at it. She is always making sure she knows where he is and that he is ok.

We also started out this year living with my wonderful In-laws in Folsom California! They were gracious enough to let us live with them for about 9 months when we moved back from New Mexico, spanning between 2007 to 2008. We want to take this opportunity to let them know what a huge blessing they are in our lives. They are some of the most selfless people we know, and are so lucky to have them in our lives!

We moved out of their home in April of this year, just up the hill from Folsom to El Dorado Hills. We absolutely love El Dorado Hills. It is so beautiful up here. One of Courtney, Andalyn and Ryan's favorite things to do in the mornings once Dave leaves for work, is to look out our front window and watch all of the squirrels climb up and down the trees and across the rocks. We also love to watch all of the different types of birds who come to visit our trees and yard.

Dave is still employed with Verizon Wireless and really enjoys it. We are so blessed to have Dave work for a company that takes such great care of us! He manages a retail store in Placerville California which is about another 15-20 miles up the road from El Dorado Hills. Dave works really hard and has a very abnormal schedule. He does whatever it takes to make sure that Courtney and the kids are taken care of. We are so blessed to have him!

Courtney is enjoying staying home with Andalyn and Ryan. Adding Ryan to the mix in January was a little rough in the beginning, however has turned out to make her life that much more fulfilling. Andalyn and Ryan are her pride and joy, and with Dave, want nothing more then then for them to be happy, healthy and to know the joys of the gospel. Courtney also keeps her self busy by having play dates with other families including her sister Stacy. Stacy just moved up here with her Husband Marc and Daughter Montana about 6 months ago. Courtney loves living with in 2 miles of her sister!! They stay very busy. :)

Andalyn has grown leaps and bounds this year. She began this year as a sweet little toddler and she's ending it as a very confident 3 year old little girl. This girl never ceases to amaze Dave and Courtney. She knows her ABC's and is working on learning the sounds they make. She knows all of her colors and has for over a year now. She can count to 20, and can have a full blown conversation with you. Everyday our jaws drop with what this girl comes up with.

Ryan has grown so fast...we can't believe that he will be one year old very soon! This year has flown by. He started out as this itty bitty thing and now he is a 24 pound cuddle bug. If you know Ryan, you know the second you hold him, he wraps his arms around your neck and gives you a big squeeze. It is the best feeling getting a hug from such a sweet baby boy. He is saying mama and dada, and is very close to walking. He also just learned how to feed himself cheerios and crackers about a month ago. We love watching the world through his eyes.

This year has been full of ups and downs for the Cashdollar family. We know we are so blessed to have each other and the restored gospel in our lives. We hope that this season finds all of you happy healthy and blessed. Let us all remember that the Savior is the reason we celebrate this time of year.

With love and warm wishes,
Dave, Courtney, Andalyn & Ryan Cashdollar