Joy to the World! The Lord is Come!

We want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas! May the peace, love and joy of the Season be yours now and throughout 2008! We send you all special hugs and greetings from each of us.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

On Wednesday when the girls got home from school, I asked each family member to write a letter about what they're thankful for this year. We could address our letter to whomever we chose, needed to say at least 3 things we're thankful for and why.

Here are our letters that we read at our Thanksgiving Table last night:

Dear God, Thank

you for giving my family and I food because when we are hungry, I can ask for a snack. I'm also thankful for friends because they are really nice to me. And last but not least I'm thankful for my family because they love and care for me all of the time.

Thank you, Haley. (7)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Mr. President Bush, You have helped the entire United States of America. I, an ordinary Washington girl, am very thankful. Here are the reasons. First of all you keep my country safe and free from all harm. I thank you for that because we don't have to worry about something happening to us. Second, you have supported everyone in the army that is in Iraq at the moment, including my family who are very special to me. And last but not least you make sure that all children are supported. Thank you for supporting our freedom in this country.

Thank you so much!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Jeanna Caldwell. (11)

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Thursday, November 22, 2007

Dearest Mom & Dad,

I am so thankful for both of you and for the Lord bringing you here to all of us this year. You two are such a huge blessing to each of us, for who you are – your servants’ hearts, willing to serve, bless and minister to whomever, whenever, wherever. You are both awesome examples to all of us of what it means to be servants of the Lord.

Thank you for the best gift of all - raising me to love and serve Jesus, our Precious Lord and Savior. Without Him, how futile our lives would be. I am so thankful that each of us can have personal relationship with Him.

When reflecting about all that I am thankful for this year, I realized that I am thankful for many things… but more importantly I asked myself, “What if everything was taken away from me, would I still be thankful and for what?” I recognize that I am mostly appreciative for people – each one of my dear precious family members – immediate and extended – I feel so richly blessed! I am also extremely grateful for church family and friends. And even then, if any or all were taken away from me, if I was stripped bare of all my relationships, I would still be thankful for Jesus because HE is the ultimate relationship, THE ONE that can never be taken away. When it comes down to it, I guess really nothing else matters in light of eternity, except
Him.

Thank you both for your influence in helping me to keep my eyes on Jesus – the author and the finisher of our faith. Thank you both for the example you are of Jesus to me, to us.

Mom & Dad, please know how very proud I am of both of you as my parents and how grateful I am to be your daughter!

I love you! JG

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Lord,

I am thankful for the following on this day:

For my family
For Mimi and Papa to be here for our kids
That you are taking care of our needs
For the friends we are making at our church
That you answer our prayers
For our health

However, it makes me sad on this day that:

There will be many who will be alone on this day
There will be many who will not have a big dinner today
There will be many who will not eat at all today
There will be many who will see this day as just another day

Thank you that there will be many praying to You for help or change
today.

Paul

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Jesus, On this Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 2007, I want to say how thankful I am that you are my Lord and Savior and that my mother raised me to trust in you. I am so thankful that you sent JoAnn to go to college in Plainview, Texas and that we met and she later became my wife. Jesus, without her I do not know where I would be today.

I am so thankful that you gave Mimi (JoAnn) and I three such wonderful children. Joy Grace, Joel Aaron and Jason Daniel. And now because of Joy Grace we have such a wonderful Son-in-Law Paul Matthew Caldwell and because he and Becky got married they brought into our lives our beautiful little princess, Haley Alexandra. And I also thank you for our little Molly "Dolly" (Paul's other daughter.) Jesus, I thank you that our dear Joy married X many years ago and because of that we have our oldest and beautiful, smart and intelligent granddaughter, Jeanna Joy and to top it off we have our little angel sent straight from your heart, Jessica Faith. Jesus you are so good to us. We could never have dreamed that our Joy and Paul would one day be married and the fruit of their love would come in the form of such a bundle of love, our precious Hannah Mae Grace. I've got the sweetest Daughter-in-law any man could have in Laura, Jason's wife, who brought us our very first grandson, Elliot Daniel . And of course, I am very grateful for Joel's daughter, our beautiful little Ameya Rose.

Jesus, thank you for making a place for Mimi and I to come and live close to this precious family. I do not remember all of the 64 Thanksgivings I have experienced, but I will always remember this Thansgiving, November 22, 2007 as the first Thanksgiving we had in our new home with our completed family.

In Jesus' Name,
Your little boy and son,
Jackie Wright or also known as just "Papa".

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Oh, yes! I am sooo thankful!

Thankful for:
A warm, cozy home full of God's love
and light
Papa's arms around me in the middle of
the night
Beautiful granddaughters to hug &
give sweet kisses
A daughter and a "son" whose love & care
just never misses!

I'm thankful for:
A church full of friends and devotion
A heart that still can feel love and emotion.
Our family and grands in other places, too.
And loved ones up in Heaven awaiting me & you.

x0x0x0, Mimi.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Jessica was asked what she is thankful for she just said, "Jesus".

So there you have it - from our heart to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. We're thankful for you and pray your hearts are full of thanksgiving, too!

Gold Medal for Jessica

Jessica joined Special Olympics just after her eighth birthday this past March. She did swimming in the Spring. Now she has just concluded bowling. She bowled in her first tournament this past Saturday in Oak Harbor on the Naval Station at Whidby Lanes. Surprising us all, she placed first - winning the "gold medal" for her lane. Too much fun!! Congratulations, Jessica! Way to Go!

Halloween Fun

Halloween 2007

• Mom - What NOT to Wear (No, I don't usually dress so tacky!!!)
• Jeanna - Crazy for Jesus
• Jessica - Queen for the Day
• Haley - Honey Bee
• Hannah Mae - Butterfly Princess
  

The Sunshine of my Days

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know Dears how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

Youngest to oldest:
Hannah Mae, Molly, Haley, Jessica, Jeanna

Here's Hannah Mae hanging out with Papa - the two of them having too much fun!

Buddy Walk a Success!

The Buddy Walk was a huge success and Jessica, her teacher and home care worker even made the newspaper as you can see. We had over 400 walkers there raising awareness and acceptance for all people with Down syndrome. A great time was had by all! Thank you to all who came and walked with us!

Come Walk with Me!

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month!

“Come walk with me!!”

Because you are special to Jessica and our family, we would like to invite each of your family members to be our “buddies” and participate with us for Skagit County’s very first annual Buddy Walk in support of all people with Down syndrome. We would love it if you would join us on Saturday, October 13th at Bakerview Park from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be live music and entertainment, concessions (or bring a picnic), family friendly activities, goody bags and raffle prizes. There is no need to raise pledges. Our first Buddy Walk is solely to raise awareness and promote acceptance for people of all ages with Down syndrome. If you can join us, please let me know and I will get a brochure/registration form to you. Registration is $5.00 each and includes a T-shirt (goody bag, etc.) for every participant.

I am assisting the planning committee with this event. We are in DESPERATE need of volunteers! We also need more raffle prizes, give-aways, goody bag prizes, etc. (Great opportunity to advertise your business!) All donations will be acknowledged and are tax deductible. Any help you may be able to give us to make this first Buddy Walk a success would be hugely appreciated!!!

We look forward to hearing from you! Joy Caldwell

Anniversary & Dedication

July was a busy month! Of course it started with a "bang" as we celebrated July 4th with family & friends two days in a row watching the best fireworks shows ever!!!

Then on the 15th we celebrated our 2 year "Family Anniversary" together. Here we are at the park playing and posing together...





It sure is work, trying to get all these girls smiling at the little blinking timer light on the camera at just the right moment... maybe another day...

A couple of weeks later Uncle Jason, Auntie Laura and the only "Wright" grandson - Elliot came to visit. We had way too much fun together while they were here - showing them all the "grand" NW Washington scenic (& shopping!!!) sites.

Look at those beautiful big BLUE eyes she inherited from Mimi (My mom) & Grandpa Charles (Paul's Dad)!To add blessing to blessing they were able to celebrate Hannah Mae's baby dedication with us as well. Very special!

Of course what could be more precious than Papa being able to dedicate his granddaughter... and she was a perfect little angel for him, too!

Uncle Jason finished it off with a beautiful prayer, as well.

Just a few more pictures of our little darling...



(*All baby photos are "Creations by Joy"... Can you tell we're having fun?!)

Our Little Baby Doll...

All photography and effects are "Creations by Joy" aka Mom, Mommy, & Mama Joy...

6 weeks old already...

All 5 girls together - yes, we're busy, but having way too much fun!
Here are just a few of our favorite pictures, taken over the last few weeks. It's amazing how quickly she's changing. What a good baby she is, beautiful and loved by all!

Lots of kisses for Baby Hannah Mae...

Can't a girl just get some beauty sleep around here?! Yes, I am a perfect little angel, especially when my Daddy's holding me!

Here I am meeting my Uncle Jay from Calgary. I can't wait to meet Auntie Laura and cousin Elliott next month!