Our Christmas Letter

Some years we send them, some years we don't. This year I managed to pull it off. If you are wondering why you didn't get one with your card, we only send them to our friends out of town. In theory it is because we see the rest of you, although that isn't always the case. We hope you had blessed holidays.

Merry Christmas from the McHorses

Has another year already passed? Wow, time is flying which seems to be the way we function these days. I have neglected the Christmas letter the last couple years, and while there are many things about our lives that have stayed the same, in that time there have been some notable changes.

Kevin’s job is the same although he has begun teaching about injury prevention and general pediatric orthopedic physical therapy in Austin and throughout the country over the past two years. I am still staying at home full time and continue to enjoy my time with the kids and volunteering at our church and the kids’ schools among other things. I recently helped my parents and my aunt move my 94 year old grandfather to Austin from Arkansas. While we are thrilled to have him here in Austin, it has been a huge transition for him. He is a trooper and is doing his best to remember all the names of the little old ladies who he eats lunch with, but in all seriousness, each day does have its challenges. While we know the adjustment may take a while, we are so thankful he is here.

Possibly the biggest event of our year was that Tyler started kindergarten. I continue to be amazed at what a smooth transition this has been. While I was anxious about the change for Tyler particularly since none of his friends from preschool were going to our elementary school, he took it all in stride. I had been nervous about him making new friends and feeling comfortable in an unknown environment. However, a few weeks before school started he said, “mommy, I am so excited to start kindergarten so I can make new friends.” Sometimes they put everything in perspective for us don’t they? After this conversation, it was clear that I was the one who was uncertain about the transition, not Tyler. He is thriving in school and has developed a passion for geography. He has taken it upon himself to learn every state’s location and their capitals along with other interesting facts. It amazes us how much information he absorbs. He is still our athlete and now plays soccer, basketball, and baseball at different times of the year, loving every minute. In his school journal which he is required to write in daily, he almost always works sports in somehow. He actually brought home his first completed journal this week and one of the prompts from the teacher had been “school would be better if...” and Tyler’s response was “if we didn't have journals.” So, while he loves just about everything about school, he could do without the journaling. I can’t say I blame him for feeling that way.

Megan is three and continues to embrace life full force. I find three to be one of the most challenging ages. It is possible that it is just the intensity of the age that is challenging. We love that it brings new independence and discovery. It also seems to increase the already very present stubbornness in our kids. Megan is a true joy and brings laughter into our house daily, but wow does she know how to test her parents! She keeps us on our toes. Megan is having a wonderful time in preschool again this year. We love that she goes into great detail about the events of her day. One of the things her teachers say they love the most about her is her ability to adapt to every situation. One minute, she will be dressed up playing with her babies and the next she will be playing football with Tyler and his friends. She does her best to have fun in every situation. Yesterday, Megan had her first ever program at school. She has been so excited about it and has been practicing for weeks. She was beaming as they sang Away in a Manger and Twinkle Christmas Star. She is so expressive that her whole body exudes excitement or any other emotion depending on how the day is going. She has been intrigued by kindergarten and in ready to start. However, I will take every minute I have with her before she begins elementary school.

Here is our tale of adventure for the year. We were vacationing in South Padre when Hurricane Dolly decided to alter its course to make South Padre the eye of the storm. While staying would have been full of adventure, we never gave it serious thought. We evacuated the storm to the McHorse ranch and then to the Lost Pines Hyatt in Bastrop so now Megan thinks the ranch and Lost Pines are a part of every evacuation route and still mentions it on a regular basis. Despite being different than we had planned, the trip was still great fun.

Throughout the year, we are constantly reminded of the gift of presence and are so thankful for your presence in our lives. May each one of you experience the blessing of Christ this holiday season.

Kevin, Beth, Tyler, and Megan