Dear Family and Friends:

Welcome, once again, to the Lacey Family Christmas Card, which though neither in time for Christmas, nor a card, is most assuredly crafted and delivered with love, the Christmas spirit, and perhaps a touch of the stomach flu (thanks pre-school!). 

As always, we begin by giving thanks for all the friends and family that have supported us, shared with us, and passed time with us over the last year.  We are deeply grateful for all of you, and for your presence in our lives.  We look forward to many more hours spent in your company in days and years to come.

We also would like to thank all of you who took the time to send us holiday cards again this year.  Truly, we love the photos and the letters, and take great joy in placing them on the mantle, noting how folks have changed, and recalling fondly the last time we were with you.

For our part, we are blessed to again report that it has been a good year.  Stomach flus, allergies, and getting old aside, we are all healthy, happy, and accounted for.

The big story for Aaron this year was his new job.  In February, he left Vatterott Educational Centers, Inc., the postsecondary education company he'd been working for over the last few years, and joined one of the larger law firms in St. Louis, Thompson Coburn LLP.  He learned a great deal at Vatterott, and met some wonderful people, but could not pass up the opportunity that materialized in late 2013.  Specifically, he's working with a couple of his former colleagues from his DC days, now partners in Thompson Coburn's DC office, to build the firm's higher education practice.  It is a great challenge, and he has been enjoying it greatly.  

For Andie, 2014 was the year of the garden (time permitting).  She still spends a great deal of her day, every day, in the "hamster wheel," as she refers to the endless cycle of making meals, washing clothes, and picking up toys.  But as the kids all get a little bit older, and a very-small-almost-imperceptible-bit wiser, she is able, incrementally, to reclaim time for other interests.  Much of that time in the past year was spent with her fingers in God's good earth.  The homestead garden continues to grow more beautiful and robust with each successive spring, as flowers bloom, plants expand, and trees reach skyward.  She also found time in 2014 to develop and implement a landscape design for a portion of the grounds surrounding Kirkwood Baptist Church.  Truly, she is nurturing and shaping plants, children, and a husband, each and every day.

August also had a great year.  As a mere first-grader, he already is over-committed in the extra-curricular department, with soccer, gymnastics, Boy Scouts, ice-skating, and other such engagements.  Yet, despite his parents' best efforts to run him ragged, he is perpetually upbeat, and up at 6AM.  He continues to love anything Lego, adores his video games, and generally seems unfazed by the challenges of life; excepting, of course, the challenges posed by the invasion of sibling hordes into his sacred space (i.e., twins busting into his room).  That one never gets easy.  

Ella and Truman remain as adorable and challenging (and destructive), as ever.  Three is a tough age.  It is the era of tantrums and the refusal of logic.  A three-year old will look you square in the eye and tell you there is no broccoli on his (or her) plate, when the contrary clearly is true.  And it makes no difference to them that they are factually inaccurate.  Indeed, at three, they believe in their heart of hearts that they can "will" the universe to reflect their perspective.  If they believe it hard enough, and scream it loud enough, the broccoli will indeed disappear.  Or in the least, you will come to accept that it is no longer there.  This, as you can imagine, can make for a trying exchange or two.  

All this having been said, three also is a remarkable age, where a child still is full of naive wonder and joy, yet now possesses the language to articulate that wonder and joy to the world.  Also, three-year olds don't take such long naps, and typically, eventually, are potty-trained.  Taken together, this means that you can take them on more adventures, where hilarity, silliness, and Kodak moments often ensue.  As our year-in-photos section illustrates, 2014 brought hours and hours of great moments with Ella and Tru, for which we are eternally grateful.

On a final note, Bix remains in good health, and grouchy as ever.  As he ages, he is settling nicely into his role as a lovable, four-legged curmudgeon.  Also, he remains incredibly handsome, and keenly aware of his good looks.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read our letter.  We hope you and yours are well, and enjoying a restful holiday with loved ones.   

Warmest regards,

The Laceys