Christmas Letter

This is our Christmas letter this year. Now if I could just get it printed and sent out, we'll be all set!!

Seasons Greetings Family and Friends-
We hope this finds you all healthy and happy! Here is the latest update from our house-
Caroline is now 4 ½ and continues to bring laughter into our home. She asked to play an Internet game the other day in this manner, “Mom can you get me on Barbie duck com”. She apparently thinks “Dot” is actually “Duck”. She started Preschool at the YMCA this year and has adjusted really well. She goes there 3 days a week , 2 half days and 1 full day. The Y includes swimming in their curriculum and her Teacher says that Caroline is quite a “Fish”, she has always loved the water. She also enjoys being a Sunbeam in her church Primary class.
Madeline turned 8 in April and was baptized in May. Madeline loves to do various gymnastic moves around the house. Not a day goes by that we don’t find her upside down doing a head stand, in fact John has nicknamed her “upside down girl“. Maddy is in Third grade this year and is doing really well. She also started Tae Kwon Do this Summer and is working toward her yellow belt. She is now in Wednesday night Activity Day Girls at church and has been having lots of fun there. This past Fall Maddy and Christine participated in the Bath Rec Cheering Program which they really enjoyed doing.
Christine is 10 and a half, in the Fifth grade, and has been reading books like crazy. John and I aren’t quite sure where she inherited that gene, maybe it was from her Grammie Clara (Kadi‘s Mom). She is reading the Harry Potter Series and lots of the Maine Student Book Award Books. She really enjoyed participating in the Regional Battle of the Books competition last Spring. Chris earned her Yellow Belt in Tae Kwon Do in April after a couple years of hard work. Chris spent a week at Camp Tangelwood ( a 4H camp) this past Summer and really enjoyed it. She has a passion for Music and switched from playing the Clarinet to playing the Alto Sax for her school band .
Kadi spends quite a bit of time just trying to “catch up”. She continues to work at MMC on the Interventional Cardiac Floor where she also participates on the Quality and Skin Care Committees. She still does 2 Night shifts a week and finds this shift works best for our family. She has gotten involved in the School PTO and continues as the Ward Activates Chairperson at church. Kadi has really enjoyed getting into an exercise regimen this year and hopes to be able to keep it up, especially after indulging in all the Holiday Treats. Our Family also has a Blog now and Kadi enjoys updating that and keeping in touch with family/friends through their Blogs (Visit us at skroski.blogspot.com).
John continues to enjoy working here in Phippsburg. He has found himself busy this Fall dealing with collateral damage from our Country’s poor economic condition. One of John’s highlights this year was earning his Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do in July. He continues to enjoy teaching weekly classes for the Youth in Town. John has rediscovered his love of running and weight lifting and hopes it will help prepare him for his Black Belt Test in a couple years. John was busy in the Garden this Summer and was thrilled when one of the Sunflowers he planted grew 14 feet tall. John’s calling as Ward Clerk at church continues to keep him busy. He has had fun recently reconnecting with old friends through Facebook.
The girls and John talked Kadi into getting a Kitten in May. John had been on a Call for work where a women showed him a basket full of kittens, he fell in love with the Gray and White Male, went back a month later and low and behold he was the only one left! So now we have “Max” who fills our life with utter enjoyment., especially when he knocks ornaments off the Christmas tree!! John is also glad to finally have another male in the house, even if it is just a cat. Autumn our Golden Retriever is now 12 and is feeling it! She now has Laryngeal Paralysis and can’t breathe when she gets really excited- She has been such a great dog to us! Madeline’s Gerbil passed away this Fall so now we only have Christine’s left.
One of our Family’s big Highlights this year was going to Florida in March. We spent 5 days at Disney World and then another 3 in Orlando. Kadi and the girls had never been to Disney before and can’t wait to

go back again, if only it were more affordable! We toured all the parks and were able to see and do so much!!!! It really is an amazing place to visit! We were also able to go to Sea World, toured an Orange Grove and went to Cocoa Beach. All in all it was a great vacation!
We were able to go to a couple Weddings this past Summer, Kadis nephew Dan and his wife Alicia and John’s Brother Chris and his wife Melanie. It was so fun to catch up with Relatives and Friends that we don’t see often at these special events. Caroline was thrilled to be one of the Flower Girls in Chris and Melanie’s Wedding.
We really enjoyed our week at Camp this year, the Annual Kingman Cousins Weekend, a 15 year Anniversary Boston getaway for Kadi and John and visits from Family and Friends. We had a nice visit from John’s Mom and sister Alicia and her family this Summer. We hadn‘t seen Alicia in over 8 years, so it was fun to reconnect- We hope this letter finds you all healthy and happy. There are so many trials going on in the World today. We are truly thankful that we can all turn to the Savior and get comfort through His Sacrifice and Atonement for each of us.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Joyous 2009!
With lots of love,
The Skroski Family
John, Kadi, Christine, Madeline and Caroline