Somehow sharing a Christmas letter at the end of 2016 seems like the equivalent of asking everyone in the cinema to stick around through the credits of a political thriller to find out who played reporter #3 in the second press conference scene. I will promise you at the outset, that the letter, and hopefully the year, will end with a full stop rather than exclamation point. Too many exclamation points this year.
Our greatest news of 2016, came with the birth of our son, Judah Noah Chamberlain. Unlike his brothers, he came a few days early and in the wee hours. He's been such a blessing, not only to us, but to most any person he comes across. He's such a content boy, and he just adores his big brothers. I will say adjusting to three has been, and continues to be, a real tool to show how much of a work in progress I am. Noah and I are perpetually exhausted, and I've come into that glamorous life stage of falling asleep on the sofa while watching the evening telly.
Elijah turned two in March and continues to live up to his nicknames: Scrunk, and Little Corporal. He is hilarious, tender and determined. It's been really great seeing his personality emerge and watch him discover the world around him. He loves visiting the local city-farm and feeding the animals. Elijah is rarely spotted without his backpack. I've been asked several times to divulge what precious items are making the cacophony as he trundles past, but that's a question for God.
Zeph rounded his first year of school in July. It's still incredible to me that he learned to read at 4 years old! I am fairly certain that I didn't read until 6, and that's not just because I was home-schooled for Kindergarten. Haha. Zeph had a great first year end report and it brought tears to my eyes to read about how he looks to help others. Zeph and I started a tradition this last year of seeing a theatre play together. In January, we got to see The Lorax at The Old Vic. It was incredible, and I especially enjoyed the wonderment it gave him during the show and in the following months. I look forward to the next one (SPOILER ALERT, it's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in just 3 weeks!)
Both Zeph and Elijah were granted their British citizenship in February of this year. Judah was my 'British at birth' child, and his lovely Canadian citizen certificate came through 2 weeks ago. Our dual nationality trio took their first trip as such, to Canada this past August. We spent two and half weeks in 'Canada's ocean playground': Nova Scotia. This was really amazing to spend much needed time with my extended family. My Mom turned 60 this year, and all of her children gathered to celebrate, love and bless her. She was in her element surrounded by many grandchildren. Perhaps her highlight was when Zeph stated "Nanna Dee can't be a Grandma, she's too young!". Being home in Nova Scotia is definitely second only to Judah's birth for highlights of my year. It was was a deeply meaningful time to return to the beaches, and wooded trails I explored as a child with my children. I got to show my boys my childhood home and their Great grandparent Goodwin's graves.
But life wasn't all beaches, babies and wooded trails in 2016. Both Noah and I decided to get competitive with each other for the title of 'Most Dramatic Chamberlain' after our third was born. In May, Noah broke his shoulder while at work after the ladder wasn't properly secured underneath him and it slipped, and about two weeks after he was discharged from the fracture clinic, I decided I wanted some pity and broke my cuboid bone in my right foot after walking a path with over-gown weeds. It truly was an absurd and confusing time to not only both experience our first broken bones of our lives, but to do so after being 'broken' by our third child. Haha. Probably the most entertaining visual from those 6 weeks in a cast would be of me bum shuffling after Elijah to try and discipline him. Can you believe he found respecting my guidance hard at that time? Bum shuffling is the mark of any authority figure. My church family really poured a lot of support into our family during that time, and we remain so grateful to be part of the body of Christ.
Days after the cast was removed from my foot, we had news from Noah's mum that his Dad had pneumonia again. He had been living with the onset of a degenerative neurological disease for several years, and although he had been healthy most of this time, this was his third battle with pneumonia in 4 months. Doctors began giving him antibiotics to combat infection, and we went to sleep ready to hear of his recovery, but we woke to news of his passing. We were so grateful to have pastoral counselling during the days following, and God truly used the conversations between Noah and our Pastor Tony to help us grieve, but also celebrate the life Noah's father lived with love and joy, even in the last months of his life when he couldn't walk, talk or feed himself. Truly, where there is Jesus there is the abundant life He promised, even when so much is gone.
We celebrated new life, not only in our son, but in the birth of our nephew Forest. As it stands now, both I and two of my brothers have three sons each. It's anyone's guess if the 8.5 year long female famine will end in the Goodwin family.
Now, what's a Christmas letter without bragging about some achievements? You may be thinking, "haven't you done that already with the birth of a baby and the bone breaking bonanza?!" No! I haven't! Those were both surmise additions to my life resume. There is no bragging about what you didn't plan or purpose to happen! My first achievement is that I completed a university course during my last trimester of pregnancy, and wrote the final paper with a new born at my side (procrastination extraordinaire over here), and received 'a 2nd'. Not bad when by the end of it, I convinced myself that an acceptable outcome was just to hand it in, even if I failed. Secondly, and more impressively, I changed a toilet seat! All on my own. That's it. On to my closing summary.
I am grateful for a year of varying shades, as it has truly painted a beautiful portrait of life. There have been messy, poignant, vibrant, confusing and healing moments in my family's 2016. I am utterly grateful to have lived it.
I hope that whatever your year brought you, you experienced it with peace, hope and love.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy 2017.
Danielle, Noah, Zeph, Elijah and Judah x