Merry Christmas Friends

I think I made a mistake that I hope to correct. I only sent out Christmas letters to my friends I think do not know about my blog. My reasoning behind it is that everyone who reads my blog knows what is going on in my life. Looking back, I think I should have sent them to all the people on my list. I have felt a lot of times that we go through trials, in part, because 1. we can show our faith to others when we rely on Heavenly Father for support in that trial, and 2. we learn gratitude and humility for heavenly and earthly help and helpers. In my letter I express thanks for both. I want my family and friends who are regular readers to know of my gratitude for all the service that has been rendered in our behalf. Your generosity has been the answer some prayers that I have had for years. The Lord works in mysterious ways and I am grateful to Him for His many blessings to us. Yes, it has been very difficult, and I am looking forward to a better year in 2010 but I would not trade my experiences and what I have learned for anything. I do not want to be guilty of passing up and opportunity to show my faith and gratitude. Here is our Christmas letter:

Dear Family and Friends,
This has been another eventful year in the Hansen household. We have enjoyed many blessings and have endured some challenges.

In January we learned that Katie’s cancer had returned to her left breast. She immediately started chemo again (and lost most of her hair again). In April she had a mastectomy but the surgeon was unable to close up the wound because it was so deep. The plastic surgeon could not do a graft until granulation tissue had grown in the wound. Katie went to wound care daily and experienced a lot of pain. In June she was back in surgery again for a latissimus dorsi flap(muscle from the back brought forward to the front) and a skin graft. There were many set backs including staff infection and failure of the graft. She went to hyperbarics daily for 6 weeks. In July she had another skin graft and this one finally took. Meanwhile the cancer had returned. She is now on chemo indefinitely. Her one request was that the doctor give her a chemo that would not cause hair loss (he honored her request!) She goes to Rexburg every other week for chemo. The chemo is working and the last scan was good. We have seen miracles and know Heavenly Father will continue to bless us with what we need.

The community and our families have helped us so much in so many ways. We have been very humbled by the outpouring of love. We have seen the workings of the Lord through many earthly angels. Our testimonies have been strengthened that we have a loving Heavenly Father. He has cared for us so tenderly.

Other events of the year include:
Jeffrey’s Eagle scout project (27 receiving blankets for the local hospital)
Brandon’s baseball games
Camille spent 2 weeks in Arizona with relatives
Alexa’s baptism
Drew started kindergarten
Mary makes us smile and laugh everyday
Swim camp at Green Canyon
Family trip to southern Utah and Arizona
Dennis was released from the bishopric after serving nearly 6 years
We were able to finish the addition to our home that we started over a year ago!

Thank you for your love and prayers. We are so grateful for wonderful family and friends! We wish you a wonderful Christmas season.

Love,
Dennis and Katie

What's This?

Mary looks as if she is wondering what is going on with all these dishes in front of her! But it was her own misdeed that caused it. On her birthday morn I made a sheet cake for strawberry shortcake (I thought a pretty red cake at Christmas time would be fun--actually Brandon thought of it.) Dennis and I had to run to town in the afternoon and while we were gone Camille called and said Mary had destroyed a major portion of her cake (obviously babysitting was not happening). It did not have the topping on it yet. So I just cubed what was left and put it in individual dishes. It still tasted yummy of course.

My Anonymous Friend

I just typed this little story to a friend on Face Book and felt I should tell it here.

Saturday I was in a busy Walmart and waited in a line for check out for awhile as did the lady behind me. But I noticed that she was humming softly. When I listened carefully to her humming I noticed it was "I Stand All Amazed". A lesson on many levels. I wish I would have talked to her and told her how much her song meant to me. I guess the best I can do to repay her is tell her little story and hope to spread her simple service. What can I do today to lift some one's spirit?

Last but Not Least

We celebrated Mary's birthday today. What a sweet little puddin'.

She brings us so much joy!

One night at supper Mary covered her eyes and said, "I a ghost....BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She treats us with many laughs.

It's hard to believe she is 3 and she will go to Primary next year!

I love you my little Mary!! !!

The Hansens

Dave and Julianna and her sister Rebecca took pictures of us one Sunday afternoon in July. All three of them were snapping pictures at once and captured some fun candid moments. Thanks guys!

I love the different reactions on the kids' faces when Rebecca told Dennis and I to kiss. Hilarious!

The Reason for the Season

Brought to you by our little Mary

Happy Christmas

For the past few years I have dreamed of putting our Christmas tree up in a big new room. Tonight my dream was realized! It is wonderful! I feel so blessed.

Bye Bye Baby

When we went to my parents' for Thanksgiving I forgot to take Mary's binkie. It is high time she was weaned from it anyway. She had a bit of a rough night but since then has done just fine without it. What a relief to be done with that!

She has also potty trained so easily! These are two milestones that are good to get behind us. But it also means my baby is growing. And that makes me sad.

Camille!

Yesterday Camille turned 10. It is hard to believe that she is growing up so fast!Here are a few pictures of her from this past year.I think she is so beautiful!She wanted a Monopoly game. (I guess someone has to like that game!)
Camille is a wonderful sister. All of her siblings love her. She does kind things for us all! Camille knows how to have fun and likes to joke around.She has been blessed with good friends.Last summer she spent 2 weeks in Arizona with her aunt and uncle and their family. (with cousin Alesha above.) We missed her a lot around here!

She wanted us to go visit them as a family. That is one reason we took a trip south last month!

Here she is with her cousin Jazlyn.

Camille has been lots of help in the kitchen lately! She made cupcakes for her school class for her birthday.

I am very thankful for Camille in our family!

Last night Dennis asked me to help him remember something that I knew I had in my notes somewhere. As I was searching a past notebook I found a little gem that I had written as I read A Disciple's Life, the biography of Neal A. Maxwell: "Deliberately cultivate a certain resilient and glad spirit, so that even when you are in the midst of a pressure situation you can smile and have an upbeat manner." This was something Elder Maxwell wrote to his children citing that their mother had this quality. I have noticed this wonderful quality in Dennis' mom. I think it is one of those "best gifts" that I "earnestly covet" (1Cor 12:31). I like the idea of "deliberately cultivating."

Kids on the Couch

Here are the new curtains. Also a view of the little chairs I was planning to have recovered. But I'm glad I waited until the new sofas came because the chairs are really small compared to the them. I'm disappointed because they were my grandma's and I think they are cute. Now I need to decide what to do.