Christmas cards & letter

Apparently, (I blame the mess on the desk above) I sent out some Christmas cards that were totally blank - nothing inside, not even a signature as to where it came from!  AHHHH!!!  If this happened to you - I'm so sorry!  There was a picture with our very first Christmas letter ever on the inside.   Here's what your card should have read/looked like.

Franklin Family 2010 Christmas Letter


We have never done a Christmas letter before and prefer not to make it a long, drawn out log of our daily events. Instead, we would rather provide a few updates for friends and family that seldom have the opportunity to see or visit with us. So, without further ado, here we go!

The last 12 months have seemed long at times with TJ stationed in Maine and then deploying! Thanks to a wonderful grandma who stayed with the kids, Melissa was able to go visit TJ in El Salvador towards the end of February. It was wonderful eight days together. Being a military wife is hard! Melissa learned that the hard way with TJ gone so much this past year. However, we weathered the challenges and he came home May 28, 2010. It was a glorious day! To say the kids were so excited to have their daddy home is an understatement.

Tyler is now 7 years old. He finished the first grade and has moved on up to second grade. Melissa home schooled Tyler from January, to the end of the first grade school year. It was a very enjoyable experience. Tyler is our shy, quiet, dependable little guy. He still likes to cuddle with mommy and daddy. He is such a joy to our family.

Brenalee is now 5 years old. She had a wonderful time in preschool and has begun Kindergarten! She was getting in trouble weekly for talking, but she has managed to get that under control – thank goodness! She is our very outgoing, outspoken child. We often remark that we don’t know where she came from because she is not like TJ or I. We laugh daily at the things she says.

TJ is still trying to fly the P-3. That’s a joke, because if you know P-3’s, they are always broken! TJ would love to have more time to play sports, play with the kids, or play anything actually. He is very busy with work and rarely has a free moment.

We miss all our friends and family. We are so blessed and thank the Lord daily for our blessings. We are grateful to have wonderful friends and neighbors here in Florida who give us constant support and love. Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Franklins
TJ, Melissa, Tyler & Brenalee