Greetings from the Burk Motel!

Yes, we are many stockings hanging by the fire this year! We have a house hopping with teenagers and toddlers, quite an interesting mix. Our “winter baby” Sophia arrived last February and spent the first three months of life so bundled up that, when you handed her to someone to hold, they would eye the heap of blankets and ask, “Is there a baby in there?” Since being that warm little bundle, she has spread laughter and clutter throughout our home, crawling at five months (rolling over at two!), flying to Portland Oregon at eight months to visit cousins and now keeps time with Ellie, tearing up books stealing back toys, and out-shouting her. Though I can’t get a decent photo of the sisters to save my life, they do play together beautifully. Today Sophie crawled into the kitchen, her mouth caked with potting soil that Ellie had dug out of one of my plants and–Oh, lucky us–cooked to perfection in a wide assortment of pots and pans in her play kitchen and fed to her adoring sister.

Ellie’s second year has been filled with mischief and wonder of many kinds: self-inflicted haircuts, a day of smearing Desitin all over every surface in the nursery, putting rubber bands over “Sew-feeze eye” and the like. It all keeps a parent laughing in utter hysteria and exhaustion! Every Wednesday we go to story time at the library and to the “benk” for a lollipop. Ahhhh… when wants were simple. Neither one, I’m pleased to say, know who “Sponge Bob” is–or even Santa Claus, for that matter, but you can bet they know every hip teenager tune and expression so lovingly taught them!

Paul is drumming (and, Lord help us) driving his way through 10th grade, rollerblading and computer gaming and grumbling about getting the job. He has the same four friends he has had since 6th grade. Every night after homework you hear him creep downstairs to call his girl, Gina, and no matter how the day has gone, he always comes back in a half hour happy with the world. Lacie is in 8th grade, something of a rebel without a cause who, on a good day, loves to curl up with her sewing and a video she has watched 85 times. She will do anything for a ride to a mall, or even the Rite Aid, sings in her school chorus, is into experimenting with hair and makeup, and sports some interesting dog chain jewelry she made out of the rings from her sizable keychain collection. You can always tell when she’s been hugging on the baby, because the baby comes back with glitter all over her.

Bill’s schedule (an oxymoron if ever there were) includes monthly service at the Washington National Cathedral, monthly meetings of two Diocesan committees, spiritual leadership of Cursillo, all orthodontist appointments for Lacie, teaching Paul how to drive, and regular trips to DC to visit his mom and/or shuttle her to the doctor. And did I mention that 45 to 50 hour work week at the office? Any wonder why, when some guy in a pickup totaled our poor Mazda last month the insurance company told us the car had too much mileage on it to be worth much? That’s okay. At the rate we fly and the price of gas, we are going to see about a spare sleigh anyway.

We continue to ask your prayers for Bill’s mother. Mrs. Burk wages of valiant battle against colo-rectal cancer. She has just finished a second round of chemotherapy, which didn’t stop her from cooking two Thanksgiving turkeys and all the fixin’s. We aim to be celebrating Sophia Mildred’s first birthday with her namesake in February. Our resolutions for 2003? No babies and no Home Improvement! We have braces, a teen driver, part-time jobs, full-time jobs, nursery school and another round of potty training to look forward to. Bill says he wants to join a gym and make sure he gets in the spiritual retreat he missed this year.

Praise God and pass the Pampers!