Holidays

January 1, 2004

Happy New Year to Everyone! The Buengers had a very lovely holiday season with tons of gifts given and received. We all enjoyed the mild weather and our steady stream of company. I can't imagine anything more beautiful and heart-filling than to look on as Walter held Erin up to shoulder-level for her to light the Christ Candle in the advent arrangement at the front of First Presbyterian Church, Bryan and the 7:00 Christmas Eve service last week. Her concentration was complete as she reached out to connect the flame to the wick.

Erin feels exceptionally well these days. Her echo-cardiogram went off without a hitch the Monday before Christmas. I don't have the specific results, but in this case, I think no news (no requests for more detailed testing) is good news. We will see Erin's doctor week after next when we are in Houston for quarterly scans and will hear a more detailed report then. Please keep Erin in mind that week (January 13-16) as the Texas Children's Hospital doctors and technicians poke, prod, and measure Erin once again to make sure we have kept the ugly beast away from our precious baby for another three months. Like in October, I feel confident that she will have negative scans and continue to be NED, but it will ease our minds and hearts to have that feeling certified by the docs.

I wish you all could feel the spark that Erin brings to everything she does. She is a friend to everyone she meets and puts people, young and old, at ease with her friendliness and accepting manner. First grade is going very well. She reads like a champ, loves math and science, and thinks her teacher is super.

December 8, 2003

Erin is getting more and more excited about the approaching holidays. The Primary Choir from church (along with all of the other much more skilled handbell choirs from First Presbyterian) performed at the Bush Library Holiday in the Rotunda last Thursday night. The children rang Jingle Bells and Silent Night, and were adorable.

Erin had her first public appearance on Saturday. Saturday was National Make-A-Wish Day. Things Remembered, a retailer with a kiosk at the mall, is one of the Make-A-Wish Foundation's national sponsors. Erin hung out at the kiosk on Saturday afternoon, looking cute and showing anyone who would stop the pictures of her Make-A-Wish trip to Wyoming. She had a blast, and I can't say enough about Cheryl and her great staff at Things Remembered. They made Erin a beautiful keepsake ornament and treated her like a princess. Things remembered made a donation for each purchase made on Saturday with the hopes of raising $50,000 in one day for other children's wish trips.

We also saw the Stage Center production of A Charlie Brown Christmas on Saturday night. That was such a sweet story--acted by a very talented group of children (ages 6-16).

We continue to scurry around getting ready for Christmas. Love and Christmas Cheer to everyone!

November 19, 2003

Hello Erin fans! We are all anticipating the Thanksgiving Holidays next week, although it is hard not to treat every day as Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. We will travel to the Dallas area on Thursday to celebrate the holiday with Erin's two aunts (my sisters, Elisabeth and Katherine). Elisabeth bought her first home this summer and we will be inaugerating with the first family gathering there.

No new medical news. Erin is growing and prospering. She received two awards from her school last week: one for excellence in P.E. the other for great cooperation in the classroom. I know, you are all thinking--where did that cooperation gene come from?

Davis's Magic '88 team finished one point from making it to the play offs. That means a break from traveling with soccer until January! It doesn't mean no traveling altogether. Davis went to a chess tournament in Killeen last Saturday and took all five of his matches to bring home the championship trophy. Thanks to Rex Burke for making the drive for us so we could stay home and vacuum the walls and sweep the ceiling!