I am a slacker...

...so a late Merry Christmas to all and a Happy new year.

We did write a christmas letter.

I do have the cards.

No family picture, and my motivation ran out sometime between school ending and New Years.

So Here is the family letter..

via family blog and a few random pictures of our Thanksgiving trip to Georgia.

note not one with the whole family together, maybe I will set the goal to get a

family picture taken this year. Ohhh Steve would be so happy.

2010 was a very eventful year for the Cottrell family.

The biggest event of all occurred in March when after five years of being away, we returned to Texas. Two years after an ill-fated move to Las Vegas just as the economy was beginning to implode, we opted for the security of the area we called home for 7.5 years. After 5 years of vacation in Encinitas and Vegas, we are enjoying country life on a 19-acre spread in Lucas.

Steve is finding more and more specks of gray in his hair, and is still adjusting to his post-knee-surgery lifestyle. No more running or playing basketball, which has been a difficult adjustment. He was able to help out with coaching a few of the boys’ basketball and soccer teams this year, and says that he must be old because he reads only non-fiction except for an occasional Grisham novel.

Marnie is busy running the house, and this year added a new title: Teacher. In preparation for the next stage of her life, she became a pre-school teacher at Little Hart’s Pre-School in Lucas. Next year the school will offer kindergarten for the first time, and Marnie has accepted an offer to teach it. She is busy most days preparing for next year’s curriculum, plus all of the other things associated with running a busy household. More than the rest of us, she really missed Texas and is so happy to be with old friends and acquaintances.

Nathan (15) is in 10^th grade at Lovejoy High School and starting to think about college and working. This year he started to get serious about working out and obtaining the ever-elusive “six-pack”. He will be starting driver’s ed soon and hopes to finish his Eagle requirements soon. He left behind some wonderful friends in Nevada but is making some great new ones in Texas. He enjoys writing, school, and after ending his school basketball career now plays for a team in the local athletic league.

Mason (13) is in 7^th grade at Sloan Creek Middle School. At the beginning of the year he was playing left tackle in football for the Henderson Cowboys as they were one game away from the state championship

for their age group. He is now focusing on basketball as one of the tallest members of the 7^th grade team. He has straight As, and has an outsized, lovable personality that keeps us laughing. We were especially impressed this year with his ability to make new friends quickly after the move.

Cameron (9) is in 4^th grade at Hart Elementary. He constantly impresses us with his knowledge of facts and his memory. He started the year playing football with the mighty mite Henderson Cowboys and was part of a team that only allowed three touchdowns all season, culminating in a championship game with a score of 50-0. He also is an awesome basketball and soccer player, while maintaining straight As and a 100% cumulative grade in his favorite subject, science. He recently won his class spelling bee and will be participating in the school spelling bee after the holidays.

Peyton (7) is in 2^nd grade at Hart Elementary. We can hardly believe that it’s been nearly 6 years since the miraculous surgery to mitigate the impact of a cyst in his brain, and we are thankful every day for his continued improvement and attitude. He is still a little behind on some motor skills, but he has a sharp mind. He has straight As, is getting a workout in his gymnastics class, and is part of the chess club at school.

Marra (4) gets to go to pre-school with Mom most days. She has beautiful long, blonde hair and dreams of being able to wear it like Rapunzel someday. She continues to be all princess with a little tomboy mixed in, and she loves having 4 big brothers who adore her 24/7.

Love from the Cottrell’s