Christmas Greetings 2011

Croskeys love to bicker, make fun of each other, and engage in family wrestling matches. But, we end every day with a prayer and “I love you.” That has to count for something, right?

Helping our family remain financially afloat, Shawn continues to work at Polk County Mental Health and LDS Family Services. He is seeking to heal the world, one person at a time. He will soon move to the West Salem office and be close enough to visit home for lunch. Hooray!

Running the kids all over town is something we do a lot! Anna takes Ballet and piano lessons. Leon takes Hip Hop and attends Cub Scout. The kids are always prepared, on time, and cheerful about each activity!

I take the money for all those activities out of their college/used car/travel/clothing/food fund.

Scampering around the house, making messes, and repeating everything we say is the specialty of little Christian. He is 21 months old!

Tearing down the sidewalks of West Salem at breakneck speeds has become a recent hobby of mine. I participated in a relay and sprint triathlon earlier this year.

Making the bed is first battle that Anna and I engage in and the ball rolls from there. Anna is a careful student, artful negotiator, and comical performance artist around our house.

Always looking to be helpful, Leon is gaining maturity right before our very eyes. We depend on him for a lot of help. His mouth is very mature, so sometimes he gets in trouble for sassiness.

Some really lucky (and broke) adults in our house got to spend a week in Hawaii this past October. We quickly realized why it’s such a popular destination. Thanks Alice for keeping the kids!



This year and every year, our family has been incredibly blessed by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We find joy and peace in His teachings, and we try to spread his love to everyone around us. Thank you for being part of our lives!

Love, the Croskey family

Did this really happen???

So much has occurred in three weeks since we've been home, that it's hard to believe we ever went to Hawaii. But, we did! Here's the proof...

summer so far

This summer is going well so far. It started with an awesome relay from Portland to Eugene. There were 12 people on our team. The highlights for me were running 5.25 miles at 3am down a highway outside of Corvallis (without an ipod and while having to pee) and crossing the finish line for my team after 36 hours. Can't wait to do it again next year. I never thought I would be a runner, but here I am.
Leon participated in cub scout camp, which was so good for his confidence. Both kids attended YMCA day camp last week. I was expecting tears and anxiety from Anna, but she grew a pair (of ovaries) and handled it like a woman. They got to have lots of adventures, including riding in a canoe for the first time. My heart swells with joy when I see my children experiencing the world and rising to new challenges.
They are FULL of ideas and opinions. Leon's pet phrases right now are "seriously?" and "what the heck?" Anna's is "I have a theory or hypothesis about that."
Christian? Well, he's finally walking (when he deems it convenient) and saying many words. My favorites are "car!" and "outside!"
Coming up in August: camping, a visit to Austin for baby and I, and Sacramento for mama and the kids. That will take us right into the school year. Whew! I will have very mixed feelings.
The break from seminary has been great, but I miss the spiritual grounding and focus that it provides in my life. In fact, it's time to get that back...