Dear Santa,                                                                                         September 27, 2011

 I noticed you remembered to drop down the meat for Zoey, keep her busy and well, nice.  Sorry, I still feel the need to apologize for the year Zoey was startled and chased you around the house barking, growling and biting you. She is nuts, and it’s getting worse. This year we will bring upstairs with us, not sure if Mrs. Claus would be able to fix your suit again after the last shredding. We have a new addition since last year. No, not another baby, a puppy. Balto is ½ lab ½ springer spaniel. He will be a year old new Thanksgiving. Don’t worry he is VERY friendly! He won’t attack. He may look over at you but he’ll close his eyes and go right back to sleep. He’s a very good dog. How are the reindeer? I heard there was an issue with Comets hoof, is he feeling better? Hope all is well with the elves, I am sure they are getting pretty busy.

            Ok, update time. We will start with the kids. Oldest to youngest. Goalie Girl started high school this year and is loving it! She is working very hard on her school work and it shows! She has done amazing since last year. This summer she has taken a liking to Photography. She is really good, she loves editing pictures as well. Some ideas for her this year would be a great camera like a nice Canon with extra lens, some high tech fancy thing? Other ideas would be a new iPod, a Xbox, new rollerblades, a Varsity Jacket, All expense paid top of the line Hockey Camp. I know, expensive right? Next year maybe we can work something out on a car?

            Ok, next is MeMe. She’s eleven now, in fifth grade and maturing into a great little lady. She has been working very hard in school this year and has made a lot of new friends, real friends, not the superficial ones that keep stabbing her in the back! She is very nervous about puberty and all the “delights” that come with it (yes, that was sarcasm). She is going through a lot of adjustments with hormones and learning what is acceptable when it comes to expressing herself and her feelings. Slamming doors ok, screaming at me and stomping up the stairs, not so much. It’s a hard road to navigate but she is doing pretty good so far. Ideas for her this year could be a new bike, a mp3 player with headphones, an iPad with design software, any twilight/Jacob gear, make up, girly accessories, clothes. She loves fashion and all that goes with it!

            Butch is a little more difficult. He has been having a hard time this past year. For some reason he has his head so far in the clouds he seems lost and “daydreamy” most of the day. He is still doing amazing in school but it seems like he gets in the van and hits the switch to “off” mode. I have heard this is a phase and he will eventually grow out of it but seriously, how many boxes of hair dye am I going to use this year? He has been decent with his behavior, just very lackadaisical. Things that he would love would be a new bike, basketball hoop, skateboard, Nintendo DS with a bunch of games, more Wii games, weight bench and dumbbells. You know, your typical boy stuff.

            Bruiser this year has been a lot of fun! He is so well behaved. He has come so far with his speech. Chris and I often sit back in amazement as he is talking, he is so fun with his stories and expressions. He is so entertaining! Presents for him this year are a little tricky. He needs a first bike, he loves trains, cars, construction equipment and first responder vehicles (ambulance, cops, fire trucks) so anything revolving around that is always loved dearly by him. His favorite characters this year are Mickey Mouse, Bubble Guppies, Sam the Fireman, Handy Manny, and the Dinosaur Train. So any fun toys or games involving those characters would surely be a hit! I would love for him to get a little leapster game with some of the game cartridges. He would LOVE some outdoor toys like the Step2 or Fisher Price houses and outdoor play stuff.

            Brody is turning one in less than a week. His toy ideas are very easy. He is crawling and climbing all over the place. I am sure he will be walking within a matter of weeks. He is trouble, he gets into everything, he is fearless and determined to be one of the older kids. Dangerous, very dangerous! Some suggestions for him would be a Fisher Price or Leap Frog standing play table, you know, the ones with all the lights and toys that the kids pull up and play with, he would LOVE one of those!  A cozy coupe play car, Little Tikes Little HandiWorker Workhorse, and anything that plays music, he loves music.

            Ok, Back to Sherman and I. Let’s start with Sherman. It has been a very, very long year for Sherman. This has been a tough year for Sherman. It seemed as though it was one issue after another, but Sherman has worked VERY hard to keep our family going. He has been working full time with overtime, going to school full time and keeping a near perfect GPA plus working on the business. He is so busy he often forgets about relaxation. He is graduating this winter, he will continue on with his schooling but we will be passing step one and headed towards step 2. I am VERY, VERY proud of him; words just cannot describe how proud I am! I would love to see him spoiled this year. He has more than earned it! His favorite hobby is smoking cigars, wine and beer. I would love to see his gifts revolve around relaxation this year. Maybe some new cigar gear, some expensive tasty sticks, a new torch, a larger cedar humidor, maybe burlwood, Maybe a wine of the month club, or coffee bean of the month, he loves his coffee, maybe a home brew beer kit, that would make him relax haha, a bike would be great, or a new mp3 player for work. I love him so much and would love for him to relax a bit this upcoming year.

            Lastly, Me. I have been very stressed this year. Trying to corral and manage a large family is very taxing and it has been a lot of work this year! I would like a spa weekend. Just me and my quiet thoughts. I would love a weekend getaway with my hubby. A cozy cabin near Duluth, I know just the place. A little time away to be naughty! A week vacation at Disney World with Sherman and the kids. More attainable gifts might be a new laptop, bike, a new surround system with a great banging system, a big chest freezer, a pop-up camper and maybe some jewelry.

            So there you have it, the Sherman family Christmas letter and wish list. I am sure the kids will be sending you a very detailed, LONG list in a month or so. I do recommend they all make the good list. There have been some bumps but I would have to admit they have all been very well behaved!

                                    Thank You Santa, Have a great Holiday Season, Say Hi to the Mrs!
                                                               ~ Sherman Family ~