Happy Holiday Greetings

[Buddy Brannan]

To all our family and friends,

Melanie, Alena, and I (and the four-legs, naturally) all wish you the 
very best for a happy Christmas season, and a happy and prosperous 
2005! 

This year has been absolutely wonderful for our family, and all of you 
have been a big part of why. Your support and encouragement throughout 
this year have meant more to us than you could possibly imagine, and 
we all thank you from the bottom of our hearts. All of you know the 
blessings that children bring into our lives, and Alena's come 
overflowing with them! The wonder that children see in this world that 
has so jaded and hardened all of us is amazing, and I hope that I, for 
one, will remember to reflect on this myself, and maybe learn to see 
the world through the wondering and awe-struck eyes of a child again. 
I have been telling people that every day has been Christmas to Alena 
since she's gotten here--saying that gifts from friends and admirers 
and well-wishers have been coming by the truckload; but thinking about 
it, I was more right than I could have known. Every day has been 
Christmas to Alena. Just the way she approaches every day, living it, 
unwrapping it like a new gift, the way those sappy chain letters tell 
us we should live our lives. She knows what this holiday means without 
being taught, and she lives it every day of her life. I pray that she 
always will. In her own special way, she knows that the best gift you 
can get is to give and to be of service to others. Anyone who sees 
Alena on the street is touched by her. One day, we were walking home, 
and we ran into some teenagers walking the other way, and one says as 
we pass with Alena in her stroller, "Hey, see that kid? She waved at 
me the other day!" For that teenager to remember our little angel 
waving at him days later, it must have really made his day! And she 
gives this gift of joy and light to everyone she sees. I've been 
saying that Alena will touch many lives, and she already has. She will 
touch many, many more. 

Anyway, you have to know this, her first Christmas with us, will be 
special. Santa's been very good to her (even with the head start!) :) 
And this holiday's just the cap on what has been a wonderful year for 
us. We've had our speed bumps along the way, but coming home with our 
Alena has made all of the small difficulties we faced more than 
insignificant. And thanks to everyone for helping us through. Again. 
:) 

Love to all,

Buddy, Melanie, and Alena (and the four-legs)