2012

The year is over.  This has flown by.  I have been slacking on blogging and taking pictures (I can't even find my camera) and I didn't even get a Christmas card done.  Wow.  I want to do a catch up here.  It is going to be wordy....

 

SAM: 

My goodness.  I have totally enjoyed this guy.  He has been a joy.  Absolutely adorable.  Joel thinks he is the best looking baby yet - and he has had stiff comptetition.  He is still quick to smile and has this infectious laugh.  A real happy guy.  He has 5 teeth, with one of bottom teeth totally crooked.  We call it his snaggle tooth.  As soon as it came in I could see braces in his future.  Unless he is fine with it, then no worries.  He even makes the snaggle tooth look cute.  True story

 

Sam is officially weaned.  He turned 1 in December.  He eats pretty much anything and everything.  He is not walking yet.  Before Christmas he had taken 7 steps, so we were pretty sure he would be walking by Christmas.  But then we went to Joel's parents house for Christmas and he totally regressed.  By the time he got home he had forgotten how to even stand...that boy.  He has been at the no standing stage since.  That is until last night.  He out of nowhere took 15 steps across the room while carrying to folders.  It was amazing. 

 

Sam LOVES balls and balloons.  LOVES them.  He also LOVES Sage and Charlotte.  He loves being adored by them.  He is getting a sense of humor - he thinks that it is funny to do the opposite of what you ask him.  "Come here Sam."  He looks at you, laughs, and then crawls as fast as possible the other way.  He thinks he is hillarious.  "Get out of that shelf Sam."  Hysterically making and beeline towards it to pull out all of the books out.  This boy is going to be trouble. 

 

 

CHARLOTTE:

Oh Charly horse.  What to say about this girl.  She is at one of my favorite ages, so it is so fun.  I adore her.  She is hillarious.  She has lots of personality.  She too is quick to laugh.  And her laugh is infectious.  There is so much joy in it.  So unhibited.  So true.  I love it.  Charlotte's bangs are finally starting to grow out, making it easier to get her hair out of her face.  When you can actually see her face: breathtaking.  Really stunning.  Her eyes - wow.  And her teeny tiny nose - adorable. 

 

Charlotte's speech is developing quite along.  My favorites: she always says "me" instead of "I".  She says "For reals" a lot.  She sings the theme song from The Muppets movie as loud as she can over and over again.  I love hearing her at the tops of her lungs singing, "I've got the whole wide world in the palm in my hands" "I've got everything I need right in front of me" "I can't seem to wipe this smile off my face".  And she does this while dancing a jig in front of the mirror.  She is joyous.

 

She has been really into dress-up lately.  I swear she changes at least 5 times an hour.  Lately she has been obsessed with talking about bottoms and showing hers off to people.  I never would have pegged her as our exhibitionist, but there you have it.  Lately she has regressed in her potty training - wetting her bed nightly.  She didn't care the consequences.  So we started an incentive program of getting something special if she keeps her bed dry.  That girl obviously had total control.  She has had exactly ZERO accidents since then...

 

 

SAGE:

Sagebrush.  I am sad thinking that Sage is going to start kindergarten in the fall.  I am going to miss her so much.  So is Charlotte and Sam.  She is really kind and sweet to be around.  She plays so nicely (except for when Jack comes home and then there is lots of crying) and she is really helpful (except for when you ask her to clean, then it is major melt downs). 

 

Sage had a goal at the beginning of preschool: learn to read.  She already knew her letters and many of their sounds.  Well, by golly, she is getting it!  She is able to sound out words and she is recognizing sight words.  Her handwriting is very nice too.  I'm totally impressed and proud of her.  She is feels good about it too.

 

Sage has found a friend from preschool that we frequently have playdates with.  It is so fun to hear her and her friend talk to each other.  This is her first real friend.  A friend that didn't come from being the same age and in the same class in church.  A friend she found on her own.  There has never been any girls her age that we knew.  So it is awesome that they have really clicked.  And I really like her mom too, so it is helpful.

 

We have been trying to help Sage find something that she is interested in.  Something that she enjoys and is part of her identity.  She is interested in art and dance/gymnastics.  I hope to be finding classes for her this upcoming year.

 

 

JACK:

Oh my Jacky Boy.  I love that Jack is not your cookie-cutter kid.  I love that he is totally just himself.  I hope he keeps this.  I hope others appreciate him.  I think his peers like all like him.  I mean, who wouldn't?  He's one of a kind, but not the strange kid.  He is very kind and loving and supportive of his siblings.  Jack has a good heart.

 

Jack's teacher in school this year is a much better fit then last year.  He is doing really well.  His reading is really amazing.  I love to hear him read.  His report card for the first trimester was perfect.  Well, except for his handwriting.  He is pretty sloppy.  But I am totally not worried about it.  I have terrible handwriting myself but fared pretty well in school. 

 

Jack's interests: *office supplies.  He has bags and bags full, yet we can never seem to find a pen when we need one.  *Tools.  Collecting and using tools.  *He is pretty tricky on his bike.  *He is going to do swim lessons again this summer.  *He really wants a goat.  We went to the zoo and he spent the entire time cuddling up with a goat.  Once we have fences we are all over that.  He is old enough for 4H too.  He would love that.

 

 

ME:

You might be able to tell, but I love and adore my kids.  LOVE THEM.  Passionately.  I really enjoy motherhood.  Having Sam being the best baby possible makes me think that maybe I could do another baby.  But I would probably end up with a cranky baby...then I would go crazy (crazier).  So this is the first time in almost 7 years that I haven't been pregnant or breastfeeding.  That is crazy.  My body is mine now.  But now I just feel old...

 

This year I have started getting into building things with wood.  I have done lots of different things and I can do them well.  But this, this feels different.  This feels like a passion.  I can't stop myself.  I LOVE doing it.  It feels so empowering.  I have never had a passion before, so it is exciting to me.  I've made several things and have a mile long list of things on my "To Make" list. 

 

At church I am still teaching the music in Primary.  It is fun.  I enjoy it.  They have made it clear that they are not releasing me for a while.  They like me there.  They have just doubled me up and now I am also the ward organist.  As many years as I have played the organ for, this is the fanciest organ I have ever played.

 

I am happy.  Really happy.  I really like it here.  I really love my family.  Life is so so good.

 

 

JOEL:

Joel is a busy busy man.  He is still working for Foster Farms.  He got a new position in a different mill back in July.  His new mill produces liquid feed.  The catch: they haven't replaced him from his old job.  So he is presently managing 2 mills (the old mill is fertilizer), though getting paid for one position.  He is tired.  He is burnt out.  We will see what the future holds for him.

 

Joel's dad isn't doing well.  So Joel has gone several times this past year to go visit him.  Bill has lung cancer and has done radiation and chemo and now hospice is going to make their move.  Bill and Katherine were able to come make one last hurrah back in November.  Bill's brother had a open house up in Danville and invited pretty much everyone that Bill knows.  Katherine said that there were people there that even she didn't know.  Bill went in kicking and screaming, BUT loved it in the end.  It was really awesome.  Very lovely.  Everyone who went had a very nice time.  We did go up for Christmas as well.  It too was nice.  Bill is a wonderful man.  We've been trying to get as much of Bill as possible.  He will be sorely missed.

 

********

 

Looking forward to this upcoming year:

Charlotte turns 3

Sage starts kindergarten

Sam will hopefully start walking

Swim lessons

Family reunion in Idaho my fam.

10 year anniversary for Joel and I

More work on our little house

A new shop?

Goats?

 

We are happy.  We are so blessed.  Life is so good.