Thursday, December 5, 2013

I really thought I have updated this since July... But I guess I have not.

I opened the old blog today and was surprised to see that I have not been on here since July.  I guess what happened was I uploaded all my pictures to put on here and then forget to really put them on and write about what we have been doing.  I'm still within the fourth quarter of the year though, so I guess that is okay.  I hope I can do justice to all that has been going on!  Since I last wrote, we have moved on from summer and into the thick of winter.  We had a first major snow storm of the year a few days ago and now it is 7 degrees out there.  It's funny how fast this time of year goes.. actually how fast the whole year seemed to fly by! I'll do my typical recount of everything that has been happening... although there really isn't much new.

JACK:  Jack started 2nd grade and is doing so well!! He was reader of the month last month and has the most reading points in his class.  I told him his goal was to get to 200 points in the program and he already has 110.  He loves reading and reads really hard things now.  His teacher says he is for sure at a 3-4th grade level.  He struggles a little with math, but not because he can't do it.  He is like me and a little lazy and uninterested in math, but he seems to be getting better with it.  He had a really great time doing competitive soccer and really got a lot better.  He stills wants to do it this coming year and although it made me crazy from about April until November, because it made us so busy, it was pretty fun to watch and it is exciting to see him grow up into this little fella.  He is a good person, very kind and thoughtful and he always tries to do the right thing.  He is thinking a lot about getting baptized and we have been reading a bit of the Book of Mormon everyday before school.  It is slow going, but we have rarely missed a day in doing it and I really feel the power it is giving our family.  Jack's friends are still the same, but he is branching out at school more and it makes me nervous to hear about kids I don't know.  But, he is a good kid.  And it is fun to trust him with more grown up things and he starts to get into his world a little more on his own.  I am proud of him!

SAVANNAH:  Savannah's life has changed a lot this fall.  She started soccer, dance and preschool.  She loved playing soccer and really liked to talk about how busy she was with all these things.  She wasn't the most aggressive player, but she had a fun time with her friends on the team.  She loves to run like Jack and so I'm hoping she will continue to play sports.  I never really did that and it is something I wish now that I would have done.  She dances at Grandma's studio and loves it! We have her little cousin (Jordan, Steve's daughter) dance with her and they have a cute teacher and a little class.  It is perfect for now and we are getting ready for her first performance in a few days.  She loves preschool and is learning a lot there.  She knows all her numbers (most), colors and shapes.  We are working on the alphabet and she is working on writing.  She can recognize her name and she is a little perfectionist.  It is heartbreaking to watch her get nervous about something because she gets so sad or upset if it is not done perfectly.  I'm trying to do my best with her and she is getting better about trying new things.  I love this little lady. She loves Jack and Evelyn and is just content to be a part of anything going on around her.  Pretty mellow and easy going with things that we do.  She can be a little drama, but I am getting better at reasoning with her.  I am proud of her!

EVELYN:  Evelyn is almost 18 months now.  She has grown up a lot since she turned one.  She is super funny and delightful.  I love having her here! She loves life and is happy most of the time.  She is feisty and learning to make herself heard in the family.  Yesterday she was in time out at the gym for biting and that afternoon she bit Savannah so hard she broke the skin.  Needless to say, she is not all smiles all the time, but she is learning and she really understands what you say to her.  She has a handful of words... MAMA, DADA, NO, EYES, DOG, HOT.  She loves to dance and carry around my phone listening to music.  Also, last night she got super mad at midnight that she woke up to find that I had turned off her Christmas lights.  She really likes all the Christmas things around.  We are working on getting her off her bottle, but she loves it so it might be harder than the other kids, but she is getting better about putting herself to sleep.  I still enjoy rocking her though and she is super cuddly.  We are blessed to have her in the family.  Heavenly Father knew what he was doing sending her here when he did!

JASON:  Jason is working and busy.  It seems he works longer at this new job, but I think it will pay off eventually.  It still feels like there is not enough money, but we are blessed regardless because we have so much.  I hope Jason sees that.  It is because of his hard work that we all have this life and it is so great! He still plays basketball when he can wake up and he really enjoys our friends and the community we have here. here.  He was released from executive secretary and is now the Sunday School pres.  Not sure what that will require of him, but he is excited for a change and less meeting. He also got roped into SINGING in Portuguese at the ward party.  Ha.  Not sure how that will go! I love this guy and I want prosperity to know it.  We have a blessed life and he is a huge part of that.

ME:  Things with me are the same.  I have my thyroid mostly figured out, which is good because we are thinking that the time is here to just get the last baby here.  I am excited to have all my kids here and really feel like now is a good time.  We are taking the family to Disneyland (shhhhh, its a surprise for the kids) in January and then our path is clear to start trying so I'm hoping for a fall baby next year.  It will be fabulous to be done having babies, although also sad because I have been enjoying babies so much lately.  But, it is time to move into the next phase of raising this sweet kids we are blessed with! I was able to go to San Francisco with Amy in October and run the Nike Half Marathon.  It was super fun! I had a great time with the friends I went with (Amy and Blakely Hankins).  We lounged around, saw movies, walked a ton and saw the sites and ran the race.  I love traveling and hope we can start doing it more.  I am so happy in this stage in my life.  Seriously, the best time of my life. I have a hard time feeling deserving of all my many blessings and that has been a huge struggle  for me.  I have spent a lot of time this year thinking of how blessed I am and thinking that something horrible is lurking around the corner... but just lately I am seeing this as a tool of Satan to put fear into my life.  I have read my patriarchal blessing a lot and find comfort in seeing that I have been promised a happy home and good friends and then realizing that these blessings are being fulfilled right before my eyes and being grateful instead of worrying about things I can't control.  I know that no matter what the future holds, I will be okay and my family will be okay and that is all I can do.  I'm so grateful for all that I have and for the gospel.  It is the reason my life is what it is.  We have a great group of friends and it is just a lot of fun to be where we are in life right now.  Although, not all is happy happy all the time.  I do often feel overwhelmed and I struggle a lot with my temper.  I really need to be better about just letting things go and not railing on my kids for everything.  One of my resolutions for next year.  I want to be a happy mom and a productive mom and a healthy mom and finding that balance with three kids has been a challenge.  I'm slowly getting there.  I also have a hard time with our money situation, but I do see how blessed we are.  I know that because of paying our  tithing we are okay, but it is hard because we started married life ahead of most everyone, and now we make the less of everyone, so it seems hard sometimes, but I also know it won't always be that way and even if it is... we will always be okay.  I'm so grateful I don't have to work and a lot of the people I'm comparing with have two incomes... or a lot of debt and we have neither so we are blessed.  I just don't want to paint everything as super rosy, but we are blessed.  SO BLESSED!! 2013 has been good to us, for sure.  I hope 2014 brings more happiness, another baby, a finished basement, more organization and more memories!! On to the holidays!  


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