Year in Review

This has been a great year with lessons learned and blessings received.

Not much has changed with Grant and I. Grant is still the department head, teacher, and coach at Alhambra, but this year his team had a winning season! Must be the coach.

I work two nights a week on the weekend as an ICU nurse. I am almost done with school (for now), and May never looked so good. I also gave coaching a try with the under six boys' soccer team.

Raea was baptised. The social butterfly is making friends on all her sports teams and now in Activity Days. I can't believe my oldest is in third grade.

Ethan did swim team, soccer again, and finally rode his bike around the neighborhood. Kindergarten has proved that he is a smart, independent thinker.

Larissa sprouted. My tall, little four year old is more of a tom-boy princess than I ever was. How she has grown into her own!

Herston is doing very well. Although he still requires thickened liquids, you would never have imagined his struggles early on. He has caught up if not surpassed many other two year olds his age.

Looking forward:
A second honeymoon for our tenth anniversary.
A nurse practitioner in the home!!!
Larissa in Kindergarten.
Disneyland? (the reward for no diapers in the house)

Side Note

Is one of your New Year's resolutions to read the New Testament?

Help me here:

http://scripturestudywithruth.blogspot.com/

Snow in Arizona

Faith of a Child

Last night without any teaching help, Ethan taught us the story of Daniel and the lion's den for Family Home Evening. "Pray and God will help you will your problems."

This morning I was getting upset when I saw the boys' dirty room. Ethan could tell he was going to get in trouble.

"Just wait, Mom. I need to say a prayer."

He asked for a great day and a clean house. How could I be mad anymore?!

Kids can teach us a lot about faith. Next time, I hope I am the one that thinks to pray. 

Persuasion

We have a "good basket" for behaviors and deeds Mom deems appropriate for reward that contains candy, stickers, and silly bands. A couple weeks ago, one of the third grade vocabulary words was persuasion. I explained to the kids that I am trying to persuade them with the "good basket".

Yesterday she told me that she wears 39 persuasions.

Take a picture of me

Larissa has reached the stage that anytime she is having fun, she asks me to take a picture of her. And I love it!

Christmas Morning- First Reaction

Youngest to oldest they marched into the living room.

Christmas Eve

Entertainment provided by the girls in green and their headbands.

To Grandma's House We Go

Because we were up north for the polar express, we were able to stop by Grandma Phillip's house.

Over the river, and through the wood, To Grandmother's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Polar Express

First came the new pajamas


Then came the wait in the very cold, snowy weather


Then came the train


Then came riding in the train

Then came the Conductor

Then came Santa

Over the Years: Visits to Santa

Off to go get one more at the North Pole. We will be back.

World Travelers

Grant and I had so much fun deciding which ONE place we wanted to go for our anniversary that we decided to open it to the kids.

"Which one place do you want your Mom and Dad to take you when your older?"

Of course, we selected for Herston. Herston, Australia!

The girls both wanted to go to the Caspian Sea. (I promise I didn't tell them about me, Phish, LaurenG, or college. They picked it on their own.) Here we come, Russia and Kazakhstan!

Ethan looked all over the world map before deciding. New York!

Visit to Santa

A Kid's Christmas

Christmas is well underway at our house thanks to my kids.

They decorated the tree and mailed out our Christmas cards. (They sent out the cards without a newsletter to which my husband responded, "We will just do a blog update.")

Look for our "blog update" newletter.

Preschool Thanksgiving Dinner

Yes, Herston is finishing Larissa's desert with 2 forks.

Larissa: Fours Class

I am loving this girl lately. She has blossomed into an angel, and she is so much fun to be around.

This is the reason people have kids. I love her!

Herston: Twos Class

In one of the books in my parenting library, "So you wanna raise a boy," this stage is tagged the Age of No Reason. I couldn't agree more. In fact, my friend recently stated this Bill Cosby fact, "parents are not interested in justice; they are interested in quiet."

P.S. The beautiful blonde mop not combed in this picture is now gone. Grant has turned him into Iceman from Top Gun. I kid you not.

Sibling Pictures at Preschool

I love sibling pictures, but I always feel bad thinking "but there is more that aren't here!" Anyway, it is nice to see the "protector" change throughout the years.

For a great comparison, here is Ethan and Larissa just last year:

"We are probably the last ones"

We went to Joe's Farm Grill after it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It was so good and fun. I am still eating my ribs 3 meals later. Loved the garlic fries. (I think Herston is drooling looking at other people's food in that picture.)

Afterwards, we took a walk on their urban farm with the kids.

Happy Veteran's Day

We went to the Mesa Veteran's Day Parade. I loved teaching my kids to keep your hand on your heart. There was also soldiers carrying pictures of dead soldiers, and I cried. Some of those kids were so young. I am lucky to live in this country, and I am thankful for those soldiers.

November in Arizona

The Fabulous Four

I love this picture, but I can't help to think that A.) Ethan really can smile, B.) maybe someday Herston will learn, too, C.) I am going to want a standing shot for height comparison every year, and D.) Herston is massive. His calves, hands, and forearms are bigger than his siblings.