Highlights from the past year…

(A friend told me yesterday that she has given up on me blogging, which sounded like a challenge to me...so here I am!)

I had really good intentions of updating the blog more in 2011. Too bad it didn't happen. So here are some highlights from our past year for those of you devoted individuals still checking our blog…lol.

Well on December 18, we had lived in our new house 1 Year! We have enjoyed each season in our new country setting. The girls have enjoyed all the space and playing in the wooded areas around our house. They love going for tractor rides (actually lawn mower rides) and driving Thad’s car in the yard. Yep, you read that right. Thad lets them sit on his lap and “drive” around the yard. They think they are pretty big stuff doing that with their Daddy.

The girls turned 4 in July and are at such a fun age. They get so excited about things and want to know about everything. The amount of questions I answer in a day is mind boggling. (No wonder there are days I don’t feel like talking anymore when Thad gets home.) Their questions are all those philosophical and religious questions that really cause me to stop and think about how to answer them. For example: Does God sleep? Why not? Will we sleep in Heaven? Does God have beds for us? How do we get there? It is exhausting but also nice to see that they are thinking about more that just whether or not Dora will get over the bridge where the grumpy old troll lives. BTW, for the record, I can’t stand kid’s programming. Seriously, mind numbing stuff! And how come EVERY Disney movie has scary parts? But I shouldn't complain because its shows and movies that actually allow me to get things done around here.

I have been attending a MOPS program now for my 3^rd year. I have made some wonderful friends from that experience who have been such a great support and encouragement through parenting young children. I don’t think I could have made it the past few years without them. God is good in supplying what we need when we need it. If only I would remember that:)

My family has had an interesting past year. My mom broke her ankle December last year requiring surgery right around the time we were moving. Then in the spring, she and my grandma were in a horrible car accident where my mom had a broken sternum and my grandma a broken neck. We were all so shaken up of the accident and have realized how things could have easily turned out much worse than they did. Earlier this fall, we learned that my Dad has prostate cancer. His prostate was removed in November but unfortunately all of the cancer was not removed. We are waiting to find out if he needs radiation treatments to destroy the rest of the cancer cells. My mom had eye surgery in January for something I don't completely understand and get a little queasy thinking about because anything to do with the eyes kind of creeps me out. However, the surgery went well and we are Praising the Lord for that. We trust that the Lord will continue to provide for our family and show us His love and care.

I am gradually learning more about this new community we are now living in. I am still learning the new grocery store layout (why can’t they all be the same?) and make weekly trips to the Rockford Goodwill. The library here is wonderful and the girls are enjoying the time they spend with their Daddy, usually once a week. I have gotten involved with the township we live in and am currently working on a project to get a bike path in our area. It is really just an excuse to get together with other adults and have adult conversations. The school district seems really good here BUT really big, which is going to take some getting used to. The girls will hopefully begin next fall in a Young Fives program. They are very excited. Samantha has already picked out what she wants to wear on her first day of school.

Thad continues to be the best Daddy in the world. The girls adore him. I start getting questions around 2pm each day wondering when Daddy will be home. Believe me, I start watching the clock about then too! It makes me think about the quote I have heard “The days are long, but the years are short.” What a great description of motherhood.

The girls are certainly developing their own distinct likes and dislikes and personalities are much more pronounced now. Here’s a glimpse at each girl:

Keegan has a very tender heart. She cares deeply about her sisters and others wanting everything to be fair and everyone to be happy. She tends to mother her sisters and go along with the others when they suggest a playtime activity or game. Keegan is very girly loving anything princess. She desperately wants to take ballet classes and would wear dance costumes on a daily basis, if I let her. She does, however, prefer wearing dresses everyday. Sometimes layers of clothing are on this child 1-2 dresses, 1-2 skirts, a shirt, tights, and on very important days, a tutu.

Samantha is very dramatic and emotional. She is passionate about things and I swear she has a future in the theater. She is great at arguing, which also makes me wonder about a future lawyer. She comes up with most of the activities and then tells others how things are going to be. She is already concerned about the clothes she wears and her hair having to look in the mirror to make sure she approves of everything before going out. Oh my, the teenage years frighten me!

maggie is our Tom-boy; or as she calls it, “Thomas-boy.” (I am guessing that is the proper term…lol). She is incredibly athletic and on the go all the time! She loves anything boy and wears only boy clothes. She is also incredibly cuddly and loves watching movies and eating popcorn. I predict that Maggie will be watching out for her sisters in the future and no one will be messing with them (or breaking up with them) without it going through Maggie first!