2014 Newsletter

I would have loved to send out Christmas cards this year, but we didn't have our family pictures taken and so everything just fell through the cracks.  But in case you're interested in what life's brought us this past year, here's an update (in case you don't read our blog, which you're actually doing right now...)  

Thad:  is completely adorable.  Ben and I agree that he is our most different baby.  He actually climbs up on things like chairs and the kitchen table.  He steals fruit whenever he can reach it from the counter.  He is quite mischievous and takes on the role of "little brother" very seriously.  Ella is scared of him and doesn't like him to come too near.  If he does she'll yell, "Don't touch me, Thaddeo!" to which he usually responds by slowly poking her arm with a straight face.  We can tell he's going to bring lots of good stories to the table as he grows.

Ella:  is growing up.  She speaks very well for her age and is very good at communicating.  She is our first picky eater and it can be a challenge to get her to eat anything healthy other than fruit.  She loves anything girly or Frozen related.  She has a great sense of humor and knows exactly what to do to make people laugh.  She hates all strangers and gives plenty of people death stares at church.  She (like her older siblings) loves books and falls asleep with them in her bed every day.  Her hair continues to amaze me and I have no plans of cutting it soon.

Skyler:  is now a Kindergartener!  School has been a wonderful outlet for Skyler to channel all of his energy and curiosity.  He is very academically gifted and Ben and I are planning on moving in with him one day when he's a billionaire.  Skyler loves figuring out how things work and trying to recreate them.  He is especially fond of creating his own paper airplane designs.  Ever since he could walk and talk, he has been proud that he is a fast runner.  He also is addicted to books like his siblings.

Lily:  is in 1st grade!  This year she started dance and depending on the day she loves it or hates it.  I think when she was in the Holly Springs Christmas Parade it sealed the deal that she wants to be in dance again next year.  Lily is enjoying school and I enjoy reading all the papers she has to write.  She spends her spare time at home reading, writing books made of stapled construction paper, and drawing.  I'm biased because I'm really proud that she has always loved art.  In December she drew a fantastic nativity.  

Heather:  I am the stereotype busy mom.  I do a lot of boring errands/cooking/cleaning/dealing with toddler tantrums/etc.  Every single day is typically hard and by the time the kids are in bed Ben and I look at each other and agree to not do any more work.  One thing that I love doing is having multiple date nights at home per week.  Sometimes it's only one and sometimes it's a few, but Ben and I prefer having simple nights at home with a rented movie and a special dessert or takeout.  I'm a Primary teacher still and I also serve on the Relief Society Meetings Committee.  This year I have one New Year's resolution: make more time for sketching and painting.

Ben:  still loves working at Cisco.  He is busy but (proud wife moment) he is amazing at what he does.  He had his appendix removed at the beginning of August and it was a slow recovery.  Some strenuous activities are still hard for him.  He still serves as the Teacher's Quorum Advisor and Asst. Scoutmaster.  He spends so much time thinking about and serving his boys.  He built a fire pit in our back yard this past fall and now that we have several dutch ovens, I imagine we will be eating well this upcoming year.  Another thing that he is still great at is cooking.  Most Sundays (now that we're on the early schedule) I will take a nap in the afternoon while Ben makes a feast.  He also makes the kids lunches each day which always includes a specially shaped sandwich (my favorites were the Christmas themed ones during December).

My hopes for this year:  To ease into homeschooling successfully, to finally not have a super expensive medical year, to hope for a visit to Hong Kong to see Ben's parents, and to actually decorate the kids' rooms.