Monthly Updates

My goal for this year is attempt monthly updates. I know that updating our blog continually throughout the year is a challenge for me and I am forever feeling guilty about not doing it. I do not want it to be like that. I want this blog to be a place that my kids can go to remember the fun we have had as well as a place for our family and friends to go for updates about our family. I find that most of my communication happens on Facebook but a blog is so different.

Our family spent Christmas at home with my parents, brother and niece coming to share it with us. It was such a fun time. We went shopping together and took in quite a few movies. I was surprised by how much more active this time at Christmas felt, as a family that those in years past. I took some items off my list this year, just for a break. We did not send out Christmas cards and we also shared Christmas with only a few friends and a small part of our family.

It was nice to have a break from the Christmas cards but I missed them terribly. One of the biggest reasons for not sending them out was that James was gone the first two weeks of December, so we were not able to get a photo. The second reason is one that we have not talked about. We were contacted the beginning of December about an adoption. The mother changed her mind just before Christmas. We are so grateful that the mom and daughter will be able to be together but it still left us feeling a little empty during the holidays. We have no plans of adopting right now (nor did we then) but we wanted to be obedient to God's calling. He is the one who opens and closes those doors and we rejoice in His ultimate decisions.

January has been a month of change for Tori. She was not "scheduled" to start college classes until next year when Running Start begins for high school students. It ended up that teaching her at home was just not going to work. She went to the college, took the placement exams and did great. She started out slow this quarter with English 101 and reading 107. She really likes the classes at the college and we are happy for her to have the opportunity to further her education, even if it does seem a bit early.

January also brought Tori, as well as Jordon their first jobs! I am excited for them to have the opportunity to earn some extra cash and grateful that they each work for such nice people. Jace is still working and going to college. He is scheduled to finish his AA this quarter. We are very proud of his hard work. Claire is loving Kindergarten and Cade enjoys his preschool class. Both are growing like weeds. I would love to post a few photos but most of them were on a camera that I had in my purse when it was stolen a couple of weeks ago. So if you are reading this and wondered why you have not talked to me in a while, give me a call, I may not have your number any longer :)