Family update

I'm not sure I even know how to blog anymore, it's been so long! Many times, I have thought about updating here but I would then decide there was no point since the poor people reading it probably gave up on me a long time ago.  But, since I know my sweet grandma enjoys reading here (Hi, Grandma!), I'm going to pop in here again and do a little update.  Here's what we've been up to...

*Sam got a new job this past October and it has been a blessing for our family in so many ways.  Before, he was driving about 45 minutes to work one way and his shifts were 12 hours long.  It was a long time for him to be away from home and it was definitely challenging.  This new job is wonderful! He now works Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The benefits are amazing, he loves what he's doing, and best of all, he now drives only about 4.5 miles to get to work! We are so thankful!

Sam has also been getting involved more in music at our church and has really been enjoying that.  He practices on Thursday nights with the praise team and sometimes leads music for other events at our church.  Tomorrow, he is leading music for a men's prayer breakfast and he is really looking forward to that. 

Other than that, he stays busy being a wonderful husband and daddy and we really enjoy having him home more than we used to!  We love to spend time together and even after almost 10 years of marriage, we never seem to run out of things to talk about.  We enjoy running together, playing Scrabble together, singing together, and just being together.  I'm so thankful for this man that has stuck by my side and been my parenting team mate in this crazy and loud season of life! I couldn't have asked for a better man to share everything with.

*I have been staying busy at home with the munchkins and I've also been enjoying having the house just a little bit quieter on the days that the older girls are at school! Christian loves having more of my attention on those days and seems to behave better now that he has a little time each week to play by himself.  I've also loved watching our little Haddie grow up and can hardly believe she will be a year old in April! She is such a sweet baby and I'm really trying to soak up these baby days with her because they go so fast.

I've recently joined the church choir for the Easter and Lent season and have really enjoyed it so far.  I felt a bit rusty at the first practice but soon found that I could still read music and was glad for that!

I've continued to enjoy an exercise program that consists of some jogging and working out in the fitness room at the YMCA. I usually try to run a few times a week and then shoot for two workouts at the Y using the elliptical and then lifting weights.  I really enjoy working out and staying active and I feel so refreshed mentally and physically afterwards.  Sometimes, when Sam's mom is around to watch the kids, Sam and I work out together and that is so much more fun than working out alone.

*Aubrie is in second grade and doing very well.  Both she and Kayley attend a very small, Christian school not too far from our house.  We are so happy with this school, love the teachers and curriculum, and almost feel like the staff are a part of our family.  Aubrie is especially good at math and spelling and brought home another report card with straight A's recently! It has been fun to watch her blossom and grow.  She loves reading and I will often find her in her bedroom with her nose in a book. (She's just like me!)  She is my biggest helper around the house and is especially good with her baby sister.  I am amazed at how much easier she makes things for me and how she takes such initiative in caring for Haddie, even without being asked.  She is trustworthy and responsible and loves to earn money by helping around the house.  She is also my grocery shopping buddy and I take her with me on almost every trip to the store.  It is crazy to me that she is turning eight years old next month!  Our conversations have gotten deeper lately and it makes me happy to see her compassion for others and to see that she loves Jesus.  I'm so thankful for Aubrie's sweet spirit and the gift she is to our family!

*Kayley...ah, my little Kayley bear.  You wouldn't have to be around her long before you'd likely be laughing about something she's said or done.  This girl is a goofball! She is spirited, independent, passionate, creative, artistic, and a real fireball! She keeps me on my toes, for sure! She is in a pre-K class that is Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday.  Her teacher absolutely adores her and I am so thankful for that because I really hesitated to put her in school this year because of her late birthday and also because she seems to be a late bloomer in the area of maturity.  However, once she learned the routine of her class, she really took off and is doing so well.  She is reading and absorbing everything like a little sponge! Her teacher usually has a story for me each week regarding something Kayley said or did that makes us both just about die laughing. 

At home, Kayley is usually coloring and drawing and I am presented with beautiful pictures about 15 times a day.  I've never seen a girl who likes to draw as much as her.  I try to keep her well supplied with paper and markers but even that is challenging with how much she draws. 

Kayley loves playing (and fighting) with Christian and those two are inseparable on the days Kayley doesn't have school.  Kayley will be six in August and has been talking about her birthday since oh, about September of last year. 

We are so thankful for this unique little girl God gave us and I expect her to do great things with her passion and drive in the years to come!  My prayer is that her passion will evolve into a fierce love for Jesus and a desire to serve Him with her many talents and gifts.

*Christian is three and the little man of the family.  He does pretty well with having three sisters and definitely holds his own with them.  He loves Thomas the train and if he isn't watching one of the movies, he's most likely playing with his trains somewhere in the house.  He is creative and imaginative and also has such a sweet little voice when he sings.  He is my little buddy at home and he has a great sense of humor.  He just recently seemed to change overnight from a toddler into a little boy and I can hardly believe he will be four in August.

He is a lot like Kayley in some ways, especially in the area of stubborness! He has a mind of his own and disciplining him has been a huge challenge!  Sometimes, actually most of the time, he just plain exhausts me but I remind myself that this is a season and a day will come where he will hopefully be less challenging.  When he's not giving me a run for my money, he can be very sweet and charming and I am so thankful God gave me this little guy - my only boy!

*Hadassah is the sweestest, smiliest littel baby girl and has added so much joy to our family.  She is a busy, active little girl and is always on the move.  She started crawling around seven months and hasn't stopped moving since.  At ten months, she is standing alone and cruising around the furniture.  She loves trying to keep up with her siblings but also knows she is the forever baby of the family.  She is absolutely adored by every member of the family and they love to make her laugh. 

She adores her daddy and when he walks in the door from work and the big kids go running to greet him, she is right there along with them, crawling to the door just as fast as her little hands and knees will take her.  The grin on her face when her daddy scoops her up is priceless.

Haddie loves to be held when she's not cruising around the house and definitely has her moods where it's a bad idea to set her down! She may be the smallest member of the family but she makes her needs known.  She wakes up incredibly happy and it always makes me smile to see her bright blue eyes peeking over the top of her crib in the morning, just waiting for me to come pick her up.

I'm so thankful God gave us this little addition to our family and she is well loved!


So, there's an update on our family!