This past year has been quite eventful and has just flown by...all of you who told us that time would continue to speed up as our kids got bigger were right! We are entering our 10th year of marriage, which we can hardly believe. This past November, we had our 5th anniversary of living in CA and serving at Peoples Church. Chad is still overseeing the high school department, and this past summer he took on a new and exciting challenge of also overseeing the college department. We have really enjoyed the college students, and spending time with them takes us back to our roots of campus ministry at PLU! I have now been in my current profession of "Mommy and Homemaker" for nearly 7 years, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Every year being home with our kids is a gift and a privilege, and it is humbling to know that God has entrusted to me this awesome responsibility of investing in the lives of these little, precious people.
Rees, at 5 1/2, continues to love and excel in his kindergarten class, and we could not have asked for a more incredible kindergarten teacher! Mrs. Witters is her name, and she calls her class the "Witters Critters." He has made some great friends and loves show and tell, playing in the sandbox, singing songs, and having computer time in the classroom. Rees continues to amaze us with the level of creativity in is brain. He really has the mind of an engineer! In fact, the other day I asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up, and he responded simply "a builder." Well that sounds just about right! If I need help with Legos or puzzles, it's Rees I go to when Chad's not home :) He also loves soccer, riding his 2-wheeler or Razor, wrestling with Daddy, doing flips on the trampoline, and having friends over to play. His new favorite show is America's Funniest Videos (which the boys just call "AFV"), and there is nothing more hilarious than watching him watch that show! His face turns bright red from laughing so hard, his eyes water, and he has an ongoing commentary of "Oh dear... oh know... this is not going to be good!"
Cole, our sweet little boy, is 3 1/2 and he has grown up so much in this past year. He got his first big boy haircut, and I will forever miss those blond curls. He and Rees still share a room, which now has a Hawaiian/surfing theme and bunk beds. The boys are inseparable, and Cole is sad everyday when Rees has to go to school. Cole is quite the helper around the house - he loves helping Mommy bake, cook, clean, and organize and he is right by Daddy's side, screwdriver in hand, anytime something needs to be fixed. He is naturally talented at many things, but especially loves baseball (you have to duck after pitching to him or you'll get your head taken off), football, basketball, and drumming. A keen eye will find little dents around our house where our 'little drummer boy' has been :) He also has a goofy side to him and is always doing funny faces, voices, or dances. Cole will be officially starting preschool this January, although we have been doing "school" together at home since August. He recently learned how to write his name and count to 30!
Selah Belle, our baby, is now 21 months old going on about 6! I have always been grateful that my kids have been relatively bald for their first 2 years of life because it gives them a "perpetual baby" look. Well, all of a sudden Selah's hair started growing like crazy, and she is looking more and more like a little girl these days (sniff sniff). We are still blown away that she, like big brother Rees, has strawberry blond hair! That must've been one strong gene they got from their Great-Grandpa Red! Over Thanksgiving break, Selah began potty-training herself (at 20 months), and is still doing a great job. Hard to believe that 6 years of diapers in this house may be coming to an end soon. Selah is so full of life and brings so much joy to our family. She is the caboose of Rees and Cole and is right in the middle of whatever they're doing. Before nap or bedtime, she calls for each of them to come give her a kiss and a high five! She loves dancing, playing dress-up, accessorizing herself, caring for her baby dolls, getting on and off the trampoline by herself, and playing in the mud. Her big grin, deep belly laugh, and many expressions have won over the hearts of everyone in our family!
We thought we'd take advantage of writing an e-letter and share the highlights of our year in pictures. So here it goes!
JANUARY
We celebrated our 8th anniversary in Disneyland with our baby girl. There is just nothing like being in Disneyland at Christmastime - truly the 'happiest place on earth!'
FEBRUARY
The boys have grown to become best friends in 2010. Here they are playing parachute on the trampoline. They got the trampoline last Christmas and STILL go on it almost everyday.
MARCH
Rees celebrating his 5th birthday with his preschool class!
Selah Belle turned 1 on March 19th and had a very PINK birthday party.
Chad's Grandpa Bobby passed away in March after a 10 month battle with Leukemia. We were so blessed that our whole family was able to travel to Minnesota for his funeral. Here is Grandma Lenore being presented with an American flag to honor Bobby for his service in the military.
APRIL
Cole turned 3! He had a "blue basketball pizza party" to be sure he covered all his favorite things!
We had our 4th annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt! This was the first year that it was COLD, but the kids had fun. The babies, Selah and Isaac, were right in the middle of the action.
MAY
Chad's parents drove down to CA and we all took a trip together to the beaches of Carlsbad and Legoland. It was the perfect 'kid-friendly' vacation.
JUNE
Sisters and babies! Selah and I took a trip to spend Father's Day in WA with my family. Tiffany and Johnny hosted a great BBQ, and between all the crawling babies and puppies, it was a total zoo - just how we like it!
I will be forever grateful that my Papa was able to celebrate Father's Day with us because this ended up being the last time I would see him this side of heaven.
JULY
We had a wonderful Yosemite vacation with my sister Sarah, her husband Isaac, and their boys Ben and Eli. Our days were spent swimming, hiking, and chasing the babies!
Rees, Cole, and Ben are such good buddies, despite living 900 miles from each other. It is so fun seeing them play together.
AUGUST
Rees started KINDERGARTEN! We are so proud of our first-born! This was a milestone day for our whole family.
SEPTEMBER
Cole played his first season of soccer. He was a little shy at first, but once he warmed up he did great! He even scored a few goals.
Rees played his second season of soccer, and was thrilled to be on the "red" team - his favorite color! Like Cole, it took a couple weeks to warm up, but by the end of the season he was running around and scored some goals too!
OCTOBER
My Papa died suddenly of a heart attack while attending Sunday Mass - his favorite place to be. His funeral was bittersweet, a time to mourn his passing, but also a quality time with family remembering his life. My dad was presented with this American flag after a very moving ceremony, performed in honor of Papa's service in the Navy.
Rees's first field trip was to the pumpkin patch! It ended up being a fun family outing.
NOVEMBER
We traveled to WA for Thanksgiving this year and had a nice surprise of SNOW! The kids had so much fun with their grandparents and cousins. From left to right: Rees, Ben, Rachel, and Cole.
DECEMBER
December in our house has been all about Christmas baking, crafts, and decorating! Here is the gingerbread house that the kids ate...I mean built :)
Here's Chad after running 26.2 miles! He decided to attempt this feat about a week before doing it, and I never doubted that he would finish. Oh, and he didn't train for this and has been telling me for years that he's not a runner. He has kind of "ticked off" all the true runners who have aspired for years to run a marathon and have yet to do it (like me, haha!) It's not fair! But I am still so proud and so impressed by his accomplishment!
Reesy Bear, looking quite dapper in his first Christmas program. His class sang two songs, complete with hand motions. Talk about CUTE!
Reesy lost his first tooth! In fact, he pulled it out all by himself with tweezers! He is one brave boy. There is nothing cuter than a toothless, freckle-faced little boy.
Well, there you have it! What a year it has been. Looking back reminds us that through the highs and lows of this year, God has been so good to us. Our hearts are filled with joy as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.
God bless all of our family and friends! Click below to see a special video that we hope brings you some Christmas JOY!
