its about time

This has been a fun year for us. No one really checks blogs anymore, but I figure I need to be jotting things down so that I can remember the good things going on in my life with my family.

I won't go recap the entire year.

Levi just turned 10 the other day. That means I have been a parent for a decade! Wow, I am old. And so is he. Levi is awesome; he has a strong sense of self and is happy (mostly), he is always such a big help at home with his younger siblings. Right now Levi LOVES Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit and of course lego. Levi's creativity is developing and he loves drawing and comics and playing hide and go seek outside in the dark with his friends.

Enoch got baptized this year! It was such a great day. Enoch has really grown up a lot this year. He is as smart as a whip and can sometimes spell words better than myself. He has a love for playing outside, which is helped by having a neighbour his age right across the street. Enoch shares a love for the same books as Levi, and is often found with his nose in a book.

Monet is my girl. So glad I have a girl in this life of boys! She is thriving in kindergarten, learning to read simple words and I have heard from more than one parent about how kind she is. That just warms my heart; to hear that my kids are kind. Monet takes her role as big sister very seriously and makes up hundreds of games for Thad and Zeke to play. Her imagination has not slowed down as she has gotten older.

Thaddy-bear is really no longer Thaddy-bear. Although he does like it when I use his name and sing the good ol' Gummy Bears theme song from the cartoon. Thad is in joy school and loves it so much. He dresses himself most days, and adds interesting details like socks on his hands or a cape and no shirt. He loves to laugh and to make others laugh. Knock knock jokes are probably one of the funniest things to him in the entire world.

My baby is growing way too fast. Just yesterday I was marvelling at how tall he was as Josh was holding him. He was a nightmare as far as sleep goes, but we took his bottle away a month or two ago and he is  (finally) sleeping through the night. He doesn't say a ton of words, but a few of them are Dada (or course), mum, baba---bottle, nah-nah---night-night, shoe, no, nose and nana--banana.  His first words were tick tock for some reason. He used to repeat that all the time.

I am starting an independent dental hygiene business. It has kept me plenty busy and has been fun as I am enjoying the steep learning curve of running a business and dealing with insurance companies. I try to only work 5 days a month or so, so I feel like at least it hasn't taken over my family life. Josh might say otherwise, though. I run when I can and avoid housework whenever possible. Just read my first e-book which I thought I would never do, but loved using the in-phone dictionary.

Josh has started a scripture study class with a few couples from our ward. It has been very enlightening and enjoyable. I guess I can't make as much fun of him anymore for being so anti-social.  He is really into listening to podcasts by James Altucher, Tim Ferriss, Eric Thomas and Les Brown to name a few. Josh wants to get a six pack and thinks a lot about cross fit and navy seals and such. But I think he'll reach his goal when I do the same and stop eating sugar of any kind.

All in all our family has had a good and memorable year. We are feeling blessed and watched over.