Happy Holidays From Our Home To Yours...

Some might call it "going green". Truth is, I just didn't get my act together quickly enough this year to get cards out! The holidays really snuck up on me. It's a sign of the times and of our very busy lives!

Let's start with the kids...

F ~ (10 years old) is in 5th grade. He has a fantastic teacher this year and he adores her. Who could blame him? She is young, energetic, and full of creative ideas for teaching kids! Through her, he has found a real love for school. He still has a strong interest in outdoorsy things (frogs, snakes, bugs, etc) and has taken up the trumpet this year as well as Debate Club. He and his buddy "D" performed a parody of "Twas The Night Before Christmas" in the school talent show. It was very funny and they did a great job. We are extremely proud of the academic success F has achieved this year. He has been on honor roll since the start of the year.

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(above: F dirty & loving it, catching fish at the lake ~ July)


(above: F in the school talent show)

K ~ (7 years old) is in 1st grade and also doing very well. She is a perfectionist with her work and it really shows! Her penmanship rivals that of some adults I know! She is extremely social and enjoys spending time with her friends. This year she and her friend "A" performed a jitterbug dance in the school talent show. They did a great job and were absolutely adorable! She still loves Cheerleading and Dance and was named "Co-Captain" of her Summer Squad. She is looking forward to starting up her cheer classes again in January. This past summer was a rough one for her. She had a long seizure episode which she was hospitalized for. The weeks following were filled with many doctor appointments. She was tested for several different things and we were able to rule out various scenarios but we still have no answer as to what is happening to her or why it happens. Hopefully time will tell.

(above: K cheerleading ~ May)

(above: K in the school talent show)

M~ (5 years old) is in Pre-K this year and to say she loves it would be an absolute understatement. This child is so ready for school! She played soccer last Spring and l-o-v-e-d snack time. Playing soccer - not so much! She'd last about 2 minutes on the field and then start inquiring as to which mom brought snack, what kind they brought, and how much longer she'd have to wait before indulging! She loves her food!!! She is a happy-go-lucky girl and is usually more than willing to participate in any fun activity. Her teacher told me "I've taught for a long time and I've never known a child who is so happy. It doesn't matter what is going on, everything is always right in M's world." That pretty much sums up M!

(above: M at soccer ~ May)

(above: toothless M ~ December)

In June, my parents treated me and the kids to a California trip which was jam-packed with fun! We spent a couple of days in So Cal and then headed up north to see my brother and sister-in-law. We had a blast and my kids proved that they could spend 14 hours in a small car together and still sort of like each other at the end! The tail end of the trip brought us back to So Cal for a few more days. We squeezed a whole lot into one trip...Disneyland, Legoland, La Brea Tarpits, Cabrillo Museum, beach days, Golden Gate Bridge, Boat Tour of Alcatraz, etc. It was so much fun!

(above: F, K, & M at Torrance Beach in Southern California ~ June)

(above: M, F, & K at Muir Woods in Northern California ~ June)

The end of the summer brought about a lot of changes in our family. My sweet cat Tori died. She was 19 years old and was with me for 18.5 of those years. The kids had never known life without Tori. We sure do miss her. Another big change for us was the sale of our restaurant. Although a bittersweet time, it has enabled Fred to be home with us more often and become a more active part of the kids lives. We are all so much happier now that he's home regularly.

I am still working for the school district. Because I work for the same district that my kids are in, I am home when they are home. I leave for work after they go to school and I'm home before they are. How lucky for me!!!

I wish you all the happiest of holidays. May 2009 bring you peace, stability, and much joy!