Other Interesting Updates

Megan started Nursery at church in December. She's doing great. As Billy confidently told me, "We're 4 for 4. At 18 months our kids will go with strangers and not make a peep for two whole hours." When you word it that way, not sure how good a thing that is... :)

Matthew left Nursery Jan 1st and is now in Primary. He was very excited to move on and be with the big kids, because, as he reminded me last week, "I am a big boy!"

Emily's science/math teacher assigned a doozy of a project and report in December. Who does that?! If I do teach again, I will NEVER assign a big report and project in December. That's just mean. Anyway, this is the poster she made, by herself, of the solar system. (To go along with a fatty report she hand wrote all by herself.) I helped her figure out the sizes and distances so it is to scale...as much as it can be when you're dealing with pom poms and foam board. I could go on about the other projects - how some were so obviously done by parents as opposed to the students, but I won't. You know how it is. (This was the first time I was glad Pluto isn't considered a planet anymore. One less planet to put on the poster and write about!)

Jacob is a word fiend at the moment. He's gobbling up books as fast as he can. He loved playing this game with Daddy while I helped Emily proofread her report. They made the sentences silly on purpose. :)

What else? Well, we watched this movie and really enjoyed it - about a boy who beat the odds and became a great neurosurgeon. So inspiring.

I've made a New Years Resolution to start a scripture journal. I think it'll help my reading be more studying. :) I found a blog that has set up instructions so it should be easy. I'm excited.

Billy got a new game and we've played it twice. He won once and I won once. (And that, my friends, is most definitely blog-worthy!)

I read the biography of Russell M. Nelson by Spencer Condie and The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke. Both were very interesting and though-provoking. I enjoyed them very much.

It's 2012. 2012 People!! I remember when we moved here we thought 2012 would never come. It sounded so far away. And now it's here. A couple times this past week, Billy looked at me and said, "I'm halfway through my chief year. This is it." rather dumbfounded at how quickly the time has gone. Other times, I'd be cleaning up some Christmas thing and say, "This is it. Last Christmas here." or "Last gingerbread house here." "Last Christmas morning here. Wow." equally dumbfounded. Our feelings are swirling around excited and sad.

Hope your new year is starting off right!

P.S. Don't forget our red kettle! You can donate through January. If just some of our friends donated $10-$20 we could make our goal in no time! Just think, you'd be helping someone whose Christmas wasn't as good as yours, and really, would you miss that $10? Thanks to those who already donated!!