|
|
|
12.21.09
This year has flown by quickly, and it doesn’t seem possible that Christmas is in just four days. We have been busy this year, and so much has happened, it won’t be possible to remember all the joys and discoveries. Here is a glimpse of the big ones: Ryan is still serving as the youth/music minister at Central Baptist Church, and this year he focused on 12 spiritual disciplines from Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. He spends the majority of his time reading, studying and preparing for Bible studies and worship. This year he was able to travel to Denver, CO with two sister churches and their youth groups for a mission trip focused on serving the local community. Of course in July, he spent two weeks at Camp Webster for Super Summer, our state convention’s summer youth camp. This was Ryan’s first full year serving as the technology director for the state convention youth ministry department which required him to take his video editing skills to a new level. Between all the work and traveling, he still manages to be a fantastic husband and dad. Ashley has also kept busy, filling every second of the day to its fullest. This year, Ashley/Spread Thin Bakery made over 70 party cakes and five wedding cakes! Business has definitely been good and non-stop since late July. She starts 2010 with four weddings just in the month of January! In addition to her growing business, Ashley keeps a busy schedule with the kids, going to Parents as Teachers playgroup twice a week and making play-dates with friends from the community. Aubrey turned three in late June, and has grown witty in her old age! She is bright and full of joy but with her incredible memory and intellect comes a trait she got from me, impatience! She informally started preschool at home with Ashley this fall working on writing, mazes, tracing and cutting. She breezes through the workbooks with no problem, and usually doesn’t really like mom to teach her at all. She’d rather just figure it out on her own. She has become her own best playmate, though, spending hours playing with her toys and pretending. It’s adorable to watch. Caleb turned two at the beginning of September. This year Caleb discovered that although he was shorter than Aubrey, he was stronger than her. He spent a great deal of time proving he could hold his own and wearing Aubrey and mom out. Some time this year the boy in Caleb came out in full force and he became a climbing, growling, eating machine! He is still in love with Elmo and like Aubrey spends a lot of time playing and pretending with his Sesame Street figurines. He’s getting a train set for Christmas, so I imagine that will quickly become his new favorite thing to do. On April 24th little Miss Grace joined our family. She was nine pounds even at birth and 19.5 inches long. She is a joy to have in our home, full of giggles and smiles. Grace has achieved many milestones already and all ahead of schedule. Over Thanksgiving break, she started pulling up to stand making mom a little nervous that walking isn’t too far off. Grace is adventurous and enjoys playing with her two older siblings, taking baths and exploring the house now that she’s completely mobile. This year we were fortunate enough to take our first family vacation to Kansas City’s Great Wolf Lodge. We had so much fun, although no one got enough sleep! We went swimming, bowling, out to eat at fun restaurants and spent an afternoon at the Deanna Rose Homestead. The kids had so much fun, and Aubrey still brings it up in conversation or when she sees a Great Wolf Lodge commercial on TV. We are eager to see what 2010 holds for our growing family, and we pray that your family is blessed in the year to come. We have been so blessed this year, and we have enjoyed nearly every moment of the last year. Thank you for keeping up with us; come back and catch up with us before next year!
Love, Click Here to View More Journal Archives
|