Family Update

Its been quite awhile since I gave a family update...let me see...what is everyone up to???

Lauren is all about school. She loves being one of the 'upper classmen' - helping in the lunch room with the kindergartners, being elected to student sentate, playing in the basketball league. Just about daily she reminds me that I need to try harder and give more...because she never stops. We dont deserve Lauren...but everyone needs one! She's even stretching her wings a little and doing some 'babysitting' in short increments for us. Can I tell you the freedom Im starting to feel in that!!! Wow. Words cant really express it. Next year Lauren will really have to step it up because it looks like our 5th grade is moving to our middle school due to large class sizes in the elementary. While this is a great 'problem' for our district to have...it makes me ill. Our middle school is in our high school. So my 10 year old Lauren will be in the same halls as 18 year olds? Yeah, this mom is so not ready. Lauren however thinks it will be 'cool'. Breathe mom, breathe. 

(tie dye project)

Avery is all about her friends! She has constant stories for me at the end of every day. She is learning a lot about letting things go, not holding grudges and how to be a real friend. At least I hope she is truly learning these lessons. Avery is full of smiles and sweetness. She is such a great big sister to Tess and Tori. Constant patience. I have no idea where this comes from. Definetly not me. She loves to read and I find her quietly laying in her bed reading. Sometimes I find her just quietly sitting in her room. She says she is 'thinking'. This tells me I have neglected some things with her and we need to reconnect...that is a big priority for me over the next month - get to know my Avery again. She is also very excited for soccer to start back up and for warm days to go swimming! 

Sullivan is almost 6! And man is he excited for his first 'friend' birthday party! He's been planning it for months. So cute. He recently completed the entire 'rainbow wall' of sight words in Kindergarten. He was literally incapable of standing still or telling me without jumping up and down. I was so happy for him I cried. He is quick to tell me that only one other kid in kindergarten has accomplished this. I am quick to remind him that everyone learns at their own speed and other kids might concentrate on other parts of school. :) His other favorite things are playing RISK with Daddy - seriously, he'd play every day - all day, letting daddy quiz him in math problems - even I will admit - the kid is a whiz, and playing the Wii. Sometimes I swear I hate that thing and sometimes I swear I could not live without it in my house!

(we finally got real snow!)

Contessa has all of a sudden become so old. She talks differently, plays differently...she's not a toddler anymore she is a preschooler. Speaking of school she enjoys our little 'homeschool preschool' in very short doses....we were working on numbers the other day and she refused to say them in order. She finally said to me 'but I like them MY way'. Yep...that defines Contessa. And explains me beating my head against the wall. She's also the sweetest thing...telling me she loves me out of the blue several times per day, asking to call her grandma's or Adele to tell them she loves them...waiting with her face pressed against the window each day for her siblings to receive her hugs. She also loves Awana, Sunday School and Play n Share. Every time we go out for our weekly shopping trip someone stops and comments on her killer eyes..and then they quickly follow that with, 'wow, she's trouble isnt she?' yep. 

Torrance probably gets the most face time right now on the blog...its just so fun to blog about a baby! She seems to be learning so much right now. She doesnt talk much - at least in real words - but she is always babbling and it might be the sweetest noise in the world to me. I love this age of babies. LOVE. She plays so independently and is just fun. And our clown...she is always making us laugh. Her climbing is not funny but I cant help but love to see her love for adventure! 

(watching the big kids in the snow...Contessa went out and lasted literally, 22 seconds)

Jordan is in the middle of his busy time at work which translates into me not seeing him much. I hate that. duh. And Ive realized this year that I am not easy on him about it. I know he'd rather be at home. I know he'd rather not have to make phone calls and check his blackberry when he is at home...I know that trying to balance it all is hard. Im going to try to be much easier on him! He is also so excited for our vacation to Michigan is always planning it in his head! It will really be a wonderful trip for the kids - they have such a fun dad! I cant wait to show them the fun things he's helping me prepare for a Valentine's Day surprise for them. And I get to call him mine!

Me. Hm? I'm really excited that Im getting busier with real estate again. The break over the holidays was nice but I'm ready. I also have the best friends...I am so thankful for them and the laughter and encouragement they bring to my life! I'm learning a lot right now about how God talks to me through His word. It is so simple, yet so hard. I am so stubborn. 

These two verses have stuck out to me:

Job 23:12b 'I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.'

1 Samuel 3:21 'for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel through his word'

Those are my prayer - that His word be more precious to me than food and that He would reveal Himself to me through it. 

And I guess that's us for now!