Happy New year!

We survived December, I planned it just right. I was able to get most of my shopping done and wrapped before the birthday week. Then I could relax the rest of the month and enjoy the holiday. We didn't get much snow this year, but got surprised one week in January. The kids love every time it snows. Right now there is snow on the ground, but it is raining, so it should be melting most of it soon. We never did get a chance to go sledding though. Aiden had his birthday and party. He is Ten now!! He loves being older. He had a sleepover with 4 kids! They were so loud and active!! I thought 8 was a lot when he turned 7. Now I am thinking we will go back to one or two kids per sleepover!! Trinity has also had her share of sleepovers lately. Now Gideon is feeling left out! Trinity has lost two teeth now. She is pretty excited about it!! Both on the bottom! She is also doing so well on her guitar lessons. She goes weekly and is slowly picking it up pretty well. She knows about 4 cords now and now has a practice tape she will follow. I am hoping that will inspire her to practice more often. Right now it seems like a chore, as well as everything in her world. Aiden just finished a mandatory science fair project. He did it on Rocket thrusts. He was so proud of his accomplishment and display. We got a chance to see all the entries at school and saw he was right on target. It was hard to figure out the first time and let him do most of the work, as well as being responsible for the deadlines. That was definitely a learning time for us as well as him! Aiden is also planning a weekend camping trip to the mountains with his Royal Rangers group. He is excited about going, learning new skills as well as shooting a BB gun. Gideon is loving school. He is so anxious to go every day. I volunteered in his classroom and he was not interested at all in leaving early to go home. He is doing better with his sisters and brothers every day. If we expect more from him, he will meet the challenge and surprise us sometimes. Liberty is now 3! She is still working on being potty trained, but I will let her tell me when she is ready. It is easier that way, and some days she is going all the time. It just depends on the day. She is also ready for preschool. This next month I will be teaching a family as well as her and Gideon and get them in the routine of "school". They all need me to "home-school" them instead of all the play-dates we do. Me and Larry are excited about the new adventure that awaits us in the month's ahead. We are expecting baby #5 in July! We will also be starting a home Life group through our church. It is a big responsibility and they will see us as an extension to the pastors but on a personal level. We will open our homes to families in the church to pray, worship and study. Larry just got promoted and now has an office instead of a cubical. He is in charge of his group of people and so far is loving it! We are also looking into joining the YMCA again to gain the benefits of free childcare, weights, and a pool! Other than that we have been so blessed. Looking over our past year of where we were and where we are headed, we are so excited for the adventures that await us!! God is faithful, He is good to us, and we reflect the blessings by the joy he gives us.