Family Update

It's a new year so here are some updates and such.
We celebrated one year in this house. And we have no plans to move!! We still love this house and location. We didn't make any interior changes to the house although we did decide not to have a first floor laundry, instead opting for a much needed mud room. I think a project for this spring/summer would be to paint M's room and remove the wallpaper and paint the master bathroom. Also, furniture purchases are in the future but maybe not this year.
Outside we did a lot of de-landscaping. We got rid of two of the beds in backyard and started on the third, which we hope to finish this coming summer. This coming summer will see landscaping changes and other exterior projects that C may know more about. :)
I continue to freelance for the local paper and niche magazines. I recently expanded my work to include another publishing group. And, God willing, I will also be a radio show hostess this year. I am still involved as a small group leader with our church's mother's group. The church will soon be re-launching its updated women's ministry, which I hope to become involved in. I continue to scrapbook memories for both girls. I am almost caught up in their books so my next move sometime this year will be to go through old pictures, especially from our time in North Carolina. I also hope to focus more with my walk with God, as in spending quiet time with Him, reading the Bible in a year and working on my devotionals.
God willing this year we will be able to do a family vacation this spring/summer. I'm not talking Disney World (have to wait until the girls are older) but maybe local like Chicago. Or if time and money allow, go to North Carolina. :) But I'd settle for something local.
C continues to work on his solo project. It's solo because he's the only one from the company working on it. He may be travelling a couple times in the next few months. He continues to proof-read the sermon notes and worship songs at church, a job he enjoys, although he can't gt out of that mode when he's in church. :)
S turned 4 last year. She "graduated" from preschool in December, although she will be in the preschool program again in the spring...and likely that will include a graduation. She is still in ballet, which she really loves. She is also our little artist so come February she'll be in a preschool art class. She continues to make us smile with her laughter, jokes and innocence. She is a bright girl, so eager to learn. We will continue to home-school. I may even attempt reading this summer.
M turned 2 last month. She is fun, curious, independent, spirited. Like a sweet tart.....so sweet but then that sweetness becomes the sourness, hitting you between the eyes. She absorbs everything so she learns a lot quickly, like her ability to sing songs, do parts of the alphabet and counting, play with puzzles and blocks and more. She is set in her ways on things so we have that independent spirit and fickleness to deal with. She will be taking a tumbling class this month and possibly another class in the spring.
We will also be doing a playgroup this year so hopefully she'll get to interact more with kids her age. We may also tackle potty training this winter yet. And I expect this summer M will move to a toddler bed. We'll see. Knock on wood, she's not attempted to get out of her crib. I'm hoping we'll be able to wait until summer before making the transition!
Well, I think that's it. I'll be sure to post more updates in the future.
Blessings!