Update on the kiddies!

As the year is coming to an end I am getting ready to turn this blog into a book. Does anyone have experience with this? I've seen some websites that do this but which one to choose?? The main reason I started this blog was to stay in touch with family but also because it is like scrapbooking and journaling all in one- two things that my many journals with 2 pages written on will testify that I do not do well!! Anyway, onto the fun little things our big and little ones are up to:

Ryker: Life still seems to be a struggle for this boy but I am slowly figuring out how to encourage him and accept that he is in control of his life and I'm in control of the way I react to it! He started a job this past week-end as a dishwasher for Village Inn. I was surprised and relieved to find out that he skipped a hotel party in Alyeska with his friends because he had to work. He also has taken the placement test required to attend Highland Tech High school- the same school Hayden is going to. This school is standards based and is a fantastic way for him to get back on track with his studies. I continue to learn from him and see how I have some of the same things in me that I see are holding him back- for example he definitely does not like authority and I have realized both Ken and I are the same way even now in our old age!! A hard realization for a trying to reform control freak!

Hayden: This boy loves going to school and has really come out of his shell and gained a bunch of confidence. He is doing great with his taekwondo. He is a second degree black belt and working on third degree! He gets himself up for school, takes full responsibility for his homework, and is keeping on track and organized. It is really a joy for both Ken and I to see him taking control of the things in his life. He is so helpful around the house especially with his little sisters and brother- sometimes it is hard not to take advantage of that. Actually, he is helping Paul and Laura move into their new apartment as I type, that is totally Hayden.

Autumn: She loves to draw, take baths, help make cookies, and put on ballet shows. She has finally mastered the rings that are like monkey bars at the Arctic Oasis (a play place on base). Her face is changing and starting to look more grown-up which is both exciting and a little sad. She has a very loud laugh and loves to go to her primary class at church. She and Ken love reading The Boxcar children together. She is truly a joy to have in our family.

Marah: She is such a funny little girl. When Marah is at home she is always wearing pajamas. When we go out as soon as we are in the door it goes something like this: off with the coat, off with the shoes, off with any hair accessories, off with the clothes, and on come the pajamas. She also loves to draw and sing. Her favorite cd is Lamb-Chop's sing along (a favorite when the boys were little) and her favorite song is The Song That Never Ends. She has a little kind of squeaky voice which sounds so cute when she calls me mama!! Marah can always make me laugh and she can have quite the stubborn streak but when left to her own devices she always makes the right decision.

Jack: This boy may be the death of me yet. As I type this I am looking through not so little scratch marks that he has made on my only a few months old flat screen monitor!! He must have scratched it with scissors or some other sharp object he is not supposed to have! His favorite naughty things to do are: standing on the kitchen table, stealing your spot on the couch when you get up, dumping out all of his Grandma's dvd's, standing on my desk, dumping out anything he can get his hands on, getting in the bathtub and turning on the water fully clothed, pouring out the dogs food and water and then telling you he's made a mess, taking his little chair around the house and trying to get stuff he can't quite reach, and neither last nor least he loves to tell you when he feels people have done him wrong- for example the other night when Ken and I came home the first thing we hear is Jack saying over and over Hayden and phone which means that Hayden would not let him play with the phone- the poor boy!! He is such a little trouble maker but so deliciously cute that we can't stay upset for too long. He has brought such joy to our family in a time when we desperately needed it and for that I am forever grateful to him!

This year had been such a learning experience for our family. I am grateful for all the ways I have been stretched- even though it hurt tremendously at times- I never would have learned all that I have any other way. I am so grateful to have a husband who really is there and involved especially when things are all coming crashing down. Having teen-agers has brought back some of my own teen-age memories and I have realized how truly blessed and watched over I have been in my life. When thing are going bad I have a tendency to fall into the trap of self-pity and wondering why I have to have this yucky stuff in my life so I'm going to try and remember all the times that I have felt the love of our Heavenly Father and realize that my trials and tribulations are for me to grow and he will be there to help me I just need to ask and let him- a hard thing for me for whatever reason!