For the last few years I have been basically writing my own letter that is included in hers. I'm too cheap to send out that much money in ink, paper and postage! So here I include what I wrote for her this year. :)
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2011 was rather uneventful for Our family. We had several rounds of illness in the spring that kept us from going and doing too much, which we later discovered were allergy based issues. (Which means they will reappear in the autumn and spring.) We continued homeschooling and had a lot of fun with some new curriculum we got for the 2011-12 school year! We also managed to get rained on during the only two camping trips we got to take! (And, yes, we are still in California!) We started our own garden this year and all really enjoyed it more than expected.
At the beginning of October we had a scare to remind us to be more careful when outside here, as one of our dogs, Smith, got bit by a Mojave Green Rattlesnake. With the help of a friend who is a Vet Tech, we were able to nurse him back to health, and we figure he probably got more of a warning bite with less venom. Dave found and killed *both* of the snakes that were in our front yard and none of us will quickly forget! We were glad that it was not a bite to one of our kids!!!We also got to have some visits with out of state family that were highlights to our year!
Going in backward order,
Karissa celebrated her first birthday on the 9th of November, though it remained low key with conflicts in weather, health and work schedule keeping it from being a big to do. She weighs in at 17 lbs, and is 28 1/4 in tall as of her 1 year old check up. She is smaller, but similar to her oldest sister. This kid has been a scary one for mom and dad (who may have thought they were seasoned veterans) as she seems to be able to fall down at just the wrong place and so smack her head off of a door frame, or corner of wall, instead of just the floor; and has found more things to choke on than all of the others combined! She is very adventurous; started walking at 8 months and is now climbing things! She can be very silly and enjoys playing games, the latest of which being peek-a-boo, but half the time she says "cu-koo" from The Sound Of Music.
Brianna, Our Curly Girlie, is the Shirley Temple look-a-like (attitude included) in our picture (below). At 3 years old she is 30 lbs, 3 ft 2 in tall and full to the brim of personality! She has a strong sense of self and is authoritative in her demeanor (which is the nice way of saying: bossiest kid I've ever encountered) She spends most of her day in role playing games with her older sister and dearest friend "Pie" (Aliyah) and Neno when he isn't doing his school work. She can't seem to wait until she also has school work to do (if only that lasted!) and so asks to do her "Cat-Kitty Math" ~which is just a coloring book she really likes. She would live out of doors if we would let her, but would also live in the bath tub or shower. ;) She has really enjoyed getting to be a big sister, and is mostly sweet to Karissa. She also likes to look after others, often bringing mommy or daddy a cup of water whenever she thinks we need one.
Aliyah Miechelle Pumpkin Pie (as she would introduce herself to you) turned 5 on the first of September! She chose to celebrate with a camping trip instead of a big party, but we celebrated all day on her birthday as well! She is 39 1/2 lbs, 3 ft 7 1/2 in tall, and would tell you that the most important development in her life lately is that she can ride her bike now without training wheels! :) We continue to monitor her kidney condition with her Pediatric Urologist, doing ultrasounds mostly. Her right kidney looks atrophic, and her left kidney is still holding fluid. By her activity level and general health, you would never know that her kidneys have issues! She has learned to love her ultrasound appointments, and looks forward to them; all of the special attention she has gotten for her kidneys has given her a strong sense of being the most special Pumpkin on the planet, which is both good and bad. This year we only had to have one appointment, but her Dr ordered the next for in 6 months, and it is likely he will follow that with an Isotope (Nuclear) Scan. She will be starting first grade in June, as we school year round, and is excited that she will be "doing school." Currently she works with me on some preschool-kindergarten level work, but she is jealous of "the bigs." (as she calls her older siblings)
Nathaniel, Neno, is so close to 8 years old, 55 1/2 lbs, and 4 ft. 2 in tall. He has been in 2nd grade this year and is improving well, his struggle area still being in his reading. He can keep up with the girls in their science and history studies, and does quite well at math. (But that is when he will sit still and work on school!) He is most fond of being outside in the dirt digging, or riding his bike, but will content himself with fort building, blocks and role play if it's too cold, too hot, or too windy. He continues to talk just as much as the girls do, and now mostly retells his favorite movie scenes, or things that he thinks are funny he has heard or seen. He is really tender with his baby sister, but can be quite short tempered with the other girls. (He's working on that one.) He now really enjoys helping with starting the fires in our fireplace, and can even do so with flint and steel tools, but that can also be a struggle.
Moriah, Our Mo, continues to be a very active young lady, and very proud of her tomboy status, but has settled into an appreciation of a "good book, a cuppa tea and a place to be cozy."
At 9 years 9 months old she is 58 lbs, and 4 ft 4 in tall. She has been excelling in the 4th grade, and spelling seems to be the biggest difficulty to her in learning. Like her dad, and Mark Twain, she's not worried about stifling her imagination by only single spellings of words. ;) She is usually a very hard worker, is often done with her school first and is very helpful for her momma. She rides her bike, runs a lot, plays well with her siblings and is often up way too late laughing with her best friend, and older sister Ysa. She is entering that difficult place between being a younger kid and being a young lady, but she is mostly adjusting well. Aside from spelling, her biggest struggle seems to be her emotions, or how quickly she seems to cry, but even that is much less than when she was little.
Ysabella is so much a young lady now at 12 years old, going on 20, and Monica's "mini-me." She has finally been gaining in height and weight and this year got back on the growth chart! She is 71 1/2 lbs, 4 ft 8 1/2 in tall, and is counting down to the time til she can ride in the front seat of the car! This year she has been in 7th grade, and excelled at math for the first time in her life! She is usually found behind some book or other, and pines for "something new to read" as she has exhausted most of the books I have for her. Most of her time is spent indoors reading, knitting/crocheting, or helping momma; but she does enjoy riding her bike, looking about in the garden, and camping. She is becoming a good cook, and can bake several things on her own. We allowed her an email address all her own, and she really enjoys sending email or ecards to friends and family. She also has a fondness for taking pictures or videos. She struggles most with loosing track of time in fun things, and so not completing the important things in her day.
Monica is really wondering about why she isn't sending out her own letter now, as this is shaping up to be! This year brought her 30th birthday and she now doesn't mind sharing her age with all those curious people she meets when she is out... the ones who also ask, "Are they all yours?" ;) She continues to mostly enjoy teaching the kids and the many nuances of running a home. The garden project we undertook this year was quite a bit of hard labor, but amazingly fulfilling and enjoyable to her. She continues to struggle as Ysa does with managing her time wisely and spends more evenings than she would like to admit wondering what was actually accomplished that day, but is also trying to make an effort to enjoy the small blessings of each day with her children while they last. So in 2011, we have seen many beautiful sunsets, many little insects, small flowers, and watched seeds turn to fruits; we have read many books, learned together many interesting lessons, and stopped everything to watch birds flying; we have played in rain and mud, in wind and sun and lots of dirt! and have looked for the Hand of God in the circling of the stars over head as well as in the answers to our many prayers. Looking back at the year, she has had, is leaving her feeling overwhelmingly blessed! :)
Dave, who will be 29 again (for the 6th time) next month, continues to work hard at work and home. He has also been enthralled with gardening and watching things grow this year. He is often at some project or another, and even when sitting he is not still, (is he where Mo gets it?) as he will sharpen knives, work on a wood or para-cord project, or is busy planning the next thing! This year he taught himself to work with leather, as well as a special material for making sheaths, and has been working on some fabrication as well as refinishing older tools! He prefers to be at home with us as much as possible, but has had plenty of overtime needed at work this year; he has a position there that is as secure as we could hope for, and we are thankful to the Lord for employment. (We are praying for any of you who are struggling with employment.)
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