Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Merry belated Christmas! With not much time off before the big day, I didn't have time to get our cards out before Christmas. Being busy is the theme for our family these days as I'm sure is the same for yours. With the weekend being right before Christmas Eve. We had a celebration each day Saturday through Tuesday. We hosted the Bates family here on Saturday. Sunday we went to Cedar Rapids to my step-sister Carla's new house to see my dad's side. On Christmas Eve we went to my mom's and got to play with Baby Des, my sister's son. We also went to the 5 o'clock church service. Tuesday we stayed home but hosted extended family on my mom's side. The boys enjoyed getting to stay home and play with all their new gifts.

Recap of 2012

Jason is still working for Core Products remotely in Galva. He has taken on more sales responsiblities. He still travels often. His favorite trip this year was just this month to Boston. He got to tour the Samuel Adams brewery. He has been active on the Galva Sports Wall of Fame and likes to keep up with the Mid-County Cougars, Galva's co-oped football team. For the first time in 12 years, he didn't broadcast football games. He missed it but enjoyed getting to attend games as a spectator. He coached the boys' t-ball team and helped out with Cooper's flag football. He has been doing the Galva news for the Kewanee radio station so you might have heard his voice over the airways anyway! 

As the school year came to a close in the spring, I was informed that I would be transferred to Neponset Preschool. Neponset is a VERY small town northeast of Kewanee. It has a small elementary school and one preschool classroom. They became a part of the Kewanee school district the previous year. They needed someone independent and experienced to teach there so off I went. Unsure about the change, I spent A LOT of time there this past summer organizing and making it my "home." I love my aide and the staff there is great to work with.  

I graduated with my Master's Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Language and Literacy in May. It was a long time coming as I began the program at the same time as I went back to work full-time in 2008. My proud family all attended, and Mom treated me to a nice celebration. It is such a relief to be done, especially with the learning curve of a new teaching position. Eventually I will work towards a doctorate, but that won't be for a long time!

I've still been providing trainings for day care providers on the side. I have been giving trainings developed by others but began producing my own. I started at the prekindergarten/kindergarten conference in Shaumberg in 2011 and then again this year. Since then I've given several additional trainings, and I'm working on branching out to Iowa. Teaching adults who are also passionate about early childhood is very rewarding, and I get a lot of ideas from them, too!

Carter turned 10 in April. He is in 5th grade and does quite well in school. He still loves science and animals. He and Cooper attended day camp at Wildlife Prairie Park where he got to experience many live animals and ask lots of questions of people who actually have the answers! He played baseball this summer and is getting ready to start kung fu again. He likes to read (Boxcar children is his new favorite!) and build with his many Lego sets as well as play his many video games. We got a trampoline for he and Cameron's birthdays, and he spends a lot of time outside playing on it and the swingset/fort. He is a great swimmer and spent many hours at the pool this summer.

Cooper turned 7 in August. He is in first grade and loves school. He actually does his homework without having to be told (most of the time)! He really likes math. Cooper turned into a fish at swimming lessons, venturing out into deeper waters. He played t-ball this past summer and flag football in the fall. He loves any sport he has tried. This summer he learned how to ride his bike in one day. Once he put his mind to it, he did it! He loves his castles, superheroes, Hotwheels, as well as books. We began taking tumbling lessons again this fall, and he has made great progress. In October, Cooper got to be the ringbearer in my cousin, Mackenzie, and her husband, Jake's wedding. The flower girl wasn't very cooperative, but Cooper dragged her down the aisle anyway. He was amazing, and we are thinking of renting him out for future events ;)

Cameron turned 5 in May. He surprised us by singing at his graduation ceremony and walking across the stage. He began kindergarten in the fall and has really surprised us with how well he has adjusted! He visits the resource classroom some but has already had his minutes there cut back in favor of the regular classroom. It doesn't hurt that he adores his teacher. He knows all the sight words and can sound out words already. He got new glasses for school and looks very handsome in them. He's only lost them on the playground twice :/ He, too, took swimming lessons this summer and made a lot of progress from beginning to end. He tags along to tumbling lessons with his brother and loves it--both spending time with his brother and getting to jump around. He adores Cooper, and they play pretty well together most of the time. He has a best friend and enjoys playdates. He loves music and sings all the time. He has his favorite songs and gets mad when I change the radio station. Cameron is a very sweet and loving boy. Still likes to snuggle which is good since he's our baby!

An exciting event this spring was the sale of our old house which we had been renting since we moved to our current house two years ago. We were so thrilled to be out from under it. It was bittersweet to say good-bye to our first home as a family. We held hands and had a good cry. We are so happy in our new place though and are glad that another family can enjoy the "blue house."

We took our annual Wisconsin Dells trips in early June. The boy had their usual awesome time, and Jason and I tried to keep up! We went on the Duck boat again, played miniature golf, and of course swam in all the waterparks. Thanks Mom and Roger!

At the end of June, my sister Carissa and her husband Matt welcomed their new addition, Matthew Desmond "Des." The boys are smitten and are anxious to see him every chance we get. Cameron loves babies so it is very special to have one be his cousin! We think he looks a lot like Cooper did as a baby so he's really cute!

In July, Jason and I got away to the Osarks for a long weekend. Jason was actually working a show but had some free time so we got to enjoy dinners out and shopping at the outlet mall. He spoiled me with a massage, pedicure, and hair-do. We even got to stay in the presidential suite!

In August, both Jason and I were on our respective Galva Day committees. Galva Day is a golf outing for current and former Galva residents. It was a lot of work, but we both enjoyed it. We got a lot of nice complements. We should be off the hook for several years to come!

We had to replace both of our cars this year so you may not recognize our new wheels. Jason drives the Ford Explorer most of the time, and I just got a Ford Taurus X, a station wagon! We named them Rocky and Belle. We bid farewill to Max and Ruby!

We are very lucky to have our parents so close. My mom and Jason's mom both pick up the boys from school. They've also helped out on days when Jason is traveling since he runs the school bus in the mornings. We couldn't do it without them!

An elf on the shelf named Freddy came to visit our house during the month of December. He came because he wasn't a good toy maker but is a very good behavior scout. Each night he visited the North Pole to report on their behavior. When he came back, he was up to all kinds of antics including turning the milk green, rolling toilet paper down the stairs, making a copy of himself on Mommy's printer, having a wrestling match with WWE wrestlers in Carter's ring, and hiding in all kinds of places. The boys were so excited to find him each morning. His final report put them on the nice list, and they got all their Christmas wishes! We hope you did, too! Have a safe and healthy 2013!