the Christmas letter that never was...

This family has been on the run for far too long. Unfortunately, I have neglected the blog for a bit. Here are a bunch of updates on the boys and our crazy lives.

First on our list: Jackson turned seven.

This boy had a plethera of parties. Family party, classroom party, and a big birthday party with friends. He got spoiled, but still continues to be a perfect angel. Seriously. He kinda deserves it. He requested an "army guy" cake. I was happy to attempt it, and think it turned out okay.

Jackson has also been busy with hockey and keeping up with his schoolwork. His teacher sends home notes that read :
"Jackson is a joy to have in class. He tries hard and is always polite. He is learning to read very well." or, "Jackson is always so polite and is a role model for others."

Yeah. I know. The other day, we were watching a movie, and he pointed out the painting " "Starry Sky" by Vincent Van Gogh, like it was just common knowledge for a first grader. David says many times he has caught Jackson spouting of the answers to how much change a person would receive after an item was paid for. He is good with numbers. He is also a great little saver. He holds on to every penny like it's his last. He has managed to save up almost $65 bucks over the last few months ( and he doesn't get allowance)! He loves to hunt for loose change in the laundry room. Apparently it pays. I think it's a great habit. He also has a strong sense of right and wrong. He will be watching television and immediately ask to change the channel if he knows it isn't appropriate. We are so lucky to have his sweet personality in our home. He participated in a hockey tournament last weekend in Spokane. His grandmother, aunts, uncle, and cousins came to watch him play.

He scored the only goal of the night! Here he is all decked out



Corbin has been busy too. He went to the hockey tournament in Spokane as well. When asked if he wanted to join in the game, he replied
" I don't want to play with those guys. They are stupid. They never give me the puck!" It may evoke a furrowed brow, but we realized that all his practice sessions involve his coaches giving him a puck to move around the ice. It makes sense, I guess, that he wouldn't enjoy chasing what he doesn't have to work for at practice. He'll get the hang of it. His skating is actually really picking up. Being the biased parents we are, we feel he has great potential ( even if he is a little grumpy about stupid people).

Corbin has seen several family birthdays come and go and can't wait for his to arrive. He is thinking hard about what he would like to ask for. So far, he is trying to decide on a goat ( for trash eating purposes), or a little pony. He insists he needs a present he can ride. I told him he could ride on his father's back for a present, but he wasn't impressed.
Corbin has really perfected the use of his toes, of late, for hold things. Tonight, we were watching a movie and he held a box of popcorn with his toes wrapped around the corners, as he ate with his hands. It was so funny. His brothers were thoroughly impressed. He can't wait to start kindergarten. He is more than ready.

Isaac has been busy with hockey too. Saturday was insane because while David took the three younger ones to Spokane, I took Isaac to play three games in another nearby city. After the last game, we scrambled to make our way to Spokane just in time to see Jackson play a bit and catch a minor league hockey game. It was one crazy day. We were so tired when we got home I don't think we ever wanted to wake up. Isaac played great. He is getting more and more agressive and even tried to pull some "not so popular" tricks with the puck during his playing time. The coach wasn't impressed, but I was. Silly boy. It was really nice to spend some time alone with him. I sometimes get so wrapped up in who Isaac is in regards to the role he plays as the oldest child or a brother that I forget how great he is as himself. He is such great company, and considerate too. Today he came home from school talking about things going on, and slipped that he shared something with his brother, whom he felt sorry for when he saw him sitting all alone on the back of the bus. I didn't say anything, because he is starting to get to the age where it's embarrassing, but I am happy to say I am really proud of him.
He has discovered the joy of woopee cushions of late. Needless to say, there is a lot of "accidental air " released around here. I may not be very lady like, but I don't care. I think it's funny. He's also keeping busy with his advanced math homework ( evoking nothing but complaints!), scouting and piano lessons.



Brody has been busy doing some growing of his own. He has gotten so independent, that is almost scares me. David and I were hiding out for a bit when he went downstairs to find Brody eating a sliced apple. When asked who cut the apple for him, he replied "me". David saw that this was, in fact, the truth, when he witnessed the apple cutter (you know, the one with the star shape that cuts the core out too) sitting used on the counter. I'm glad he didn't loose a finger! He has slowly been working his way into potty training. It's not pretty, so I won't go there. Just wish us luck.
Often, I tell him I love him and he replies " Yes mommy, I love me too". It makes me smile. He talks up a storm and likes to yell at his brothers at the drop of a hat. While we all love him dearly, the stage of his life is quite exhausting. When he wakes up, sometimes the others ask me to please put him back to bed. Nice. Here he is helping himself to an orange.

David and I have been busy too. David, as usual is working hard at Schweitzer Engineering and flying all over the place. He finally hired someone to assist with his workload, and it seems to have helped with him having to work from home in the evenings. He has a mean addiction to in-n-out burger going on, and travel seems to facilitate his cravings, so we don't see him changing jobs anytime soon. He likes it. Church keeps him busy too. His church assignments keep him running all day Sunday, but his talents are utilized, so it's a good thing.
David has been able to make time to become quite the ice skater! On New Year's Eve, some friends of ours reserved the ice rink and we played family hockey. It was so fun, and David is really picking it up fast. He's annoyingly good at everything he tries, but It's fun to see him skate with his kids. They may be able to skate circles around him, but all their hockey padding makes for extra confidence on the ice, so the kids have the upper hand.

I am now a scout den leader for the Boy Scouts, as if I didn't spend enough time with pre-adolescent males. So far so good, and it means I get to work with Isaac and his friends. I hope they don't eat me alive. We have pinewood derby coming up in a few weeks, so get ready for that exciting post! I have also been babysitting another two year old a few times a week for the last few months. It's been fun, he's a sweet little guy, but man, am I convinced I am done having kids! I could work out until I'm superhuman, but I still wouldn't be able to keep up with those rugrats!

I am hoping to run a half marathon in the spring. We'll see. I still plug away at that gym and love every minute of it. My kids beg me to take them, so I have my little motivators to keep me going.

Everyone here is happy and healthy!