One Year

So, it's clearly been a long time.  I can't believe an entire year has passed since I last blogged.  I guess I just don't sit down to record things very often.  A lot has happened this last year.

Harrison turned 12 and was ordained a deacon.  He is thriving in his quorum and is currently President. He has taken his responsibilities seriously and is maturing faster than I can keep up.  He is also growing like crazy.  He is almost as tall as me and grows out of clothes faster than I can buy them.  He has done incredibly well in junior high.  He is playing the euphonium and is great at it.  He participated in solo and ensemble and was the only low brass player to get a I.  He took the ACT again this year and got a 28.  I see early college in his future.

Ashlyn has had an eventful year. She has had ankle trouble for quite a while, so we finally took her in to see a specialist and discovered she has accessory navicular just like Jessica.  So, two days before Christmas she had her first surgery to remove the extra bone in her left foot and to give her more of an arch.  It was a long recovery.  Just as she was able to return to normal activity, we did her right foot.  She is currently back on crutches and has another three month recovery ahead of her.  She is taking it all in stride and pushes herself to do as much as possible.  She is a delight to have at home and is an awesome babysitter.  She loves making everyone happy and never ceases to help out around the house.

Caden is my bundle of energy.  That kid is always moving.  He has picked up origami and is constantly folding something.  It amazes me how quickly he learns to fold new things.  It has made for a good rewards system, since there is nothing he wants more than to fold paper.  He will turn 8 in a few weeks and is looking forward to being baptized.  I can't believe how quickly he is growing up.  It seems all my children are growing faster than I can imagine.

Jacen is now five and is really looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall.  He is such a sweet boy and always willing to help out around the house.  He is in preschool this year and has really started to come out of his shell.  He wears more than just one pair of pants and will occasionally change his shirt.  The pants still have to be soft pants, but we are getting there.  He has several friends in the neighborhood and loves to play with them.  It has been so fun watching him grow up.

Kirstyn is three and she lets me know it.  She knows what she likes and never hesitates to make it known.  She is talking like crazy and is starting to love to play with friends.  She is looking forward to starting Joy school in the fall with some of our neighbor friends.  We just love her to pieces and are so glad she is in our family.

We are all still loving karate.  I had a few injuries last year, but they all healed well.  Harrison, Ashlyn, Caden, Jacen, and I are all brown belts.  Leon is a purple belt, and Kirstyn just started in January, so she is still a white belt.  It has been a great opportunity for us to spend time together as a family since we all go to class at the same time.  I can't imagine life without it now.