Merry Christmas!

I just love picking up the mail during the month of December! I love getting all the Christmas cards/pictures/letters. 

Just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. I didn't do a letter this year, mostly because of the blog, but I do like the concept of reviewing the year and being able to see how things have changed since last year.

Well, we moved (AGAIN) in October, but this time we are hoping to be here a little longer. We really like the house. It  is a one story with 4 bedrooms, lots of hard floors, and a great backyard for the kids to play in. 

Kevin is really enjoying his new job at Prudential, as real estate manager of the Rancho Cucamonga office. It is a farther drive than he (we) is (are) used to. We eat dinner later than we used to, read scriptures earlier in the morning than we used to, I drop the kids off at school every morning (Kevin used to help out with this most days), and the nighttime routine feels a lot more rushed. I am learning: I'm trying to have the kids take baths before Daddy gets home so they can spend more time with him. We don't get that time to sit down and chat right when he gets home because I'm rushing to get dinner on the table, but we find other times to chat, usually after the kids go to bed, since dinner time is usually full of kid conversation!

I am thankful to have the time to enjoy the Christmas season and the Christmas traditions I love, like baking (well mostly eating the baked goods), making presents, singing more Christmas carols, visiting Santa with the kids, and putting lights up outside. (Last year was so crazy with moving 2 weeks before Christmas). I am enjoying my calling as Primary President. I finally feel like my life is more settled so everything else is feeling more settled. There's always something going on with primary, so that keeps me busy, and I like to stay busy and productive! I am finally feeling like I'm getting back to a normal routine and hope to include more painting/drawing/designing again into that routine!

Brooklyn, as a third grader, loves school--we are so grateful to have such great teachers for the kids! She does so well. Right now she is working hard on memorizing those multiplication facts. She is also having so much fun doing gymnastics once a week. When we moved, we finally got an area rug for the family room--best investment ever! She is constantly practicing her cart wheels. She has greatly improved them too! She also encourages the boys to do tricks with her, so I love that they get their energy out! 

Nathan, as a first grader, is our Super Reader. We decided that is his super power. He is reading and keeping track of all the Magic Tree House books. He checks them out from the library, so he doesn't always read them in order--there are 47 of them I believe. Brooklyn read all 7 Harry Potter books (in about 3 months), so Nathan decided he wanted to read them also. We read a little together, and he also reads on his own, but he is on book number 5! He also started taking piano lessons at the beginning of the school year, and resists a little, but overall enjoys it!

Hunter is loving preschool. We do a preschool co-op so I get to take a turn teaching. He did really well having me as a teacher. He looks forward to preschool each week. He also loves going to story time at the library and picking out new books (and a movie) each week (well every other week usually). He loves to be active, is very intimidating with a sword/light saber, tries to got faster than his big brother and big sister on his scooter, and has a mean dribble with a basketball!

I love this time of year. I love the music, the decorations, the lights, celebrating the birth of our Savior, the wonderful Christmas stories like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the Polar Express, and the general holiday cheer. Wishing you a Merry Christmas!