Hello Family and Friends!
We hope that this holiday season finds you healthy and happy and full of hope for the new year.
With just one sleep until Santa arrives, our kids are on their semi-best behavior, in hopes of making it onto Santa's nice list "just in time!" I always thought that being a child at Christmas was the very best feeling ever. I was so very wrong. Being a parent at Christmastime is the most fun!
2014 has presented us with our most daunting challenges and most inspiring blessings.
Kyle, our youngest and last child, is kind of a big deal, you know, being a 24-weeker; a micro preemie. Our spring autumn baby spent 4 months in the NICU and that is no easy feat for any family, let alone the baby in question. We coordinated schedules and babysitters, sacrificed literally hundreds of hours of sleep, put several thousand miles on our car while traveling to and from the hospital, offered up millions of prayers, and endured torture of the worst kind (i.e. the breast pump) for months while Ky overcame severe prematurity and battled other preemie related health issues. Bringing him home that Sunday afternoon in April wasn't full of the fan fare and excitement a full term baby might elicit, but rather exhaustion, relief and a whole lot of apprehension. Apart from being a terrible sleeper and battling brutal colic for several months, Ky-Guy, as we call him, continues to wrestle with some respiratory complications and has required three additional hospital stays to help conquer respiratory illness and a chronic cough. He is quarantined at home and we limit his visitors as we attempt to contain and combat the cold and flu germs entering our house. Kyle is otherwise healthy and growing, with fluffy blond hair, his daddy's green eyes and an impossibly cute and dimpled smile! Kyle celebrated his first birthday on December 14th.
You might describe our 9-year old Brock as something of a math genius and Clarke and I are admittedly mystified as to where this particular gene originated and why it skipped our generation. In addition to pulling the 3rd grade equivalent of straight A's, Brock has completed his first year of cub scouts, played his first season of optimus (tackle) football and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this past February. He loves anything and everything football related, particularly the Atlanta Falcons, BYU and BSU. This fall, he and Clarke were able to attend two college football games, which was possibly the highlight of Brock's year. Everything in Brock's world is Minecraft and Legos and video games. Beyblades, in particular, have made Brock very "popular" at school and he admits his popularity is a terrible burden because he is the envy of every 1st grade boy. "It's so annoying to be popular," Brock groans as he relates the story of a 1st grade boy who has made a hero of him and shouts "hello Brock" at every opportunity. Clarke and I just chuckle at that last one. Brock also developed his first crush this year, but he won't tell us the lucky girl's name because we might know her parents. Ha ha ha!
Now that she's 3 years old, Camryn delights in demonstrating just how proficient she is in the languages of "sassy" "sour" and "sweet," and Cami is definitely a princess. Literally, a princess....with a plastic, gold crown and a sparkly dress and a myriad of other effects necessary for today's up and coming royalty. She is frequently found riding our recliner like a horse as she imagines that she's Merida from Brave, or waltzing across the room as Sleeping Beauty, with a dish towel a rough stand in for Prince Phillip. Occasionally, she'll flip her hair around and tell you that it's getting long, like Rapunzel's. Don't get me started on Anna and Elsa, from Frozen. After months of gentle effort, prodding and downright pleading from Clarke and myself, Cami is happily, blessedly, and finally potty trained!!! Our little songbird loves to sing. Every night before bed, she likes to read a "tory" and "ting a tong." Her favorites are those from the primary children's song book, but she's not very particular and will sing along to any song, even if she doesn't know the words. Just today, I caught her merrily singing the wrong words to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Having a daughter is such a wonderful adventure!
Clarke and I celebrated our 12th anniversary this past July.
He still works for the local natural gas company as a service technician. A team made up of Clarke and three of his co-workers, Rapid Expansion, won their second regional natural gas rodeo and were able to participate in the National Natural Gas Rodeo, in Colorado, this past September. The rodeo consists of team tasks that only natural gas service technicians would know how to accomplish. A great amount time and sweat is put into preparing for the rodeos and its always a fun event to attend and to cheer on your favorite team. Clarke has put much time and sweat into our new house as well, building a dream laundry room and working hard on constructing a wrought iron fence (he welded it all together himself!) for our giant backyard. In addition, he works with the scouting program at church and oversees the 14 and 15 year old boys. It's very gratifying to share what he learned in scouts, as a boy, with tomorrow's generation.
He still works for the local natural gas company as a service technician. A team made up of Clarke and three of his co-workers, Rapid Expansion, won their second regional natural gas rodeo and were able to participate in the National Natural Gas Rodeo, in Colorado, this past September. The rodeo consists of team tasks that only natural gas service technicians would know how to accomplish. A great amount time and sweat is put into preparing for the rodeos and its always a fun event to attend and to cheer on your favorite team. Clarke has put much time and sweat into our new house as well, building a dream laundry room and working hard on constructing a wrought iron fence (he welded it all together himself!) for our giant backyard. In addition, he works with the scouting program at church and oversees the 14 and 15 year old boys. It's very gratifying to share what he learned in scouts, as a boy, with tomorrow's generation.
As for me, I am in a season of intense motherhood. Almost every second of my existence is devoted to Clarke, Brock, Cami and Kyle, the latter being understandably high maintenance. I've learned to thrive on less than 4 hours of broken sleep a night and still function as a human being(!), amongst other difficult, but necessary life lessons that pertain to raising children. I jokingly refer to my weekly grocery shopping experience, child-free, I might add, as a "vacation" because I'm quarantined at home with Kyle round the clock, 7 days a week. Perhaps, "jailbreak" would be more apropos. Clarke is a tremendous help around the house and it feels good to know that I can rely on him to pick up my slack while Kyle is still young and desperately dependent. My photography business is on hold for the next few years while my children, namely the younger two, grow to be more independent (as in walking, talking, off to college-ha ha). This time will also afford me the opportunity to rekindle my love affair with painting and maybe, hopefully, no definitely, lose this detestable baby weight!
We hope for a quiet 2015. I think we've earned it.
As the year comes to a close, we wish for our friends and family to know that we love you and appreciate all you have done to help us get through the ups and downs of 2014. You are always in our prayers.
Best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a Joyful New Year!
Love,
Clarke, Char, Brock, Cami & Kyle
