Update

I always have had trouble with staying up to date on any kind of journal process.

Lets see...

Our family moved! We moved from Stockton, CA to Middle of Nowhere, Southern California. Actually, we've moved to a really nice little community in Riverside County. I like lots of things about our new community. For one thing, it's small. I've missed the small town feeling, and it's nice to be back in one. For another thing, the church is pretty large here. We have a nice, big, ward. The members are very friendly and welcoming. I've even found some "kindred spirits" among them. The neighborhood is quiet. We even take a walk around it almost every night (without the fear of being shot/robbed). The only thing I can really find to complain about is the weather. It's been aggravatingly HOT! But even that has it's good points...

Bill got a new job. He's working for Riverside County Mental Health, in the Banning office. Thus the reason for our move. He seems to like his new job and is enjoying his work. It's nice to have him home at the same time every night, and to have him home when he's home. It used to be that even when he was home he was working, now he leaves work at the office when he comes home. Bill's been called as Webelos leader, and so is back to working with the scouts.

Jeanette is now officially in Home School. She's doing well, and is learning quickly. She does school every morning and we usually do some kind of fun activity in the afternoon. She is finally starting to read most of the little words in the stories. Her writing is getting more legible, and she's learning spacing. In math, she's got adding and subtracting well in hand, as long as the numbers used are under 20 and equal less then 20. She likes her church class very much and loves her teacher, Jeanette Allbright.

Blake is becoming quite incorrigible! I'm not sure exactly what to do about him. He's starting to have his own opinion on EVERYTHING! He fluctuates between wanting to be like Jeanette (doing schoolwork and chores), and wanting to be like Olea (playing and napping). I think he's starting to realize that he's a boy and they are girls. He goes into his room and tells his sisters to "go away" and "leave me alone". But then gets upset when they wont play with him.

Olea is growing quite tall. She's in the 80% for her age, and is proportioned to that 80%. She's learning her body parts (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, cheek, chin...), but still refuses to voice them. She's very curious, and wants to see and do everything. She's quite the climber! The other day she moved a chair from the table to the counter, climbed onto the counter then go candy from it's hiding place on the back of the fridge! Nothing is safe anymore! She is also dabbling with potty training. She wants to be in panties, but doesn't want to use the potty. That's normal though.

I'm adjusting well to our new surroundings. I've learned where most of the stores are, and which are cheapest. I've got my home organized. I've scheduled my days. I've also gotten a calling in the ward. I'm the Young Women's Mia Maid's Adviser. Which means I teach at least one Sunday a month and help with mutual on Wednesdays. My first teaching opportunity is next Sunday. I'm really excited about my new calling. I hope to be able to make a difference in the young women in my class. I love them already!

Also, we hope to be making an important announcement soon...

Holidays

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year were great.

Thanksgiving was a slow day. We slept in, and I didn't even get the turkey in the oven until after 12:00. Jeanette helped make dinner. She helped make the stuffing and bread and kept me on my toes. She was so cute running around the kitchen. Blake spent the day running around driving everyone crazy. He wants to help, but mostly just gets in the way. Bill spent the day on Skype, and spending time with the family. It's not often he gets a four day weekend.

Christmas was beautiful. This was the first year that Jeanette had been able to look forward to Christmas. She remembered last year, and had been asking for Christmas for months. She also wrote to Santa for the first time. Then she went overboard and wrote to the North Polar Bear and Ilbereth the Elf too. (Bill read them the Father Christmas Letters, by JRR Tolkien.) She was soooooo happy when Santa wrote back. Blake caught Jeanette's enthusiasm and it made for a fun few weeks. We took the children Christmas shopping, and even let Jeanette 'pay' for the presents she wanted to buy. (We handed her the money and she handed it to the cashier. Then the cashier handed her the change and she pocketed it...) Even Olea got in on the fun, trying to climb the Christmas tree. It also didn't take Olea long to learn that those red and white hooks were candy! Every time I turned around, it seemed, she had another one and was sticking it in her mouth, wrappings and all!

Christmas morning was sweet. We had church as 9:00, so we had to get up and dressed, but still wanted to enjoy the fun of Christmas morning. So stockings were opened before church, but the presents were saved for after. The children all slept in, we even had to wake Jeanette up. They haven't learned to wake themselves for such events yet. Church was very good, and brought home the Spirit of Christmas. Then we came home and opened presents and made dinner. We didn't have the traditional ham for Christmas dinner, instead I made Tri-Tip. It was delicious, and we decided to repeat it for New Years Eve.

New Years Eve was also spent at home. As we don't have TV, Cable, or Satellite, we watched the "Ball" drop online. We watched it drop "Live in Time Square." So by 9:30 P.M. we were ready to put the children to bed and have a nice evening with just the two of us, YEAH RIGHT! Jeanette didn't go to bed till 12:30! Blake dropped off at, literally, 11:55! He just fell asleep in the chair, one second as excited as could be, then asleep. Even Olea stayed up till 11:00. I guess children can just FEEL it in the air when things are happening.

We toasted in the New Year with Sparkling Cider, and a kiss. Then we got a wonderful phone call from our sister Kathryn to let us know she is expecting! I was so happy for them, it took me a while to get to sleep, even though it was late and I was tired.

I'm looking forward to this year. It has promise, and I am grateful to be so blessed as to have a new year to try again.