Its that time again...: 2014 Newsletter

Our year in review (and because I didn't blog much at all this year, it's long!)...

Evan turned 7 in January. He loves figuring out how everything works, looking at maps, creating projects, making books, making plans, organizing just about anything... he knows how to stay busy. He is a tease, but also a big help to his two little sisters. He wants them to understand everything at his level. Evan hates having his own room. Every Friday night he and his sisters have a sleepover in the girls room, he loves being with them. This past year he has enjoyed finishing a basketball season that started the previous year and swimming lessons. In the fall he started taking Taekwondo, which has been wonderful for him. He really needed a sport that helped him as an individual, rather than trying to fit in on a competitive team. He loves putting on his gear and practicing his forms. He also likes to count in Korean. Evan started 2nd grade this fall. He started in a high ability program, but after a quarter of school mom and dad decided to place him in a regular classroom that better fit his needs . He is SO happy in his class and has a wonderful teacher and friends. Evan has lost 5 teeth so far, by the time number 5 was loose he kept it a secret so mom and dad wouldn't try to pull it out! Evan is interested in playing the piano and is anxious to learn how to play. He teaches himself what he can and dad helps him too. This kid never gets bored and has a million questions about everything. He never stops going!

Makiah finished a year of preschool, she loved it so much! She was in a class with her best friends and her teachers were amazing. It was hard for her to say goodbye when summer came. Makiah had several good friends move away at the end of the school year. She got to celebrate her 6th birthday with one of her best friends, Brielle, before she moved to Arizona. It was a very hard day when we had to say goodbye to Brielle and her family. They moved here to Indiana the same year we did, 6 years ago, so Makiah and Brielle grew up together. Makiah loves to draw, dance and swim, she took swim lessons, gymnastics and ballet this past year and improved so much in each. Makiah started Kindergarten this fall. It is amazing how far she has come! She can now sound out words and read. She can count to 100 and solve simple math problems. Makiah is quick to find friends and has several in her class and in her friend Madden's class. They have quite the group of kids that love to be together... and are always meeting more friends that we hear about when she comes home. She is our social butterfly for sure. Although she loves friends and her teacher, the adjustment to a full day of school is catching up to her. She complains that she doesn't want to go some days and misses her mom. She loves school breaks and the time she has at home to play freely and be with her family. Summer is her favorite season. She loves the warm weather and all the fun things going on during summer.

Oh Daphne. This girl, seriously. Some words that describe her... silly, quirky, determined, hilarious, animated, friendly, but shy at the same time. Her favorite thing to say lately is, "Just kidding!" probably because she gets a reaction from us every time. A lot of people say she looks like her mom (and I am thinking she acts like me too). Mom's nickname as a kid was The Boss and Daphne definitely lives up to that name around here! She isn't afraid to push her big brother and sister around (though we don't encourage this) and definitely takes charge. This past year Daphne watched her big brother and sister do many things and she can't wait to begin classes and sports herself. Mom is hoping she will be a little athlete with all of that energy she has built up. Daphne stays home with mom and enjoys having her buddies Maggie and Myles come and play a few times each week when mom babysits. Some days it's quite the challenge to share her mom, but she is figuring it out. Daphne has a routine she follows almost daily... she packs a lunch and begs to go to school, eats her lunch as soon as the kids leave to school (usually in front of the TV), takes mommy upstairs to play school which usually turns into a tea party and drawing on the chalkboard. Each day Daphne draws a picture and then cuts it to pieces with scissors. She loves cutting and has gotten really good at it! When she draws she always remembers to draw ears on her people :) She can count to ten and tries to get to 20. She also tries to sing the ABC's and knows some of the letter sounds. Daphne recognizes the letter D in her name.

Dallas continues to work at Endocyte and loves being there. This past year he received a promotion. Dallas has picked up yoga and enjoys meditating. He wants to travel the world and is busy planning a trip to Europe for our 10 year anniversary next year. He does random projects for me around the house and yard... though he doesn't necessarily enjoy the projects. But he is good at them! I picked up a part time babysitting job... which hardly even feels like a job most of the time. The kids are Daphne's little buddies and we have a fun time! I have also enjoyed playing volleyball with a coed team and for fun with a group at church. It is my "therapy" as we call it and I can't go without it. Along with volleyball I like to workout and I have been doing Insanity workouts with friends 3 times each week. It's tough, but it's great! I also enjoy documenting my families life with pictures, and am usually found snapping pictures of all our adventures.

We went on a 9-years-too-late honeymoon in October this fall to Myrtle Beach. Dallas' sister Lark came and watched the kids while we were away. It ways amazing! Dallas was actually there for a conference, so I am not sure if it counts as a honeymoon ;) I was pretty stressed the week before, dealing with some troubles at home, so it was wonderful to get away. I have never felt so relaxed in all of my life. Seriously. It was just what we needed.

In June and July we had a fun cross country trip planned as we visited family. We stopped at Mount Rushmore, visited Dallas' sister Sheri in Powell, Wyoming, drove through Yellowstone and Jackson Hole on the way to Star Valley and spent the 4th of July at Gram's house in Bloomington Idaho for her 97th birthday. It was wonderful seeing the Bateman family and to see so many beautiful places along the way. We loved every minute. Some of our adventures along the way included sleeping in the car when we got to Mount Rushmore, because we forgot to change our hotel reservations. Kids getting carsick because we are not used to windy roads and canyons. Beautiful views on our drive because, mountains. Goodness we miss them! Shooting with aunts uncles and cousins. Swimming in a lake near the Tetons. Rafting in Star Valley. Shopping with Grandma and visiting her store. Seeing Grams in a parade on the 4th, Hiking, hiking, hiking. Because.... mountains.

After visiting Wyoming we headed to Utah to see the Johnson Family and some of the Bateman's that live there. Some of the the adventures in Utah included meeting my first nephew on the Johnson side, baby Otto. Now my sister Shannon and I each have two girls and one boy. Our kids love playing together and spent so much time together. We stayed at my mom's house, visited my brothers and sisters, grandma Fowler and my extended family. We visited Dallas' sister Candi and saw the progress on their kitchen remodel. We hiked donut falls, went swimming, ate yummy food that I miss (Cafe Rio!), visited the Jordan River Temple where Dallas and I were married, and we went to the cabin (four wheeling and more hiking!). Makiah celebrated her birthday with Grandpa Johnson (just one day apart) before we headed back home. As always it was so hard to leave!

We had a couple visitors this year! We love visitors (hint, hint...) Aunt Lark came in October just in time to see the leaves change color. She spent a few days watching our kids for us while we we on our trip, they were in heaven! They went to a Purdue volleyball game, practiced trick or treating, and enjoyed having a break from mom and dad. When we got back from our trip we showed Lark around Purdue Campus, downtown, ate donuts at Mary Lou's and went to a pumpkin patch. Her last day here we spent a day in Indy and had fun walking around downtown and exploring the Indianapolis Museum of Art. After she left we all kept saying how much we missed her and plotted ways to trick her into moving in with us ;)

My uncle Duane also stopped in to see us while he was in the Chicago area for work. He came to church with us and spent the afternoon with us eating lunch and watching our first snowfall. We had a crazy cold November that he unfortunately had to experience. He brought his travel buddy, Floyd, a pink flamingo that he takes pictures of to document his travels and to share with his family. Our kids got a kick out of it and LOVED having Duane here. They seriously cried when he left. People, we love visitors!

Our family is getting good at taking road trips and we love traveling. We went on a road trip to Louisville KY for spring break. We drove down to Shades State park this fall to hike. We also loved going to the Hoosier Outdoor Experience in Indy. We visited Indianapolis with Aunt Lark when she came to visit and were able to see the progress of the temple being built there. We also love being at home and we really enjoy our neighborhood and being in our yard. The kids spend the summer outside riding bikes, swinging and playing. We love where we live.