Christmas Countdown 2017...

As we countdown to Christmas 2017 I can't help but reflect on all the changes brought on by this year. I lost both of my grandpas. Last Christmas they were with us and I truly didn't think that by this Christmas we'd have lost them both. But with sadness comes blessings and 2017 wasn't filled only with tears.

Matt played another season, and has since retired, from the Cedar Valley CourtKings. He continues to succeed as an attorney. Speaking of basketball, Matt is coaching Kate's 5th grade girls basketball team. He clearly has a passion for basketball at all levels. Matt also plans to start an informal team for CJ and second grade girls this coming winter/spring.

This year Kate has been involved in basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and, at recess only, lots of football. She'd love to play organized football but we said no...about 34 times. Kate has also had a lot of fun learning to draw from YouTube tutorials and has put together some really great drawings. This is Kate's last year in the elementary school. How is that even possible? With 5th grade comes the opportunity to play a band instrument and Kate chose the trumpet. I can't wait to go to the first band concert.

CJ is no stranger to sports. She has played soccer, basketball, and coach-pitch softball this year. CJ is second grade and has become an avid reader with an AR range up to 6th grade reading level. She loves drawing and creating, and loves to make pictures that are symmetrical- this seems to be very important in her art work.

Natalie is wrapping up her last year of preschool this school year. Natalie spends lots of her free time taking care of stuffed animals, playing Barbies, and learning to write letters. She is now writing us notes with simple phrases like, "I love you." Her room is Natalie's favorite place right now, and she loves to spend time in there with the radio on.

Maddie is a 2 year old through and through. This year has brought big changes for Maddie as she moved out of both her crib and her diapers. Maddie loves watching Sofia, sneaking into her sisters' bedrooms,drawing on things that are not paper, and eating fruit snacks.

And as for me? I started my second year on the Black Hawk County Gaming Association and joined the LPC Preschool Board. I've continued with our Itsa group at church, spending time with other moms and their children, and coached CJ's soccer team. I'm back to running again after a year long hiatus thanks to some hip pain. I've been pouring through books, as usual this year. I just love a good read. I've run kids in every direction and chased Maddie while she regularly chooses to run the other way. I really enjoy watching the girls play their various sports and I look forward to watching more in the many, many years to come.

Much love to everyone in the coming year.

Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!












Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

October things...

Image
It has not been the easiest October on record. Kate had a couple of hospital visits to Rochester but she is somewhat better at the moment. She continues with chemotherapy and has not been back to school for quite some time but she is doing her best to set aside time for online school work between naps, loving on cats, and hanging out with her family. I was able to get the girls to visit their great grandma in western Iowa a few weeks back. Here's Claudia shortly after arriving at great grandma's house. She is very into jewelry and lots of it. Grandma had several questions for her about the number of bracelets and thankfully Claudia loves talking about them. Many she has made, some were gifted to her...it's a lovely hodgepodge of middle school girl goodies. Clearly the girls and I were blessed with height genes from relatives not named great grandma. We spent time relaxing, taking four wheeler rides, eating candy and we also received a visit from my aunt and uncle. Aunt Deb
Read more

The dark day of June 27th...

 June 12, 2023 We typically don't share a lot of updates about Kate's health, primarily because she wants to remain "a normal teenager." However, we still get asked how Kate is doing and I started thinking maybe it's okay to share updates now and again. Most people care about her and our family, some others could maybe be labeled as "tragedy junkies," but I'm going to operate under the assumption that most people have the best of intentions.  Today is June 12th and we are quickly approaching the dreaded dark day of June 27th. Have you watched, "Gilmore Girls?" It's a witty, comforting television show from the early 2000's. In it one of the main characters has what is dubbed, "a dark day." This is a day the character dreads each year and in response he goes into hiding from the world with no communication. Well for Kate, and the rest of us to some degree, the dark day of the year is June 27th and that date is closing in on
Read more

The other side of the dark day...

 Kate's dark day of Jun 27th came and went like any other day. Kate swam 100 fly in the Independence meet and finished 1st (she was the only swimmer in her age group to sign up, but who cares about details) and then she and Matt hopped in the car to drive up to Rochester for next-day appointments. The worst part of Kate's dark day was probably Matt trying out the Grimace meal at McDonald's. It was death by milkshake and yet he drank the whole thing. Can't let food go to waste, or something.  We braved June 27th with dread and came out on the other side. We enter year three into the cancer life. Two years of appointments, scans, blood draws, IVs, endless chemotherapies, daily medications. It is difficult to remember life before all of this, when Kate was able to get up at 6 a.m. to swim, play basketball, ride her bike, go to school and chase her sisters. We've all adapted even though no one wants to. Hand to God I keep hoping to have a tantrum and wake up from whatev
Read more