Well since the year is now long gone and starting into 2015 I am going to have to try really hard to remember what we even did last year!!
We started the year off with a teensy bit of snow even here in Louisiana I guess the clouds want us to feel a bit of home during our first LA winter. After some more icy/rain days we made it into February. We were super excited to plant our garden this year. We started planting in March and had a full harvest by May, when everyone back home could start to plant.
We had a fabulous neighborhood with tons of kids to run around and play with. All summer long they adventured all around our street making clubs our of every nook and cranny they could find. Pokemon was big this summer with the boys on our street and would often play while sitting on the mailboxes perched like little birds.
We made the three day trek to Canada this year to visit family and to see Whitney's wedding!! We got to spend Canada day with my family then snuck across the border for 4th of July with Justices family. It was a great week for parades. It was a ridiculously long drive but our kiddos were champions. We had bribed them with Pokemon cards. They earned 25cents every 2h and when they got a dollar they could choose a pack of 5 cards. We even got to make a super quick stop to our favorite place in Idaho and see our old stomping grounds of Rexburg. It sure has changed a lot and all that construction that we endured as students seems to have paid off with an amazing campus.
Justice is enjoying being a dentist so much more then being a dental student. He has great coworkers and a wonderful OIC. We like to stop in every once in awhile to say hi for lunch and terrorize his office. Justice was recently called to serve as the ward mission leader and that keeps him busy as soon as work is done. We have had a lot of baptisms recently and Justice gets to help organize and put them together.
I just finished a bunch of online classes to recertify for my teaching license. 5 more years of being certified, even if I have never been able to use it in a classroom setting. I love learning and would be a perpetual student if I could. I was called as the Primary President for our ward and although I am usually overwhelmed with this I love to be with the kids of our ward. We have about 35 active and they sure are active:) So when Justice isn't planning baptisms it is my turn to plan them. One weekend he had a baptism on Friday and I planned one for Saturday for 2 of our boys. This coming year we will have 11 8yr olds. Including Izaac who will be baptized this coming April!
Izaac (7) insisted on being Homeschooled this year and it has been a roller coster of emotions as expected. He does well when he wants to but as school is not high on his list of priorities it seems to require a lot of coating from me. The other trouble we have ran into is when Isaac is ready to work it seems to coincide with when Preston wants to be the most trouble and is into everything or wants to do what Izaac is doing and ends up pulling everything out or drawing all over our walls... oh the joys. All it all I think we will make it through and aren't too traumatized from this experience.
Izaac is a super sweet boy and can be so helpful around the house and with his younger siblings. He knows how to change Preston and get his pajamas on, unload the dishwasher, Sweep/mop, Bathrooms among other things. He is a great help... when he wants to be;)
CoraLynn (6) loves school and being in first grade. She loves to be with friends and in a classroom. She is super silly and if you get her laughing she won't stop for hours. She has a fabulous imagination and loves to draw and read. She has taken to reading and is always picking up books whenever she has a spare moment.
Avarielle (3) is our little spitfire ball of sunshine! She is hilarious and can turn a grumpy day into a smile. Ava loves to dance and is always wiggling to her own beat. I found her some ballet tutus on post and it has become her preferred attire most days. Usually when she puts something on she says this shirt makes me spin!!
Preston (1 1/2) is our super busy boy. He is constantly climbing on everything... and then falling on his head. He has a wonderful smile and loves to laugh at himself and make us laugh also. I am so smitten with everything he does. I love to hear his little voice form words, He is coming out with new ones everyday.
We randomly decided to take the plunge and buy a house here in Leesville. We just fell in love with this house especially the backyard, and the fact that it came with a trampoline was a major selling point, yes I know we are crazy. I was laughing because if we had moved into this house one month sooner Ava would have been brought home in one house, first birthday in another, 2nd at another, and then we would have celebrated her 3rd birthday in our 4th house since she was born. You think after all these moves we would be better at it. I guess no matter what moving is just is a bunch of work. But it sure is nice to constantly dejunk every few years.
We are liking life right where we are. I am loving the warm Louisiana weather although Justice still misses the winter season. I am sure I will see snow again but for now I am happy to keep it as a memory.
