2012

Zak had a great year in school.  He loves his teachers Beth and Janelle.  He is learning to like Math more now that he is getting better at it.  He continues to be a great writer and artist.  He is amazing at spelling.  I never quiz him and his words are hard.....so hard that I have to check them in the dictionary to see what the spelling is!  He has two great friends named Jackson and Lucas.  He got to go to both of their birthday parties and Jackson's baptism..which was great!  Zak is so BIG and STRONG.  He is SOLID!  He is  a great kid he stays on task and and gets ready quick and then helps the others to get ready.  He is also a great help with Karlee and she loves him.  He lost several teeth this year, got his first stitches in his hand and learned to play baseball.  He loves to read Diary of a Wimpy kid books and other exciting adventures.  He still likes animals and dressing up with swords and such.  This year he is looking forward to being baptized and is preparing for the day.  He is also excited to stay after school and learn sign language for a few months.  He loves his school and friends here but he is also looking forward to movie to Florida and playing at the beach!

Makelle is all girl.  She still loves anything girl especially shoes, hair stuff....well anything and everything girl!  One of her greatest qualities that always humbles me is that of forgiveness.  One of her brothers will break something or hurt her and with tears in her eyes she will say " I forgive you, because my teacher taught me about forgiveness."  She is also good to stick up for others and be a peacemaker if Mom or Dad get mad!  She has lost 6 teeth, learned to do dance and ballet, and she learned to read.  She enjoys going to Kindergarten (most days) to chat with friends and to sweep, which she is VERY good at.  Makelle is getting very good at drawing and she is super great and cracking eggs and cooking.   This year she is looking forward to gymnastics.  She took her first lesson this week and learned how to cartwheel the first day.  She is very precise with pointed toes and hands.  I think that is why she liked ballet better than hip hop dance! 

Lantz...is well...Lantz.  He is a handful but very fun to be around.  He is getting so big.  I had to say goodbye to him in nursery and last week was his first week in Sunbeams.  He has a great teacher and she said he paid attention well and participated.  He really has grown so much in so many ways lately.  One thing he is still working on his wiping himself in the bathroom.  If you ask him when he will learn to do it all by himself he answers, "When I go on my mission!"  We can't help but laugh at that answer.  Lantz can get ready by himself, buckle up and he also helps me tend kids lots of days.  He know the names of the First Presidency and about half of the quorum of the twelve apostles.  He knows lots of grown up songs...like Elton John's Yellow Brick Road...and he sings it soooo cute!  Lantz likes to play with friends and he especially loves to be a dog and play with his animals.  He likes to go places and not stay home every day. 

Karlee learned to crawl...I  was trying to put it off.  She started to crawl backwards and got stuck so then it was time to teach her.  She has only been crawling for a week or two but she is starting to get fast and really move around.  She can copy you clapping and  can wave and say hi.  She has the craziest hair.  It is naturally curly at times so it always looks crazy.  She is usually happy most of the time...until someone comes to visit and then she seems to be shy for a while.  She is so cute, happy, and chubby and we all love playing with her.  She likes to read books these days and we are trying to teach her animals and sounds.  Karlee loves all of her siblings and her Dad.  She is a little afraid of baby dolls but she is starting to like them more.  Mostly she loves to explore, read books and talk to her family.  She is still super chubby and looks like a Gerber baby with tons of crazy hair.  She has a total of 8 teeth and just this week had her first real sickness.


That is a wrap up for 2012 and start on things to come for 2013!  We have had a great year and have noticed the hand of the Lord in the details of our lives.  It is crazy to think that our time here in Indiana is coming to a close and that John will be a dentist in 4 months.  I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for putting the thought in John's mind to be a dentist.  I am grateful he led us to this place where we have had so many opportunities to grow and to serve.  We will forever be changed by the experiences we have had but more especially the people we have met.  They have become our family and we are grateful Heavenly Father put them in our lives. 

We are so excited for what this year will bring.  We are sad to leave good friends but we are excited for the next adventure the Lord has in store.  John was accepted into the Air Force General Dentistry residency for one year starting in August.  We will be at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.  It is between Panama City and Pensacola.  The Air Force has its own white sandy private beach....we are a little excited for that!  We aren't sure what is going to happen between now and then with trying to sell our house and trying to find work for the 3 months before he starts with the Air Force but all will be well.  The Lord has taken care of us so far and we have no doubt he will make it work again.  We look forward to see who and what he puts in our path for this coming year.  Life is good!