Better late than never! It's been over a year since I blogged on here. Oops. Well, here is a quick synopsis of 2018:
Lucas is doing awesome in the Navy. He was one of only a few to finish the schooling, it's very difficult and many people don't pass, or quit. But he did really well, and graduated in the fall, then he was quickly sent to Pearl Harbor, where it's a little too hot for his taste.
Lilly started school at a Community College, studying to be a journalist. She hopes to do a lot of traveling and learning. Currently, she is in Jerusalem, taking full advantage of her Jewish heritage and learning about the culture and the customs.
Jeanine recently returned from Thailand with her aunt, and got to experience life in the poor parts of Thailand. She says it really changed her perspective on life. She has been working as a waitress/hostess at a small restaurant and as a model for her aunt's clothing line.
Anthonio is a junior, doing great in school. He works hard and plays hard. Currently he works for "J Dawgs", a small hot dog restaurant that has carts at different events downtown. He also plays basketball and soccer, does boxing, and just about anything else to keep in shape. He is also an awesome artist!
Karleah (also a junior this year) had a job at the airport in a restaurant for a few weeks, but it was too stressful so she ended up leaving the job after she saved up enough money to pay for her extra curricular activities. She is in the concert choir, advanced theater, and "Lancer Action Team" which does various acts of service. The last one was a huge sub-for-Santa project to help several families in need. She did work at UPS with me for a few weeks, and says it's her favorite job yet.
Caranina is a Sophomore, and had the opportunity to go to Peru with her mom over the summer. She brought home a lot of beautiful souvenirs for the little kids. She is taller than all her sisters, plays basketball, and loves art.
Nathanael just turned 13, he is adjusting to Junior High life, and was thrilled to take part in his school musical, "Alice in Wonderland, Jr." he was on stage a LOT and had a couple lines as a sea creature and the 2 of spades card. He says he feels like he always has friends and comfort in theater. He loves to play games, and he is amazing at math.
Carson is 10 and in 5th grade. We are finally on a path to get an official diagnosis for his emotional struggles, and he is doing so much better this year. I guess the teacher he has is making a big difference for him. We still have a ways to go, but things are looking up! He loves to draw, paint, color, build, create, and destroy.
Vanessa is, of course, also 10. She loves school, socializing, talking, and watching YouTube. She is getting really good at doing fun hairstyles on herself and Faith. She is a typical tween, loves makeup, hair, and hanging with friends. Every time I go to the school, one of the staff is telling me about how wonderful and helpful she is. She takes care of the special needs kids in class, and helps with the babies almost every day. She will be a great teacher and/or leader one day!
Faith, age 8, is in 3rd grade. She is a great reader, and is doing much better at her Spanish, as she practices with TJ on occasion. She loves Unicorns and Rainbows, and all things girly, pink, and sparkly. She is really getting into drawing (thanks to the example of her older siblings) but has only ever drawn unicorns, kittens, and bunnies.
Travis (TJ) is 2 1/2, we call him "monkey" because he can climb on anything and get into whatever he wants! He can entertain himself with just about anything, and often it ends up entertaining all of us! He's learning how to dress himself, how to count, and knows several colors. He loves fruit and coloring on everything!
Emily, our newest addition is 6 months old. She is scooting all over, rolling like crazy, and a happy, healthy, perfect little "nugget" (Karleah's name for her). She loves to coo at her siblings, and is absolutely in love with removing her socks and eating baby food.
Chewy and Almond are still doing well, they put up with so much from TJ climbing and jumping on them. They love to lick Emily and wrestle with each other.
Jason and I are about to celebrate 4 years of marriage. It's a wild, crazy ride. Sometimes I don't know how we do it, or what we were thinking (haha) but there's nobody I'd want by my side for this crazy life. I'm forever grateful for the knowledge of a Savior and the opportunity He brings for us to be an eternal family. All these changes in the church are exciting and fun.
Much love to all of our friends and family! May 2019 bring you great blessings and joy, and the peace of Jesus Christ as your Redeemer.
