It might be wishful thinking to expect that anyone still checks my blog after my 7-month hiatus from posting. Not to mention that I have racked up a whopping 4 posts the entire year of 2017. Instead of boring you with the long list of reasons why I haven't kept up, here are some new pictures to tie you over and a few updates on what's all going on in our lives, (which will give you insight to why I don't get to sit at the computer as often.)
Yes! Noah is now 6 and enjoying kindergarten, at home, with Mom as his teacher, because the very thought of being in a classroom with others at this point terrifies him.
Bella is now 1 and keeps busy with all things that learning toddlers do. (Actually, I have been interrupted several times during this post to redirect her curiosity to a baby-friendly activity.) But she is a total gift to our family & she makes us all smile often on a daily basis.
This crew! (I think Ian's expression sums it up)
AJ is now a 15-year old 9th grader who is working at lots of stuff: football & now basketball, pep/concert/marching band, drivers ed & a part-time job! He has been given the gift of a room to himself, even though he's here the least amount of time, but sharing a room with a 10 year-old was getting to be a battle, and let's be realistic, the 2 younger boys together makes more sense right now. (If I would have had that revelation when we first moved in, it would have saved us a bunch of time & energy! Preggo brain!)
Laney is 14 (8th grade) and busy in her special artistic way: concert/jazz/honor band (playing 3 instruments), piano lessons, lots of art (including starting up a blog for her drawings), and helping out a bunch by watching the youngsters while I play bus driver for the others. She absolutely loves SuzyCat & the feeling is reciprocal, especially when they have "lazy days" together & just spend time loafing.
Faith is 12 and is on the brink of teenage-isms. Ah, the hormones in 6th grade! School days certainly become more challenging, don't they?! She loves sports also, and was busy with volleyball & now basketball. JO volleyball has also come into the mix & will soon fill the rest of her time as she gets used to the idea of daily practice that awaits her next year. She is also in band & student council & is a raging slime-making maniac. (The collection keeps growing!)
Ian is 10 & has enough energy to be a 3-sport athlete in one season, if we would let him. But for the sake of my sanity (and our checking account), this 3rd grader has been limited to occasional, more convenient options of burning off energy. We are eagerly anticipating the start of basketball for him & are also considering a session of Tae Kwon Do to help him manage his actions, because Lord help me, I can't keep up with him!
My hubby...I am so blessed that he works so hard to make it possible for one of us to be home to raise our babies. I honestly don't know how he does it, but I do know that he loves being a filled-to-the-brim full-time Activities Director, (like 50-60 hr weeks) and still manages to Deacon at least one weekend a month, as well as teach religious ed to 2nd graders every Weds night (his one normal night off a week). I get tired just thinking about it.
Oh wait! I'm already exhausted, so it doesn't take much to make me tired, haha! As you can imagine, if you take all of these active family members with their happenings and the trail of laundry, dishes, paperwork, appointments/meetings, emails, "get me here, pick me up there" communications, throw in a desire to cultivate a loving, God-willing family made up of individuals who will try to make a positive difference in the world, then you will find me, (sometimes curled up in a corner throwing my own pity party), but for the most part, getting it together as I realize this is our reality. This is our now. This is our family growing up way too fast and I am constantly praying to know God's will and to follow it so that I can hopefully teach these little gifts how to do it better than I can. In the meantime, I will squeeze them as much as I can so they will know they are loved, and teach them as much as I can so that when they go out into the world, reality doesn't punch them in the face.
I can't make any promises about getting out Christmas cards in time, (some of you know I tend to make them more like "Easter cards"), so hopefully this will get you updated on the Myhre crew, so you know that we are still alive and kicking...some days more (or less) than others.
I can't make any promises about getting out Christmas cards in time, (some of you know I tend to make them more like "Easter cards"), so hopefully this will get you updated on the Myhre crew, so you know that we are still alive and kicking...some days more (or less) than others.
