The Highlights of 2010

     This year is almost over and its time to recap our highlights in a letter for all to read.  I think I can do this in just one word....KIDS!  You can say that word in what ever context you wish (because we have).  Whether it sounds happy, angry, funny, shocked (good or bad), frustrated, proud, etc., and that pretty much sums up our whole entire year!

      Kolby is turning 8 in Jan. I can't believe he is almost old enough to carry his very own gun. I'm such a proud mom.  When he was younger he always asked for his own "real" gun and every time he did so we told him, "not until your accountable for yourself at age 8. " It seemed so far away and yet here we are.  Don't worry it's only a BBgun, but still watch all pet owners nearby.  Sorry neighbors, its open season in our back yard.  All I can say is the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  Kolby is so fun and has quite the sense of humor.  He was throwing something around one night while I was cutting hair and knocked a pot of dried flowers off of a shelf.  It hadn't been that long ago that Cooper had did the same thing and got in big trouble because the flower pot broke.  This time however, luckily for Kolby the pot didn't break so he thought it would be ok. With huge sigh of relief he picked it up and put it back. Casey told him that Mom was going to be mad because he had broken all the peddles off the dried roses, and Kolby said, "its ok Dad, its winter time now, roses don't have peddles".  He then started sweeping up all the other stuff and said, "when I make a mess, I clean it up!"  Kolby is starting basketball in January and can't wait to get out on the court and show everybody his new moves.

     Shelby is five and full of it!  She is in a ballet/tap dance class and knows how to shake it!  I don't know where she gets all her pizazz, but she's definitely got moves!  She loves Taylor Swift, singing (making up her own songs), dancing, friends, changing her clothes, and kindergarten.  She loves babies and is a little mom to all around.  She is a fabulous big sister to Chase and is always tring to take on the mom position with him.  This summer we were all going on a bike ride and her training wheels were not working so I asked Casey to fix them before we left.  The kids were getting restless so Casey said to go on ahead and he and Shelby would catch up.  Casey fixed the training wheels by taking them off and sure enough here came Shelby riding down the middle of the road without a care in the world and going faster than I would have liked.  It is funny, she was always so hesitant riding her bike with the training wheels on.  She is our little dare devil.  Shelby is always happy, full of life and a joy to have around. 
    

Next is Super Cooper, he is three and you always know when he's around because he is never quiet.  He has a little bit of middle child syndrome because he thinks he has to scream to be heard.  He always says "Hey, hey you guys, I'm talking!"  He loves to throw anything and jump off of everything.  He loves to be outside and run, play with friends, build with Lego's, going to joy school, and the building workshops at Lows.  He is a very determined boy and likes to do everything by himself.  When you try to help him with something he says "No, I said I have to do it!"  His favorite thing to do by himself is to tie his shoes, which he doesn't really know how to do, but he does it anyway so there is a huge bundle of knots.  My favorite time with Cooper is just when its me and him, and he holds my hand, he is my little buddy.  I love it when completly out of the blue says "I love you", or "I like you". One of Casey and my favorite things to do with Cooper is sing him his special song at bedtime.  Mine is a made up tune about "Cooperophagus, is my dinosaur.  He's rough and he's tough, and really really nice, ect."  He listens closely to all the lyrics.  Casey's song is "Good night sweet heart", but he always changes sweetheart to whatever superhero or animal that is appropriate for the night.  Casey always knows when he has picked the right thing because Cooper always nods his head yes when it is the right thing.  We love our Cooper, he keeps things lively in our house.
 

 Last our little Roonie.  Why do we call him that you ask?  Well when Chase was just little he would curl up in a U shape.  We would laugh and say he looks like a piece of macaroni.  It shortened and it stuck and now he is Chase-a-roonie, roons, ect.  He loves balls and his favorite game is fetch.  The other kids love paying chase with Chase.  He loves to be outside and throws a big fit when the other kids get to go out and he doesn't, he will bring you his shoes and stand by he door.  We have to keep all of our doors chained because he has figured out how to open them which causes a problem because his second favorite thing is to play in the toilet!  When someone forgets to close the bathroom door, we have a family phrase of "bathroom alert!!"  Everyone is supposed to run to 'the bathroom, get Chase out and close and lock the door.  We have it down pretty good, but he has been able to play in the toilet a time or two.  He and Cooper just got tubes in their ears and their adenoids removed.  Chase was not too excited about this but he will be once he finished healing.  When Chase goes down for a nap and before bedtime I hum him a lullaby, he is so adorable when he hums with you or when he is really tired he will go get a blankie, find me and with blankie by his head start humming the song.  Chase is such an addition to our home he is so sweet and very ticklish and we love hearing his little laugh.

     Casey is up to no good!  He came home from work a few weeks ago and told me he was getting a bonus from work and he wanted to use it to buy a new TV.  He thought he could slip one past me, but I can always tell when he isn't telling me the whole truth.  I asked him if Rick, his boss, was giving him the bonus, and he kind of dodged the question, telling me more about the TV he wanted.  Come to find out their was no Real bonus just a nice wife who thought if he would go to all the time thinking up all this mumbo jumbo then he could by his own Christmas present.  Just to make this clear  he was always meaning "he says" that the "bonus" came from his own pay check for a job well done that month.  He won't have anything to open on Christmas because he couldn't wait.  He is still buying and selling homes in Indianapolis, and drilling oil wells in Kentucky, but the reverse mortgages here in Utah are our bread and butter.

     Me, I don't do much other than laundry, cleaning, homework, cooking, and hair once a week.  I like exercising and would like to get more sleep.  My favorite things we did this year was go to Hawaii.  It was nice to get away from the everyday grind of things, and to remember that my husband is still my boy friend and we still have fun being together with just the two of us.  I love my family, and I look forward to the future and enjoy the present.  Life is good!!

     Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!