Welcoming 2010

We had our own family celebration to welcome the New Year, complete with confetti poppers, horns and handmade hats. The kids loved it, and it was fun to all play games together leading up to our celebration. The kids are all getting quite good at Uno. Even Kate knows how to play and frequently beats everyone else out! It is wonderful to start a new decade with our family. Chad and I welcomed in the start of 2000 as newlyweds on our honeymoon. Now look at us 10 years later with a growing family. I can't even image how old everyone will be in 2020! We will be a house of teenagers. I get ahead of myself. It is good to remember how special today is and enjoy what we have today.

On New Years' Day, we met up with Brad and Melissa's family and shot rockets and went sledding. The kids all had a blast, I enjoyed watching - a little too pregnant to enjoy the crazy journey down the hill. It was a great day.

Our next adventure was bowling together. The kids all did better than me, and Kate had the highest score. It is helpful that the gutter guards were up and she had the bowling contraption that little kids can just roll their ball down. What a fun family activity.

Our other activities this month included watching all three Jurassic Park movies (Kate would go play in her room, but the older two were spell-bound), and helping Audrey recover from a combo bacterial pneumonia/walking pneumonia. It took 8 straight days of high fever and a continuous dry hacking cough, 3 antibiotics and 3 doctor visits to finally get her healing. We are glad to see her healthy again.

While I have been very tired and sore from being pregnant, I feel tons better this week. Overall, it seems harder on my body this time around. I have had to learn to say "No" and let things go that I normally accomplish. Kate and I even had a nap together after trying to go to the Aquarium together and finding I was too tired to enjoy being there with her. It was pretty sweet to both curl up in my bed and fall asleep together. I am feeling more energy this week and Carson and I made the trip to the Aquarium on Monday together. It was much more enjoyable and here he is in front of the tetra tank.

Chad and the older two kids have had some great skiing this month, and both kids are passing me up. By the time I hit the slopes again, they will be teaching me! It is a pleasure to see them learn and grow. It is some of my greatest joys.