Christmas letter

Christmas 2010

Early in November I remember thinking I need to get my Christmas list together so I can get my Christmas cards out this year. Well…..that didn’t happen, as usual. December rolls around and I am still trying to figure out when I am going to get to the store to buy Christmas cards or to have a few peaceful minutes to sit down at the computer and order picture cards. I even had the pictures taken this year. They look great hanging on my parent’s wall, but alas they did not make it to Christmas cards.

No worries! There are faster and cheaper ways of send out Christmas cards and that will be the excuse I am using this year.

Our family has had a pretty interesting year.

Jacob just turned 16 last week and now has his driver’s license. Although it has only been a week so far he has been a huge help with the family, especially running errands when needed. He is still looking for a job but he continues to put out applications and in the mean time he works for Dane. He has decided that since he is home all day he needed to find a sport to keep him busy. Snowboarding is the new passion and since mom sprung for the season pass to Heavenly, most Wednesday and weekends he spends in Tahoe. He will be starting at the community college in January taking some Sports Medicine classes and will be checking out BYU next week and BYU-I in August when he attends EFY.

Jared is looking forward to being able to attend school at home in January. He will miss his friends at school but he will get to see them at Seminary and other activities. His phone never stops ringing so I doubt he will miss too much of what goes on at the school. He will get frequent updates from all the girls on a minute by minute basis I am sure. Although, Jared loved playing high school football the concussion set him back quite a bit and he was out for awhile. Jared is finding an interest in teaching/helping special education kids. He spent the last part of 8th grade helping in the special education classes at the middle school and this year he has been helping a family with a few special education kids. Over the last few years he has helped a number of the special education boys in his Boy Scout troop work on advancement. The first of the boys earned his Eagle Scout award this last summer with Jared’s assistance.

Jordan loves to be anywhere his brothers are and loves to tell his sister what to do. He enjoys showing her how to find things on the computer and loves to let her play video games with him. Usually we can find Jordan in the backyard inventing some new tool, weapon, tree house design, or some other contraption. I have found many of his contraptions and wonder where he gets the insight to design and create such things. He loves being outside helping in the garden or collecting the eggs from the chickens. He is just as comfortable inside playing video games, on the computer or reading a book.

Jessica is growing like a weed as usual. She will be turning 5 in February and is looking forward to her birthday. She has already instructed her daddy and I on what she wants for her birthday as well as the cake and decorations that she would like. It will be a princess theme as usual or just about anything pink we can find. She loves her dresses and shoes (can’t forget the shoes) but she doesn’t mind going out back and playing in the dirt and mud in her dress either. This last year the boys had her running around the backyard collecting worms to feed the chickens. They tried to convince her to eat one of the worms, yuck. Mom had to step in and explain she could collect the worms but only the chickens were allowed to eat them. She is excited to start school in the Fall and has already asked that her brother drive her every day.

Dane and I have been busy with business and work. Dane still has his landscaping business as well as spending time managing contractors working in the Orinda and Moraga area for the Contra Costa Times, the New York Times, and Wall Street Journal as well as many other publications. He continues to fly planes when he gets a chance. It is really nice to be able to say I want to go to Tahoe or Monterey for breakfast and not have to worry about traffic or how long it will take to get there. We have had some amazing lunches that way!

I continue to work at the Sheriff’s office and enjoy spending time with the kids. I had to travel a little bit this year and learned early on that I needed more than a phone to appease the kids. I always travel with my laptop so Skype has been our new best friend. I can parent from states away and still make sure their homework is done. They love that.

Our family has enjoyed seeing pictures of your families, reading your letters, and receiving your cards. Hopefully, we will be better next year and get out our own cards. In the mean time, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Helping my father heal.

I am currently in Salt Lake helping my father heal. He had surgery last week and they were expecting complications. He came through surgery okay. There were complication during and after surgery but he is home and on the mend. I will post more later when I am on my own computer and have more time.

What happened to Summer!

It doesn't even seem like we had a summer here in the Bay Area. The sun was out every day, but there were very few days where it got above 90 degrees. It was actually kinda pleasant. However, it never really felt like we had a summer and Halloween is tomorrow. The summer actually reminded me of the summer I was pregnant with Jordan (now 10 yoa). I was blessed with a very mild summer, especially since I was 8-9 months pregnant.

Where are we now?

School is in full swing again. We have kids at 3 different school again. The drop off and pick up schedule can be a little tricky on certain days.

Jake is homeschooled right now. He was given the option to go to regular high school or to be homeschooled and he chose staying home. It was been a great experience for us. I do not have to do too much and he is responsible for his work and assignments. He currently has a B average and loves the fact that if he doesn't feel like working on anything until the evening he doesn't have to. There are, however, some draw backs. He can't play sports. Our school district doesn't allow him to play any sports or attend any of the activities at school. He will probably go back to the regular high school next year as he wants to play football again. He finished out the season at Waterworld and is just waiting out the last month and a half so he can get his drivers license and get a job.

Jared is a Freshman at the high school and was playing football but had to drop to concentrate more on his academics. As his favorite coaches likes to say "notice your called a student-athlete, there is a reason the student comes first in the title!" He is looking forward to working next summer. Jared will probably join his brother in homeschooling in January and is definately counting down the days until he can get his driver's permit in May.

Jordan is a 5th grader this year and is spending his last year at the elementary school. He will be a big 6th grader next year. He seems to small to be going to such a big school next year :( I know he isn't but it seems that way. He spend his first week away from home when he went to Outdoor Education at the beginning of October. He said he loved every minute of it but was a little homesick at first. I would have thought he would have enjoyed being away from his older brothers trying to beat up on him all the time.

Jessica is driving me crazy with the new stuff she learns each day. She won't start school until September of next year and she already asks me to do math, writing and reading with her. She went through all of the IXL math for pre-school on her own. I guess I should start her on the Kindergarten stuff but I don't want her to be bored next year. She is learning about letters and writing. We just started reading so I am sure she will pick that up pretty quickly as well. She told me the other day while playing tickle monster that I was not a monster I was a human. When I asked her what a human was she said "you have bones and blood mom". It made me laugh a little bit.

Everyday I count down the time until they start leaving the house as adults. Not because I want them to be gone but because I want to cherish the moments I do have with them. It will be gone sooner then later.

I can not believe that summer is already almost over. The kids will be back in school soon and back to a normal schedule. Some of the things we are looking forward to:

Sleep: The kids will be back on a normal sleep schedule. During the summer we do not have a set bedtime and they can usually stay up as late as they want. This year Jordan, was the one who was usually up the latest. There were nights that he was up playing video games or watching a movie until 3 am. We have learned that he requires less sleep than most people. He doesn't wake up as nicely as we would like but once he is up he is fine.

Work: Jake had a great summer working at Waterworld and Jared working for his dad every night. The money will be missed by them as it gave them the freedom to make their own choice on what they wanted to buy and what they couldn't afford. Although Waterworld closes in September, Jake is hoping that one of the new In-N-Out Burger's that will be opening in Pleasant Hill will hire him so he can continue to work through out the school year.

Sports: Jake will not be particpating in any school sports this year, although this doesn't mean he wont be playing anything. He will be working out with trainers for Lacrosse, and will be lifting weights for football throughout the year. Jared on the other hand will be playing freshman football this year and who knows what else. I know some of the kids on Jake's varsity lacrosse team are trying to recruit him to play so it will be interesting to see if he does.

School: This year we are down to 2 schools, instead of 3 different schools, which is nice. Jessica still has another year to go before she can start. Although she is driving her dad and I crazy with the knowledge she has already. Jordan will be a 5th grader this year. This will be his last year in elementary school. He is looking forward to the week long outdoor education trip, as our we. Jared will be a 9th grader this year. He is looking forward to the freedom high school gives him and taking a couple of foods classes. Jacob decide that he needed to focus more on school and decided to homeschool/independant study this year. He is taking all his classes on-line from home. This will be a new experience for us. The decision was left up to him on what he wanted to do and this was his choice. We are not sure how this will work but it will be a good experience for him to be responsible for his own work just like he has to do in college. No one makes him go to school, no one gives him busy work to fill up classroom hours, and he is not stuck in school all day. It will be interesting to see how this works.

Peace and quiet: Well sort of. It will be nice that the boys are gone most of the day. But, we will still have Jessica and Jake in the house but this may be a blessing. Normally, it is just Jessica when all the kids are off at school and she is bored without them. With Jake there now she always has someone to talk to, to play games with her, and help her get things out of the tall cupboards.

Toy Story 3 in 3D

Toy Story 1 was my favorite, Toy Story 2 was good, but Toy Story 3 was just okay.

We saw the movie in 3D and there really is not a reason to see it in 3D unless you realy like that sort of thing. There was nothing in the movie that jumped out at you or made your want to reach out to touch it. Also, I took my 4 year old and the glasses are not really designed for kids that age. They kept falling off or down on her face so halfway through the movie she just watched it without them. Don't pay extra for 3D.

The story line was a good one but I thought it was a little dark for a kids movie. Toys were attacking each other and holding them hostage. There were parts that made my 4 year old cringe. These were also the same parts of the show that made me hold her a little bit tighter so she did not feel scared and knew I was right there. However, if you have every lost a toy as a child this movie will make you cry. If you have a child that is getting close to leaving for college this movie will make you cry. Of course, I did. So be warned, bring a little bit of tissue.

Some of the jokes in the movie were oriented more towards the adult crowd which I love when Disney does that. They know parents have to sit through the movie too so they try hard to include something for us. I did laugh a few times.

Some of the characters from previous Toy Story's did not return to this one. All of the main characters are back. The characters that returned for Toy Story 3 were: Woody, Buzz, Jesse, Bullseye, Rex, Hamm, Slinky Dog, Mr & Mrs Potato Head, Squeeze Toy Aliens, and Barbie. Sarge and 2 of the little green men have a very small part. But toys like RC, Etch, Bo Peep and Mr Spell are not in this movie.

So go see it if you have to with the kids. But I suggest just buying it when it comes out on DVD or Blu-Ray.

However, a plus was the preview of the new Disney movie coming out. I was paying attention to Jessica and did not see the date, but The Sorcerer's Apprentice looks really good. Nicholas Cage is in it so that is a plus already.

New Perspectives and Once In A Lifetime Opportunities

First things first. My husband is blind, well nearly blind. Jared came home with a quarter the other day that was unusual and asked the hubby to read what was on the back. Guess what he can't see it. So he calls Eye Exam 2000 and they have an open appointment that afternoon. After what seemed life forever he was done with the optometrist and the diagnoses is he is blind and needs glasses. I could have told him that:) So a few more hours later and a HUGE chunk of change later his glasses are ordered. (They had to ship them out to process.) Seven days later...he picked them up yesterday. Guess what he can see again! And in my opinion he is looking good in those glasses!

So lacrosse is over and we had one end of the year party already. As I was sitting around the table with a couple of the parents, the conversation turned to Scouting. In the process Jake was invited to go to Philmont this year with a Pleasant Hill troop that one of his teammates is in and most of the boys go to his school. Jake went to their troop meeting on Monday night, and of course loves it. So he is headed to Philmont this year. They are doing a 57 mile trek and he can't be more thrilled. He was also invited to go to summer camp with them but when I got the cost of football all fiqured out for the year and the $1000 for Philmont. He had to choose. So Philmont it is. Most scouts don't get the opportunity to go to Philmont, and if you should happen to get the chance..DO NOT pass it up. I was invited to go as well, but I of course had to pass for this year. However, I already know there will be another opportunity for me to go and you can bet I won't pass up the next time.

So lacrosse is over but football has already started. Spring ball, summer ball, St Marys Football camp, and double days times 2 (Jake and Jared) add up for a lot of running around. I thought once lacrosse was over I would get a little bit of a rest, I was wrong of course.

He has a job!

I know I mentioned previously that Jake was looking for a job. Well it didn't take long...he is officially employed! Woo Hoo! That means mom wont hear the "mom, can I borrow $20 to go to the movies!" phrases that come out of their mouths so often. Instead he can now pay back and take his mom to the movies once in awhile.

Before I forget, he is one the shallow water lifeguards at Waterworld in Concord. Incidently, it was the first application he put in, and his first interview ;)

100th BSA Anniversary Norcal Jamboree

Saturday I took the boys and some of the boys from the troop to the Norcal Jamboree and the Alameda County Fairgrounds. It was amazing to see the large amount of Boy Scouts and just as many leaders. I got a lot of information about future activities for the troop. It was nice and warm and we enjoyed ourselves. In the last building we went in to the Oakland Raiders had a table set up to push their 2nd Annual Scout Day. They had pads, jerseys, helmets, gloves and huge cleats for the kids to try on. Of course, my older boys were interested and tried on the gear. Here is the result:

This is Jake gearing up. The helmet was way to small but he put it on anyway.
















Here is Jared striking a pose.

Jake and Jared in a 3 point stance.

Jake striking a pose.

Both boys showing how its done.

Needless to say I had hot, and tired boys in the car when we left. Of course, a car full of boys who have been walking all day the first thing they do is take off their shoes. Really!

Yucky....uuuuuuugh.

The windows had to come down and the stinky offender had to be yelled at to put his shoes back on. After the car was air out. All was back to normal, and the kids fell asleep on the way home.

Thrifty Shopping

After gymnastics on Friday, I promised Jessica that we could buy a new dress at Khol's. I have never shopped at Khol's but because of a great opportunity that I acquired today was going to be the day. Recently, Safeway was doing a promotion that for every $50 you spent in the store you got a $10 Kohl's cash (which is just like using cash). We ended up getting a 1 $10 Khol's cash, which I have been holding on to. A few days later Kohl's had their coupon on the paper for spend $20 get $10 off. I just doubled my money. So off we went. When we get to Khol's I happen to notice the sign on the doors says I pay no sales tax today as well. Score another one for me. Jessica and I picked out a couple of dresses and tried them all on. Of course they were all cute, but I made her pick just one. A cute black sun dress with pink polkda dots. I was going to spend a little more money and buy a second dress but I decided to buy a shirt and capri's instead. When we got to the register the total was $22.06. Jessica gave her the buy $20, get $10 off coupon, and then the $10 Kohls cash, leaving our total at $2.06. But wait...it was no sales tax day as well so she credited back my sales tax and our total was $1.87 for the dress, capri's and shirt. A great day for shopping!

Shoe Shopping!

Anything to do with shopping and I am usually there. Jake wanted to go shopping and pick up some new DC shoes for school, since his other ones were getting pretty worn out. I agreed to take him to the mall, but the little princess decided she needed to go too. Since we hadn't been shopping for awhile (and I know Jessica loves it), and we were only going to one specific store in the mall I thought it would be okay. Wrong!!!! Jessica is a born shopper, if she sees something that looks cute she tries it on. Jake on the other hand shops like me. He likes to look at several stores and then go back to a few of them before he makes a decision. Well one store turned into a few stores as you can imagine. We went into Tilly's first, they have a small selection of shoes but they have some very cute girl shoes. Jessica tried every one of them on, and they weren't even close to fitting her. Of to the next store, again she is trying on shoes. A few more stores and the same thing. The last store we went into had all these bright colored cute shoes, alot of heels and stiletos on the womens side. That did not stop her. Here are the first two:











Yes I know that they are 2 different shoes, but she didn't care. They were on the clearance (good girl) rack and that is all she saw was these shoes. They were very cute, especially on her.

So a few more minutes in the store looking at shoes, by this time Jake has taken off to some other store, and she comes up with these:

Much more her style I think. None of those drab looking shoes, she wanted the flash and she sure picked it with her shoe choices. I can imagine what my shoe bill will be like when she gets just a little bit older. As long as no one takes her into a Coach store and shows her the bags, we should be good.

Oh yea, towards the end of our little excursion to the mall, I decided to check out the little girl section at Gap kids. Well next door to Gap kids is Crazy 8's. You have to pass Crazy 8's to get to the Gap. Well Jessica pops into Crazy 8's find this cute pink and orange sundress and tells me stay there mom. As she stands right where the dress is hanging and starts to take it off the hanger she says don't look. I realize at this point that she is take this off the hanger to try it on right there in the middle of the store. I of course had to put a stop to that....but I will be back soon to purchase that sundress. It was really cute ;)

Resume

My 15 year old is looking for a job...well I look for him and pass on the information I find. Anyway, the local waterslide park has openings for the summer. Who wouldn't want to work at a water park for the summer? I loved it when I did it. Anyway, so I am looking at ways to apply for the job so I can pass on the info...and they need a resume. Really a resume for a 15 year old? I guess it's a good thing that he has had several jobs because his resume would be really bare if he didn't.

We play Campolindo today. At least I do not have to worry about the rain, but it might be cold. Game is at 7 pm at Campo so I will definately need a sweatshirt and probably a jacket.

Friday's game is at 4 pm at CP and since it is suppose to be 76 I think the only thing I will need are sunglasses and sunblock ;)

She loves it!

Secretly I worried what the morning would hold with Jessica. She is always so excited to do things and then when she gets there she backs out, being shy (something that is so unusual for her). But we arrived early, she got to look around, and when the teacher showed up she was gone. I watched from the viewing area as she jumped on the trampoline, jumped onto blocks from the spring board, walked the balance beam, used the rings, and the rope swing. She loves it and can't wait to go back next week.

I froze my butt off again at the Lacrosse game. But wait not only did we freeze, but it poured for the majority of the game. So I was wet and cold, but I was there. We lost yet again, but we played much better. I wish I had a camera though, it would have been great pictures of the hubby keeping the umbrella over his head, while he let the ends drop on me. And me wearing garbage bags not only over my rain jacket, but on my legs as well. I was soaked anyway as the walk out to the field was pouring and the wind was blowing right at me, so my sweatshirt was wet and the front of my pants. The garbage bags kept me from getting soaked completely through. Good thing I keep extra sweatshirts in my car...

Of course as we leave the field and drive away what do we see? Sun, yes sun. The strom front had moved through and it was clearing up.

Gymnastics

Today is the day. Jessica has her first gymnastics class. She is so excited. I got home from Boy Scouts last night and she was already asleep, wearing her leotard. We will see how well she likes it.

Tonight is also 3rd game of the season for Jake. He got hurt in practice yesterday and is having a hard time holding the pole. He thought his wrist was broken, but it looks more like it could be just a blood clot under the musle that is causing the pain and the pump. We will see how things go this afternoon. I think he is gonna have the trainer wrap it up before the game.

Jared is still struggling with making a decision on school, what classes he wants to take. I thought this was gonna be easy for him, but College Park doesn't have very many electives anymore. So as of now he has a pretty easy freshman year. He has math, english, pe, freshman orientation, art, foods, and advanced art (glass/sand). Hopefully, he gets everything he has listed on his course card. Jake also struggled with picking classes this year. But it looks like he has: Algebra II, English, Weights, US History, I think he has a science class chemistry or something, and I am not sure if he took video production or some art class. He wanted to take French, but I told him no. But only because he doesn't need the credits to graduate, and if he is gonna take it he can take it the community college and get his college credits instead. So we will see how well he wants to take French. Personally, I would love for him to take it cause then I could plan a trip to Paris and drag him a long to translate.

What a difference!

Second Varsity Lacrosse game was yesterday (Tuesday). Oh my goodness, from the time the first whistle blew to the last horn of the game, it was hard to tell they were the same team as Friday night. We played the Alhambra Bulldogs (always a rivalry) at College Park. The kids came out hard and played that way the whole game. Alot of hitting and a better zone defense. One thing that really stood out this time was ball control. We lost the ball so many times because of bad passing or bad catching. Occasionally, just losing the ball when it fell out of the stick. The goalie is not clearing the ball down the field but lobbing it to the closest teammate, which created an issue a number of times. It is interesting to watch the team grow with each new game; I can't wait for the rest of the season.

One thing that really annoyed me though is the fact that it is cold. I froze my butt off again. We need to see some sun.

Oh yea, Jake played the majority of the first quarter yesterday in defense. The in the 2nd quarter he went in as a long pole middie for a couple of restarts, then back in defense for the end of the 4th quarter. He is taking a lot of hits and giving a lot of hits. There are times that I just cringe when he gets hit. The pads are much thinnier and lighter than in football, yet he is taking the same amount of beating on the field. He loves every minute of it.












(Victory comes to those with the drive to win.)

13-0!

First varsity game was terrible but Jake came away with a smile on his face. The team played Foothill on Friday night in Pleasanton. Foothill's Lacrosse team is 6th in the state, with a number of returning players. College Park has had a hard time keeping a coach, new one for this year. We have 3 retruning seniors, 3 returning juniors, about 6 new players have played some type of lacrosse, and the other 12 have never played lacrosse before. So needless to say it was a learning experience.

It was really painful watching the first part of the game as the team didn't touch one player. Lacrosse is a contact sport, you wear shoulder pads, arm guards, etc. not one contact from our players. Jake did not start in this game, but I knew he couldn't wait to get in. He had told me not to plan on him playing this game as he could not beat a senior out of is spot. I knew that was a possibility, but like I told him for football.."If given the opportunity, it's your spot to win or lose, do something to make the coach notice you and earn that spot." So coach puts him in with about a minute left in the 1st quarter. He goes out and does a few poke checks (with the stick), plays a great zone coverage, and time ends in the quarter. Out he came. Second quarter no Jake, the kids are still playing the same, very little contact. Third quarter the kids are getting better about playing and a little more contact is occuring. Start of the fourth quarter and Jake is back in. The first play I knew it was on for Jake. He was all over the guy, alot of body checks, stick hitting, and that continued through the rest of the quarter. He carried the ball a couple of times, etc. Of course, I was in the stands freezing, and yelling for the kids.

After the game, he came off the field with a smile on his face, said he had a great time. I have to be careful about yelling because I can be really loud and I get really involved in the game. So Jake tells me on the way to the car.."Mom, I heard you yelling for me out there to hit the kid...so I did." Next game I'm gonna be quiet.

Oh yea, did I mention Jake is already looking at letterman jackets. He's played 1 varsity game, uugh.

How can I convince my husband.....?

I have been trying for years to convince my husband that we need to move. I look at houses that are amazing and in our price range. They are 3 times the size of my house here in California. They are just beautiful, i.e. the latest find:

This house would be perfect for our family, although at 5 bedrooms and 3 baths I think that is a little small. However, it has a home office, a 2 car shop garage, a sports court, a play house, RV parking, and the extra height garage. It is on almost an acre (also a little small), but with all the amenities, it would be perfect. Now if I could only convince my husband of that. Soon.....I have a feeling it will be soon.

Varsity?

Well as of today it looks like Jake will be playing Varsity Lacrosse this year. The first game is Friday, March 5, at 7 pm versus Foothill. It will be at Foothill for anyone that wants to come out and watch. We will see what this year holds for the lacrosse team. They have a new coach that is fairly young but has some great experience. They only have a handful of returning players, however, many of the boys have played club lacrosse in the area before trying out for the Falcons. I guess I shouldn't say boys, there is no womens lacrosse team so there are 3-4 girls on the team as well. Jake's jersey will be #5 this year.

Disappointment

It is hard to say I am disappointed, but this time I can say it. I am disappointed in the choices that some people make. Am I angry at the choices? NO! I am extremely disappointed. However, sometimes people need to try something before they realize that they made a mistake. Bad choices are a part of life and I can't be angry at that. I have made bad choices in my life, everyone does, but it is how you correct yourself (or if you correct yourself) that makes the difference. I can't and I won't step in to stop the bad choices and the inevitable downward spiral, but I have and always will be the person that carries a rope.

It is funny to see how bad choices do spiral downward and never lead to positive things. You make one bad choice and it turns in to ten more bad choices and before you realize it you have dug yourself a deep hole and your stuck at the bottom with nothing to help get you out. When you finally realize that your so far down, it may feel impossible, but it will be time to make the correct choices. Those good choices and only those choices will get you out of that hole. Because one of those choices will be the rope that helps you up.

Christmas Cards

I found this article on Mormon Times today: http://www.mormontimes.com/mormon_voices/tiffany_gee_lewis/?id=12415

For some reason this is so true. Our Christmas cards went out late this year (or will go out late, probably tomorrow..fingers crossed). But for those of you who sent us your christmas cards and letters, we really enjoy reading about your families.

Happy 2010!

Happy 2010!

A new year is upon us. Really it only seems like a few months ago it was January 2009. Oh how the time flies. I have done random posts throughout the year about some of the kids if not all of the kids, but I will post an update for those who do not keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Jake just turned 15 in December and is already shopping for the car he wants and has memorized the driver handbook. He has already asked me to make his appointment at DMV for his permit (I should remember to add this to my things to do list). He was a starter on the freshman football team this year (Go Falcons!). Although I tried to convince him to play freshman soccer he decided that it was better to take a break this quarter to concentrate on the Sheriff’s Explorer program. He will be playing lacrosse in the spring though, and it looks like on the varsity team, woo hoo! The cadets are headed to Chandler, Arizona next week to compete at the 2010 Tactical Explorer Competition they will compete in such things as Tubular Assault, SWAT Fitness Challenge, Marijuana Field Raid, Tubular Assault, Active Shooter and more. Jake is really looking forward to being able to compete. Since we are not going with him, I will try and keep everyone posted with the results on Facebook and here on the blog. That is as long as he calls his mom and tells me.

Jared turned 14 in November and is looking forward to summer getting here so he can play more video games. I believe I blogged about why it was that I buy this child $60 games for him to finish them in a day or two. Out of all the gaming consoles he loves the XBOX 360 the most. It gives him the opportunity to play with people all over the world as well as his friends next door or down the street without being in the same room with each other. There have been many vacation days where I have gotten up at 1 or 2 in the morning and he is playing video games with people in Japan or Australia. They do not speak English, so this is a good opportunity for him to learn a number of new languages. He is talking about playing football in September when he is a freshman. But spring weights start early in the morning and he is not a morning person, so we will see how he likes the early morning hours.

Jordan turned 9 in September and is growing like a weed. Some days I wonder how long it is gonna take before all the kids are taller than me (2 of them are already). Jordan loves being a Webelos scout, but still enjoyed hanging out with the older Boy Scouts this summer on vacation. He can’t wait to move up to Boy Scouts. He also loves to play video games with Jared, but he will skip doing his homework to play so we had to put a stop to that. He loves to make things up and creates imaginative stories to tell.

Jessica will be 4 in February. She is a lot different than the boys were at her age. She is brilliant and makes us laugh all the time. She spends a lot of time with her brothers so she has a huge vocabulary and has learned not only to use the internet on the computer to get to her games on Playhouse Disney, but how to watch movies on both the computer and her brothers laptop with no help. She surprised me the other day when she gave me directions to the Baskin Robbins in town. I had asked her if she wanted some pink ice cream and of course her answer was yes (pink is her favorite color). I was talking to Dane about what I needed to get from the store and she interrupted to tell me that she wanted her ice cream from the store next to the McDonalds. When I asked her which store that was she told me to go to the McDonalds and make a left, it’s the store right there, it has the candy in it. Of course, she was right. Dane and I both started laughing. She is the princess of the house of course and the boys love her and spoil her, sometimes rotten.

2009 was a good year, but I expect 2010 to be an even better one!