Catching Up

I am still here. We are all still alive. I have just allowed the hectic lives we seem to lead pull my attention away from this blog!

I guess this post will be a simple catch up post. A lot has changed in the past year after all.

Things that have been going on for me in the past year.

• I got a promotion at work.
• I learned how to do a whole new job on top of what I already took care of.
• I was very involved with Head Start program in Stanley.
• I became an active board member for the Stanley Commercial Club. I love it!
• My craft business has been growing and doing really well. I am excited to see how much more I can do with it!
• I have made new friends.
• I have strengthened friendships that I value.
• I got my fish tank back.
• I became known as the Fish Hitler by my husband because of how many fish have died on my watch.
• (We have  terrible water for fish-keeping here, so it is a whole new learning process. Give me a break!)
• I got my sewing machine(s) back!
• I became an Auntie again!
• I got news  that I am going to be an Auntie again this June!
• I became a homeschooling Mom, though it is not really official just yet.
• I am now a work-from-home, homeschooling, business-owning Mom. It is daunting.

Things that have been going on for Larabee in the past year.

• He has worked a crap ton of hours per week every week that he has not taken vacation. A crap ton. That is a lot, by the way.
• He has been given more responsibilities at work and is now a Foreman.
• He went fishing every chance he could this summer. We ate lots of yummy meals thanks to his love/obsession with fishing.
• He started taking the boys with him when he goes fishing. Both boys. Without my help. He is a superhero in my book!
• I did go one time and it was fun, but I personally think we need a bigger boat!
• He got himself back into the dog business. This time it is a bird dog and not a hound, but he is happy to be involved in a dog sport again. Penny is a Brittany Spaniel and she is just a great dog all around!

Things that have been going on for Kyle this year.

• He went to Head Start 4 full days per week until the Minot head office closed down the program in Stanley.
• He went to daycare a bit and while he liked it, I was unimpressed with the things he picked up in that environment. We pretty much decided daycare was not for us.
• He learned how to swim entirely on his own with no floatation devices.
• He got a bigger bike and is a total hot-shot on it.
• He started Wee Care, a local preschool program.
• He made the decision to stop going to Wee Care and to start homeschooling.
• He learned how to read. Or, is in the process at the very least. He is doing really well and is a self-starter who never wants to stop doing schoolwork. I wonder where he gets that?

Things that have been going on for Kaleb this year.

• He mastered dressing himself, even his socks!
• He became a big boy...aka, became potty trained. That happened December of 2011, but it still counts.
• He got a big-boy bike and learned how to pedal it like a pro.
• He learned his colors, his ABC's, and how to count.
• He learned that he loves to draw and color.
• He went to daycare while Kyle was in Wee Care. He was the victim of a 'biter', and we were not that impressed. Again, daycare is not really for us.

Things that have been going on for our whole family this year.

• We made the decision to add another little one to our family. We were originally going to try to conceive baby #3 in January, but we were unsure of what our futures held and decided to wait a bit. We held off until June and conceived in July!
• We made the decision to stay in North Dakota for the semi-long-term.
• We bought a home in North Dakota. Well, we bought it in Minnesota and moved it to North Dakota. It got here in June and we love the extra space!
• We traveled home to button things up and put our home on the market. Going home solidified our decision to stick it out in North Dakota for a while. We spent two great and busy weeks at home and enjoyed ourselves a ton.
• We conceded that 'home' is now more North Dakota than it is Idaho. At least for now.
• We built a shed and a fence and skirted our new home. We worked sun up to sun down for months to get everything done before winter.
• We found out that we are having a baby GIRL!
• We freaked out when we found out we were having a baby girl!
• We are so excited that we are having a baby girl!
• We had a 'gender reveal' at the boys' birthday party. The boys and everyone else were shocked that baby #3 is a girl, though Kyle will tell you he knew all along.
• We got to celebrate Christmas in our new home. Our first 'real' Christmas ever, complete with a tree and an elf that visited the boys for the month of December.

I am probably forgetting more than I wrote. I guess that happens when you never update your blog. I am trying to be better. Honest.