So, I guess I should do some type of a newsletter this year. I have just been so busy and sick with a cough/cold I haven't had much time. Here it goes...
We have had an awesome year this year. We have become foster Certified and had baby T (in April/May). She was such a good baby. We had our hearts crushed when Kinship came forward and she had to go with them. We won't forget her and we were so thrilled to have her, even if it was for such a short time. Now we have a sibling group of 3. We got them in October. It has been one of the hardest things Wes and I have ever done, but we have learned so much that we wouldn't trade it for anything. These kids have changed so much for the better in their speech, their behavior, and every aspect of their lives. R has learned how to communicate better when he is upset, he has learned to read better and is doing better with his numbers, and he loves to eat! :) M has come the farthest. He was a holy terror when we first got him. Even though he has a ways to go with sharing and not getting so upset about little things, he has learned how to control his emotions, is learning how to use the toilet, is so much happier, and loves going to Preschool on the bus. A is becoming more engaged and becoming more aware of her surroundings. She is talking more and more each day, and she is leaps and bounds above what she was when we first got her. I think in a few months she will be ready to be potty trained. She has developed such an attitude lately, typical of a 2 year old. She has these big brown eyes and cute dimples. Our foster kids are some of the cutest little Hispanic kids ever and we just feel blessed to be able to have them in our home. We will probably have them until the spring, or until their mom can start their trial home placement. We will have to see if their mom minds her P's and Q's.
We have traveled a lot this year. In March we went to San Diego and went to Sea World, Lego land, and the beach. We had a blast touring San Diego and excited to hopefully go to Disneyland next year. In July Wes and I went to Hawaii for our 10 year. It was awesome to get away and show Wes the areas I had already been when I was 17. We went to the Temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center, some awesome places to eat, we stayed at Turtle Bay, surfed, walked on the beach hand and hand, went to Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, the swap meet, etc. (It was a vacation we will never forget).
We also went to Idaho this year a few times. With my parents we went to the Ranch and had a great time in the cabin and hiking around. We also went to my Dad's side of the families family Reunion. It was really fun to be up in the woods in these cool cabins. With Wes's parents we went horseback riding on their horses. That was really fun for the kids to be able to ride a horse for the first time. We also went boating and our boys smoked it up on the knee boards. We have been riding our four wheelers around a lot this year. Ethan is saving up to start riding the little quad this next year. I can't believe our kids are growing up so fast! We love to be able to get out and experience new things, especially for our kids. Making memories is what it is all about. Right?
Wes has been really busy at work this year. He just landed a new contract with a company that he has been wanting to be with for a while. He's excited, but feels a lot of pressure to impress them, so they will want to send more work his way. He is such a great Dad and if it weren't for him we wouldn't be able to do foster care. It's also nice that he works from home. He loves to spend time with each of the kids and brings so much to our family. Wes has also kept busy being the ward mission leader. He is so dedicated to go to those 6:30 morning meetings.
I (Becky) have still been busy teaching preschool and enjoying it so much. It's fun to have new kids each year and some returning ones. It is so rewarding to be a mom and a teacher, just to see the results slowly over time of the hard work I put into it. I am the Young Women's secretary and Personal Progress Leader. I love the girls and learned a lot from them. I have also worked a lot on my blog ziggyfoods.blogspot.com. I don't have much time to work on it now, but it was fun when I had the time.
Byron is nine now! Crazy. He is so fun to be with. He laughs a lot and is continuing to love hanging out with adults. He has a lot of friends and loves school. Byron has a witty personality. He still draws a ton every day and I just love to see the new things he comes up with. He is thriving in school and loves to read. Byron played soccer and football this year. He also did Karate. He has decided to take a break for a while. He will probably play soccer in the spring.
Ethan turned seven this year. He is still joking and being silly a lot. He adds so much humor to our family. He loves his video games and did really well in soccer this year. He is reading up a storm and reads way above his grade level. He has loved having a foster brother his same age and will miss him a ton when he leaves. His new thing is right when he gets home from school he changes into his "comfy" clothes. He is so my son.
Lilly is four now. She is a little lady and we have enjoyed spending a lot of alone time together while our foster kids go to their birth mom visits every week. (I try to trade off with each of our biological kids. They love the one on one dates). Lilly started dance this year. She just had a Christmas performance and Lilly did so well! I was so proud of our little girl. I also think that it is cool she is taking clogging. I took clogging when I was in third grade and loved it. Lilly is starting to read and is just so clever.
Can you tell I love my kids and like to brag about them? Ha ha.
We have had such an eventful year and are looking forward to what next year brings us. Life is so unpredictable and we are learning so much from our experiences. We know we can't do anything without the savior. We appreciate the comfort and guidance we get from Heavenly Father through our trials. Life is about strengthening our character, endurance, and our testimonies. We love all of you and are so blessed to have such great friends and family.
Happy New Year!
Wes, Becky,
Byron, Ethan, Lilly
& our foster kids R, M, and A.
