2011, in a nutshell

I haven't blogged since January.  How is that possible? I've written a ton of blog posts in my head, yet somehow none of them made it on here.  In as short of a post as possible, here is what our family has been up to this year:
~January through May, most of my free time was spent working on wedding plans for my sweet sister-in-law.  I absolutely love weddings and all things related to them, and since Amanda and Eddie had a very short engagement, they needed all the help they could find.  Lucky me!  They were so sweet to let me help, and I loved every minute of it.  The wedding was beautiful, and we were all blessed to have Eddie's mom attend.  The picture of him "dancing" with her in her wheelchair will forever be ingrained in my mind and to this day brings tears to my eyes.  She was a wonderful woman!
~Summer:  Scott landed a summer job with Navistar, so we enjoyed the extra income but missed him greatly!  The kids were so good about letting me rest most afternoons, but it was still a struggle to keep up with them. They both played baseball for the first time and loved it!  They learned so much, and it was great to see them improve throughout the season.  We also spent lots of time at the lake with our family, and (drumroll please...) Katie learned to ski!!  Katie is not known for being adventurous, so this took us completely by surprise!  She decided to try it one day, out of the blue, and just loves it!  She is pretty good at balancing and adjusting, actually, which really isn't something that can be taught.  Ryan gave it a try, too, but his little legs just aren't strong enough yet.  Maybe next year!  They both enjoyed tubing as well, though no one has fallen out yet...I wonder how they will react to that??  I started a new supplement called zija mid-summer, and it has helped me so much!  I still can't do everything I did before I became ill, but I'm content with what my body will allow me to do most days (up until last week, but that's another story!)

I thought the fall would be a little slower paced for us, but so far that isn't the case!  Scott is taking two classes and working part-time for another company.  He's plenty busy, but we love that he is home early enough in the evening to spend some time with me and the kids.  School started super early for the kids this year, and they are already at the end of the first quarter.  Third grade has been a bit rough for Katie, as she as more homework this year and she struggles with keeping organized and getting things done in a timely manner.  Her teacher, however, is excellent and I know Katie will learn so much from her!  Her teacher literally is an answer to prayer: sweet and fun, yet firm when needed and won't let Katie slack...the perfect balance, really!  I hope Ryan has her in a few years!  Ryan's teacher is great as well!  Even though she is near retirement age, she is still writing grants for projects and extra experiences for her class and she's big into science...perfect for Ry!  We are hoping she will really challenge him, as he is really excelling in school...to the point where we are giving him projects at home to keep him occupied while Katie does her homework!  Ryan took tennis lessons this fall, too, which he really enjoyed (except for the week he took a line-drive to the eye!).  Basketball started this week, so we are taking a break from tennis, but I can see him going back to it in the spring.  He often tries to hit to ball like a pro (big swing, lots of spin!), but it doesn't quite work out for him.  We keep telling him, "You've got to learn the basics first, mister!"  Katie is trying ballet again after a two-year break. So far, she likes it!  This week, it may be a challenge, as her arm is in a cast.  She fell off her bike last week and has a buckle fracture.  She is in a but of pain, but is handling it like a trooper.  I think she is enjoying the extra attention, especially from our Trinidad friends who are staying with us!  Many years ago, my brother and I went with part of our church youth group to Trinidad on a missions trip.  It was my first international missions trip, and I have so many wonderful memories from that trip, so when I found out that a steel pan band from Trinidad was coming here (several of the members we met back then), Scott and I wanted to house part of the group.  We have been so blessed having them stay with us!  Hopefully, it won't be another 16 years before we see them again!
My brain is feeling a bit foggy and I'm wondering if I'm even making any sense at this point, so I think I will close this post now.  Perhaps I won't let so many months go by before I write again?!
Blessings,
Karin