New Years Letter

I had a great many ideas of what I wanted to get done this Christmas season. One of which was to get a Christmas photo taken and sent out to EVERYONE so that they can take the photo that we sent them the year after we were married and replace it with one that has 7 more people in it, our little people, the reason that we are loving getting up in the morning, the reason for the post, and the reason that I've been studying a bunch before I speak. Trying to make sure that what I say to them is ACCURATE and not just something that I've heard someone else say...

We've had a WONDERFUL year and it went as follows (in short):

Added Vance to our family in April

Celebrated and hosted my Grandparents 60th wedding anniversary

Went to a Civil War game with my Dad

Many Birthdays

Made it a whole year in our new home and we are loving it

Finished and started another year of homeschooling 4 (averaging) little ones

added a regular date night (which was probably the best thing we could have done for our relationship)

Added a regular Kids Day to our routine (which consists of Nate getting off early from work, 2pm or so, and we do whatever the kids came up with that morning to do as a family. Whether it be ride the MAX train in to Portland and have 'roach coach' for dinner, or go bowling, or like tonight it's going to Costco and getting hot dogs and fireworks. Then coming home to roast marshmallows in the fire outside that the kids spent all afternoon putting together (burning the completed lessons out of the school books), and then coming in for hot cocoa and part of a movie before bed... the options are endless.)

Scrapbooking

Bible studies

hosting a few friends here and there

Photography classes

block parties

Christmas parties

Picking fruit

Canning veggies (or watching my sister can veggies and trying to look busy:)

church camp

photography for weddings

A 'new' business and getting that off and running, hiring, growing, getting processes in place, working on software to make things 'easier' and faster and BETTER!! It's been a FUN and tiring year. We both agree that we like that we both enjoy what we do each day (well, most of what we do every day, there is that 5% that keeps us on our knees...okay 10% perhaps *wink*)

I know I've left soooo much out but it's just been a FULL year of so many fun and new adventures. We are EXCITED to see what God has for us this coming year. YES, we already have our New Years resolutions set in motion!!!

Love to you all

~Robyn (for the fam.)