Dear Family and Friends,
We decided to save some paper this year, and send you all here to read about our year. Kirsten is a little bit old fashioned, and isn't sold on the idea - so you'll have to leave a comment and let us know what you think!
Here are some highlights of what we've been up to - you can read our old posts if you want to read more and see some pictures!
Dave just finished his first year at the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. He spent the first three months at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) as an intern and works with them as a DARPA transition officer at the lab. Dave is thankful for a great wife / mother / teacher / friend in Kirsten. He's also thankful for four kids that don't need diapers. Finally, he's thankful for over 12 years of unconditional love from two furry friends.
Kirsten kept busy much of the year with homeschooling the children. When she wasn't teaching them, she was driving them to soccer, baseball, basketball, AWANA, ballet, gymnastics, piano, and to their friends' houses. She still found time to meet up with her running buddies on the weekends, and logged a few miles. She made Dave join her for the Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in August ... that's not the best time of year to run in Virginia Beach! She and the kids joined a homeschool co-op at our church this school year, and they are really enjoying it. She has enjoyed being close to her family and being able to visit with them regularly.
Erica turned 11 this year and is in 6th grade. She played basketball in the winter, but her true love is still soccer! She started piano lessons this year and is enjoying it - she hopes to add voice lessons sometime next year. She loves her cell phone, her friends, and is quite interested in the latest fashions! She reached quite a milestone this year - she is now taller than her Nana! At 5'2", she's taller than most of the women in Dave's family.
Grady is 8 and in the 3rd grade. He loves playing basketball and baseball, and was able to do both this year. He is a Lego fanatic, and is quite imaginative when he's creating things. He decided this fall that he wanted to grow his hair out, much to his father's dismay. He has no interest in playing the piano, or even the guitar - he would really like to play the drums. Dave will have to soundproof the basement before that can happen!
Liam is 5 and in kindergarten. He tried tee-ball in the spring, but was eager to pick up soccer again in the fall. He loved playing soccer, but would also like a chance to play football. He has become a football fanatic, and is a big fan of the Hokies. Dave took him to his first Hokie football game in September, and he loved it! He is learning to read, and is eager to write. He still loves to draw and makes many pictures each day - all of which have to be saved in his special bag.
Jenna is 3 and
thinks she's in kindergarten. She is eager to be big like the other kids, but her mom and dad would like her to stay little! She started ballet this year, and is so cute to watch. She also started Cubbies at church, and we have discovered that she's a perfectionist - she gets upset if she struggles with learning a verse. She loves playing with Polly Pockets and Barbie dolls, and is hoping she'll get an American Girl Doll for Christmas.
Kadie and BJ, our first "babies", both passed away this year. They were great dogs, and we miss them a lot! The kids are hoping that we'll get a puppy sometime in 2009 ... we'll see what happens.
As we end 2008, we are thankful for all that we have been blessed with! We are thankful for our friends and family, for good health, for food and shelter. But most of all, we're thankful for the reason we celebrate Christmas - the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We hope that you have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy 2009!
With Love,
Dave, Kirsten, Erica, Grady, Liam, and Jenna
Jenna and her Mimi
Posing with the girls in her class
Letting me take her picture before the recital started
The kids finally wore us down ... we have a puppy! Here are some pictures of the new addition to our family - Brinley. The kids were really missing Kadie and BJ, and are thrilled to have Brinley around! Dave and I think she's pretty great, too.:-) She is a chocolate lab with a white spot on her chest, just like BJ - and her birthday is the day before Kadie's ... we think she was made just for us. So far she is a great dog - she does well in her crate, does well going to the bathroom outside, and loves playing with the kids. We think she sure is cute!!
Do you remember this picture of Grady from last spring? Unfortunately, this is what he has looked like every spring since he was a toddler. After many years of trying different medications that didn't work, we FINALLY got a referral to see an allergist. The news isn't good - it seems he's allergic to Virginia! Every tree, grass, and weed that live here caused a reaction in him. He didn't really do any better in N.C., FL, or CA, so it's not really fair to blame VA! There is some hope for him ... he'll be starting allergy shots next month, and we're hoping that it may even help this spring. We are praying that this is the last picture we ever take of him looking like this!
Santa and Mrs. Claus
On Saturday, we had to say good-bye to Kadie. Her health had been failing for a while, but by the end of last week, she was really starting to struggle. It has been tough to lose both of our beloved pups in such a short amount of time, but the kids are handling it well. Of course, they do keep begging us to get a puppy.:-) It will be a few months, but I'm sure we'll venture down that road again - we had so much fun with Kadie and BJ , we can't imagine not having a dog again. For now, we'll just enjoy our sweet memories - and be thankful for the (almost) 13 years we had with Kadie. We miss that girl!
These are pictures from Liam's last soccer game this fall. He had a great season. He learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Click on the video below to see him in action.
Liam REALLY wanted to be a Hokie football player, but we couldn't find a helmet anywhere - except the real ones that cost $200. His next plan was to be a Patriots football player, but that didn't work out either. When people asked if he was a Redskins fan, he let them know that he liked the Hokies and Patriots better.:-)
I'm a few weeks behind and many pictures short, but it's the thought that counts, right?! We went to Massachusetts earlier this month to help my aunt and uncle celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing family that we hadn't seen since we were up there the last time - nearly 6 years ago! My parents are both from there originally, so most of my extended family is there. We had a great time reuniting with aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, second cousins ... you get the idea! Unfortunately, we were so busy visiting with everyone that I only took a few pictures. These are a few that we took when we visited Patriot Place with my parents. The kids enjoyed hanging out there, and Liam has decided that he wants to play for the Patriots when his career with the Hokies is over. In addition to visiting with extended family, we had a chance to hang out with my parents more than usual. The kids really enjoyed having sleepovers in Mimi and Papa's hotel room! We hope to go up there again sometime - 6 years was too long to go between visits.
