Zechariah has concurred all the first year skills and abilities complete with walking, molars and babbling up a storm. He says a few words: Mom, Daddy, Bubbles, Please, More, hold me and EAT! (Eating being a favorite pastime of his.) He tags along with big sis just about wherever she goes and looks forward to every Thursday night when he gets to hang out with Ommie and Papa. IN July we celebrated his first birthday a little early while camping Spicer with the cousins and grandparents, and then again at home in the backyard’s new kiddy pool. Hannah turned 2 this year and is talking up a storm. Brandon and I are continually amazed at her quick wit and chuckle at every cute thing she has to say. She is in love with Caillou, Lion King and anything Princess and dances along with any music she hears. Both kids started spending the day with their adopted mommy Sam, a dear friend from church, to play with their home care friends Ashelen, Luke and Christian while Brandon concentrates in youth ministry. Sam caters to their every whim, teaches them foundational values such as prayer and manners, all while building skills in their ABC‘s and 123‘s through craft and song. Every Tuesday they enjoy story time at the Library and on an occasional week or two the Farm where Hannah is thrilled to feed the He-Haws (horses.) The Lake’s are in love with Sam and cannot remember how life functioned before her!
Brandon has enjoyed being kid free during the day and has filled his time with morning workouts at the gym with Pastor Paul and hospital visits. God continues to humble him with youth every Thursday night and they have enjoyed many events including, 30 hours of famine, Valentine’s Mystery Dinner, concerts, concerts and more concerts, Acquire the Fire, National Conference in Ohio, August camp out at Spicer, Great America, Fall kick-off at Zap Zone, local mission works and did I mention concerts? He has been very busy! Recently the church not only decided to give him a personal stipend for his efforts but an office as well.
This year I joined the worship team at church and lead the summer’s Vacation Bible School with a “High Seas” Adventure theme. In January I returned to college at National’s University where I obtained my single subject credential in Foundational Sciences I finished out the school year with Kindergarten promotion and resigned from my position at FBCS. Over the summer I accepted a position with LUSD at Mable Barron, teaching science and math courses to the 7th graders that I love. It has been a bit of a transition, but the M.B. staff has been so helpful and supportive as I got settled in. While becoming accustomed to Public School's rigorous expectations, I have also been accepted into the BTSA early Completion option and will complete both credentials before the end of the school year.
Thomas has been spending much of the year stuck in one book or another. That man can’t seem to help but read! He enjoyed some quality family time with daughter Sheila and Son Jason at Jason’s wedding in September. In June Thomas rented a houseboat where we all (Robbie Tiffer, Brandon and I) got to spend sun up to sun down fishing, reading, boating and gaming it up on a kid free weekend all while floating peacefully on the Delta.
As a family we enjoyed our favorite pass time traveling local vacations as often as possible. Over the March break we enjoyed a snowstorm at Lake Tahoe with mom and dad, Hiked the Longest Mile outside Valley Springs and visited cousin Richard and Family at HUME where Brandon helped build the set for their Western themed Summer camps. Over the summer the Lake’s headed to So-Cal to spend a week with Auntie Mags in San Diego where we played in the sun, swam in the ocean, enjoyed some yummy nights out and visited the S.D. Zoo and Crystal Cathedral on the way home. Over Labor Day weekend, we returned with Mom and Dad to the Tahoe Condo and then snuck away from the daily routine one October weekend for a short Santa Cruz outing where I crossed the Monarch Migration off from my bucket List.
We have had a wonderful change of the seasons and in October went to a pumpkin patch nearly every weekend and spent most of November in the leaves of our front yard. Just one week shy of the Thanksgiving Holiday we said goodbye to our beloved Grandma Char who went to be with the Lord after battling congestive heart failure and kidney disease for the past three years. Therefore Thanksgiving was a somber holiday yet wonderful family weekend complete with our annual Turkey Walk for the Hungry and Grandma's beautiful memorial service. Aunt Andrea and Uncle Kevin joined us for Thanksgiving and bonded with the kids again over the Christmas season.
We look forward to the 2012 year with thoughtful anticipation of Baby Lake #3 due April 5th. And we wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment