Sunday, December 22, 2013

2013 Christmas Newsletter

Greetings to your home from ours this Christmas season!
2013 was a great year in our home!

We were happy to have dh’s mom, “Grammy” visit us for many birthdays this year and appreciated her and the aunties taking care of the children overnight so we could get away for a night in Niagara Falls – our first night away without children in 9 years!

In April, my family celebrated her grandmother Nanny’s 92nd birthday, and in October had a big scare as Nanny spent almost a month in the hospital. Nanny is doing much better now and we are so thankful for God’s kindness towards us in letting us keep her with us longer!

In July we celebrated a big birthday milestone for my mother. Since there are so many grandchildren, the party welcoming her to her senior years was held at Lil' Monkeys Indoor Playground!

In August we traveled to Hershey, PA for dh’s cousin’s wedding. Our road trip included a stopover in Corning, NY, where we visited the Corning Museum of Glass. dd was delighted to dance with her “princess” cousin, bride "L." Of course we also took in the Hershey chocolate factory tour a couple of times and brought some goodies home!

We were also able to enjoy some time at my mom’s cottage in Cobourg, where the kids enjoyed riding their bikes, building sandcastles, and swimming in the lake.

I completed my first year as the Senior Librarian at the L... Library, and was a speaker at the Ontario Library Association’s SuperConference, the Ontario Christian Home Educator’s Conference, and the Halinet Mini-Conference – all on the topic of homeschoolers and the library.

Dh continued to work part-time at the Home Depot and be the primary caregiver at home. This year he learned how to replace several dryer components and commented that he is now “way too familiar with dryer guts and dryer psychoses.”

We made the decision to change our educational model from homeschool to the public school system, and ds1 (Grade 4) and ds2 (Grade 2) began classes at the local elementary school this Fall. Due to his ADHD and dysgraphia, adjustment took a bit longer for ds1, but ds2 excitedly embraced his new environment and learning opportunities. Ds1 has a great support system, with a Special Education Resource teacher, an Educational Assistant, and a laptop with assistive technology. We are so thankful for the support we have received from the school system as we made this transition.

This has also allowed dh to spend more time with dd (JK) and ds3 (pre-school), and our current plan is to keep them home until dd is in Grade 1 and ds3n in JK (September 2015).

Dd, ds2, and ds1 also participate in AWANA and swimming lessons. Ds3 is eagerly looking forward to when he’ll be old enough to join them.

We are thankful for God's blessings and provision for us this year. We look forward to catching up with you so please drop us a line!

From our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very blessed 2014!