We were able to take a few memorable trips this year. In Feb., Eric and I visited my sister Amy, her fiance Brian and their new baby Stefan in Seattle. It is such a cool city and we had a wonderful time with them. Then we began our tour of the East Coast beaches...in April, we enjoyed a relaxing, special week long trip to Edisto Beach, SC for Spring Break. The last time I'd been to the beach for a full week was college Spring Break--needless to say, this was a drastically different experience! We also took short trips to Seabrook Island--a favorite spot, Holden Beach and Springmaid Beach. We went back to Indiana for a week in July because I was missing my sweet family too much! It was great to spend time with them and see my old friends Julie and Tiffany. Another memorable experience was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of both Rylie and Madelyn to see Taylor Swift. When the rainy November day finally came, I think I was more excited than they were and she was awesome!
Rylie is 8 1/2 and in the 3rd grade. She took gymnastics this year and loved it, often sneaking in handstand and back walkover practice in the living room when she thought no one was looking. The school pace is picking up, sometimes with three tests on the same day, but she's doing great. Early this school year, she experienced the same shock many of us have felt when receiving a less than stellar test score. Let's hope the math lesson in how many subsequent As and Bs it takes to recover from an F sticks with her! Inspired by my sister Amy, Rylie and I took a knitting class this Spring; we both really liked it. She spread the love by teaching her friend Emma (they have been seen knitting on the TOP of the monkey bars in the backyard, yarn hanging down to the ground); I've even sold a few of my wares to some friends.
Madelyn will be 6 at the end of this month and made a fairly smooth transition into Kindergarten this year after she learned the behavior expectations of the classroom, bus line and bus. For the first 1 1/2 weeks we got notes, emails or calls almost every day about her! Moving on, it has been so encouraging to see how her reading and writing skills have developed. We are constantly finding little scraps of paper throughout the house with random words written on them as she practices. She has her daddy's drawing talent, too. After getting a kidney infection in Aug., Madelyn was diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux this Fall so she's experienced multiple imaging scans, trips to the pediatric urologist and an outpatient surgery to correct the problem. We have a follow up appointment at the beginning of the year to ensure the procedure worked as expected. Please keep her in your prayers.
Kai is a cuddly, talkative and inquisitive 3 year old who keeps us laughing. It is a wonder that we were concerned last year that his language skills might not be developing on track because he talks non-stop now! He is the consummate man's man, loving to hang with the guys and literally jumping into male acquaintances' arms. Yet, he can charm the ladies with his humor, charismatic smile and acts of kindness. He often kisses me on the cheek out of the blue, brings me a Pepsi from the refrigerator (so that he can justify a juice box?) and sings his bedtime songs with me. Recently when telling him we were going to see his "girlfriend", a neighbor girl his age, he questioned, "Which one?"
Eric is still passionate about deer hunting, sadly coming up short thus far this season but maiming two deer who are probably walking around with an arrow in their side and a permanent limp. I still try to remain active with regular tennis matches, trying not to maim myself or anyone in the process.
In a few days, we are heading to Indiana for Christmas. We are so excited to get all the boys in the family together (great-nephews Gunner and Kaiden, cousin Gannon, nephew Stefan and Kai). We are historically a family of girls so "the times they are a-changin'". We will greatly miss our nephew Erik and our niece's husband Justin who are both serving in Afghanistan.
Book recommendations:
- 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers
- The Immoral Life of Henrietta Lacks
- Prodigal Summer
- Half-Broke Horses
Love Always,
Eric, April, Rylie, Madelyn and Kai
