Sending Christmas Kisses

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Christmas 2007 Family update

David and Janalee- Busy, tired parents to five wonderful kids.

David was recently put in as Bishop of our ward, which is basically like the priest or preacher for those of you who are not LDS. It is an unpaid call of service, but our family recieves many blessings for the hours he spends away from home. He is still enjoying work and has begun some new adventures there and he also found the time to coach Tanner's soccer team and Jake's little league team this year. Busy, busy guy, but wonderful husband and father.

Janalee tries to keep up with everyone and everything that needs to be done, but mostly chases the very busy and mischievous Maya around all day. In her spare time--ha ha what's that? she loves to scrapbook and she started up a new adventure selling the fabulous lia sophia jewelry line which is off to a great start. Her favorite thing is to sit on the couch when the kids are in bed and enjoy the silence!

Spencer- Sophomore in high school, involved in student government, great student, responsible teenager, gets up to go to early morning seminary (starts at 6:30 am) everyday without complaining at all, great kid.

Tanner- 8th grade, soccer fanatic, hard working student, still the best story teller around when he's in trouble, involved in scouting, plays piano, great athlete, great kid, recently ran the mile in under 6 minutes, ran 23 miles one day at school for a special project, and just got his top braces off a couple days ago!

Matthew- 6th grade, straight A student, best Maya sitter around, baseball all star, plays piano, tolerates Jake better each day, loves soccer, learning to ride a unicycle, always happy, loves to please his mom, good friend, great kid!

Jake- 2nd grade, youngest boy, great reader and speller, LOVES math, started piano lessons this year, loves soccer and baseball, and basketball, and dodge ball, and tether ball...anything with a ball, is doing much better with Maya and his place in the family, loves to help Maya a little too much, awesome kid!

Maya- almost 2 (Dec. 24th), all girl in pink with a matchbox car in one hand and a doll in the other, thinks she is Queen, sweet, sassy, stinkin cute, LOUD, busy, busy, busy, loves to go to the church nursery class, loves her brothers, has her dad wrapped around her pinky very tightly, mom's little side kick.

That is us in a nutshell, life is crazy busy but for the most part fun.

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2008. May it be full of referrals and travel dates for all of our adoption friends, and full of health and happiness for all of us.

Tahoe, Thanksgiving, and TERRIBLE TWO'S!!!

I am going to try to be better about posting, it seems there are not enough hours in my day anymore, especially when I spend most of the day chasing, cleaning up after, or playing with Maya!


So, Thanksgiving found us once again at beautiful Lake Tahoe. This time is was not just our little family, but with a big group of great people. The boys were in their element being outside in the freezing cold skateboarding or inside with Nintendo or Guitar Hero to keep them busy. Maya loved all the attention (suprised?) and quickly learned to wrap everyone around her pinky finger to give her what she wanted, if it wasn't her cute little please with a big smile, it was her head hanging down after she was told no that got everyone...not her momma though, I am used to her manipulation skills!



Spencer celebrated his 15th birthday not long after Thanksgiving. I look at him and can still remember holding him for the first time! It seems quite impossible that I have a fifteen YO.





So far we are sailing through his dreaded teenage years without much of a problem. He is a huge help to me and only occasionally rolls his eyes and thinks outloud that he has the meanest mom in the world. He puts up with a lot, rolls with the punches, gets awesome grades at school, and is for the most part very dependable. I remember telling him when he was just a newborn that we would be figuring this mom/son thing out together, and boy was I right! With each new phase of life we go through, I figure it out with Spencer. I try new things and some work and others fail miserably! But through it all he is patient as can be with me, and we get through it together.
Love you Spence!


And at last a Maya update....





Much to my dismay, the terrible two's are here to stay for awhile. I have been told by several who see this child in action that her activity level is a good thing, that I would not want her to sit still for too long because an active, energetic, curious child is a smart child. While I agree with you all, I have one question. Can you babysit?