Let's pretend there wasn't a 7-month gap in entries, mkay?

So I decided that maintaining a blog was pretty pointless since there are so few people who read it, and I gave up updating it last July.  But this week, I was going back through entries in my old blog in search of details about Sofie's adoption day in 2005, and I got sucked in and blubbered my way through the posts and photos.  I felt so guilty over the giant hole I left in this one!  I decided then and there that even if only a handful of people read this blog, I need to keep at it because it serves as a journal for me.

So, where to begin?

Teffy is graduating from Job Corps on March 27th.  She has earned her high school diploma and has completed her trade requirements in culinary arts.  She and Zoe will be sharing an apartment in Billings (which I just found yesterday and applied for today - cross your fingers!)

Joshua has just 7 months left on his mission, as of Friday.  He was made an assistant to the president about a month ago, so he's been adjusting to a new companion, and a whole new set of responsibilities. He felt overwhelmed at first, but I think he's settling in and feeling more confident.  He misses being able to teach a lot more, but he's gaining experience with helping to train and counsel other missionaries.  Last week he spoke at 3 different zone conferences!  Oh, and he gets to drive the 12-passenger van around on transfer days or when they have meetings or exchanges.  There's no elder more qualified to drive a van like that than Joshua!  :oD

Zoe is about halfway through her cosmetology program and finishes in October.  She's planning to go to Southern Virginia University after that, but is actually giving some thought to serving a full-time mission for our church.  (Cross your toes!)  Her school program is 40 hours per week which leaves little time for working, but she has done some seasonal work and has a job interview at a steak house (ack!) tomorrow.  (Cross your, um, eyes?)

Ethan is doing well but has been sick with bronchitis for about two weeks.  He's taking his driver's license test on Friday and will be going on Chorale tour to North Dakota in two weeks.

Jonah just got back from basketball divisionals in Billings (he plays the drums in band/pep band) and is going on both Chorale tour (to play drums) and Eastern A band festival in two weeks.  He'll be gone the entire week!  He just got his license last week, and I am SO enjoying having another driver to help with shuttling the kids around.  We have to pay through the nose to have so many teen drivers, but oh, it is nice.

Loundia also just got back from basketball divisionals (dance team) and Key Club convention in Billings, and she's leaving again tomorrow for State in Great Falls.  She's starting driver's ed on the 18th.  Crazy!

Lily is also starting driver's ed on the 18th, which is just insane.  She made the cutoff by only 3 days, and she is so excited!  We're working on trying to get one of her interpreters to be present for the early morning classes because it will be awfully hard for her to pass without that help.

Maizie is working hard in gymnastics.  She and Sofie go 6 hours a week and have many meets.  Maizie placed first in the all-arounds for her level 3 age group at their last meet in Helena, and also came in 3rd in beam, bars, and floor.

Sofie placed 9th at the last meet, but it was still an accomplishment because there were a lot of girls!  She is my most voracious reader and when she's not at gymnastics, she always has her head in a book.

Thalia is doing SO well.  She loves dance and gymnastics.  She's making great strides in school, but her childhood apraxia of speech really gets in the way of her communication.  It's frustrating for her.  She uses about 40 words, but maybe 150 signs.  I did almost all of my continuing ed hours for last year on CAS, and have ordered CAS textbooks and materials so I can completely immerse myself in it.  She's the most challenging child (in terms of her apraxia) that I've ever treated, but I'm determined that she's not going to get stuck!

Cora is also doing really well in school.  She was falling behind last year, but now that she has better accommodations in place for her low vision, she's really taking off.  She is a great reader and speller now, and last year we were worried that she would always struggle.

Jackson excels at school, sports, dance and music.  Honestly, there's nothing that kid doesn't rock.  But I've also gotten a couple of phone calls this year about skirmishes at school.  ;)  Yin and yang, I guess.  He starts soccer in a couple of weeks, and I think that will help him meet some activity needs.  Baseball starts shortly thereafter.

Beck enjoys school and has a lot of great friends.  His best friend is a sweet girl named Robin, and we all chuckle over their relationship because they couldn't be more different.  She's this little ranch girl with horses and cattle and sheep, and he's this hip hop dancing black kid from Ethiopia, who at the moment is rocking a giant afro.  I love it!

My sweet, hardworking hubby is still working on getting our Billings office up and going, along with my brother-in-law.  They both work tireless to make the practice successful to help take care of their families and church responsibilities.  Curtis is the ward mission leader, and he is nothing less than ON FIRE right now with missionary work!  He meets with our four elders at least once a week (often 2-3 times) and they have set some lofty goals and made some amazing plans.  I love seeing him so excited about his calling.  Our family has been focusing on two particular families that we're trying to share the gospel with, so it's been a positive thing for all of us.

I'm just cruising along doing my usual thing.  Although my feminist-leaning 15-year-old self would probably cringe at the thought of me spending most of my day in the kitchen, doing laundry, helping with homework and getting kids to their activities, I'm really pretty darned satisfied with my life.  I have plenty of time to do the things I love, like work out/run, read, bake, etc.  Curtis and I go out on a date every week, and we have a fun 4-day trip coming up.  I am truly blessed.

Here are a few pictures from the beginning of the year to the present.

Thalia's 9th birthday.  NINE?!

Loundia's 15th birthday! 

Maizie - floor routine, Helena meet

Sofie, floor routine - Helena meet

Maizie - first place, Sofie - ninth place

Joshua (second from right) and some of his buddies at a zone conference.  The tall one is his old companion.  :)