Monday, December 26, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I hope that this finds you having had a great 2011. I can't believe another year has gone! Life just doesn't slow down! The last two years has started out quite crazy. With 2 years ago Jaylen scrapping his face when we went to visit the snow and this past year Jaylen breaking his arm! I hope this year we start up and do without any incidents!

When I thought back over the year I thought it wasn't that eventful but we had quite a full year! We started off with Jaylen's broken arm in January. Then Akayla-Joy had a successful eye surgery in February, to Jayden in September getting Henoch-Scholein Purpura (HSP), which thankfully he recovered fully from with out lasting issues.

We also enjoyed a year of different adventures with family. First was a visit from Grandma Sonia (my mom) from AZ and Auntie Yvonne (my sister) from Georgia in March. They were able to stay with us during our hectic school schedule for 7 days! It was so nice to have a few more helpers for mommy and enjoy their company! The kids enjoyed them so much!

Next we took a trip to Iowa in June, just after school ended, to stay at my Grandpa's house and visit family. It was so nice to get away. The kids did great on the plane, with connecting flights. All carrying their backpacks and pulling their own small luggage behind them! They had a blast once in Iowa, from playing with cousins, riding the golf cart around my grandpa's property, catching lighting bugs, smores and more! They still talk about their trip to this day. While there I as also able to visit places from where my parents got married, where my mom grew up, even the house where my grandpa grew up, plus different family tombstones. It was a very neat trip!

Just after school started we took a camping trip, in September. We drove a few hours away to Pinecrest where the kids enjoyed sleeping in the tents, fishing at the lake and getting dirty! During this trip is when Jayden got sick but he was such a trooper. Camping each year has become a tradition that we hope we are able to keep up, we love to go and are always sad to come home!

We had a new addition to our family this year after we lost our Cheasapeke Bay Retiever; Drake. His name is nibble (named by Jayden). Nibbles is a mix between a Poodle, Yorkie and a Maltese! Quite a combo...

We also enjoyed quite a few other activities during the year from the boys swim lessons, trip to Apple Hill and enjoying holidays with family. There were also many church events as well; from the Mother/Daughter Tea, Father Daughter Luau, Father Son Camp out to Aryianna and Akayla-Joy singing in the Kids Choir at church for the Christmas Play. The kids are getting bigger each year!

Aryianna is in her last year of Jr. High. Stephen and I also celebrated our 10 year anniversary in November! What a great 10 years it has been!

Just after Christmas I need to start High School enrollment! I can't even believe it! (I feel like I was just in HS! Course I would not like to go back! haha)

Jaylen is going to have his birthday only 3 days after Christmas, turning 9! He is getting so tall! He is in 3rd grade right now and though he is smart, we are working on concentrating on class work! He is learning to love to read like mom!

Jayden is going to have his birthday in just a few weeks, turning 7! I just can't believe it! He is in 1st grade and I'm sure keeps his teacher on her toes! He is still full of personality!

Akayla-Joy is in Kindergarten. She is one of the top in her class. She excels so much in school, she entered Kindergarten already knowing what they need to know 1/2 way through the year. She picks up on things fast and it is great to have one that loves to do homework! She is only in school 1/2 day, so she comes home by lunch time.

Alaya gets me 1/2 the day to herself. She gets to have the most of me right now and it's fun to enjoy things with just her. We go to a play group once a week and it's the first time I've had only one kid with me! Sad to see my babies grow but it's nice to enjoy this new faze with my kids!
I hope that you have had a Blessed 2011 and that 2012 holds even more Blessings for you! From the Gunter Clan to you, we love you and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


1 comment:

  1. We also had a great time you guys in Iowa. Hopefully we'll get to see the whole clan again soon. Merry Christmas to every one of you as well.

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