Showing posts with label update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label update. Show all posts

Saturday, January 24, 2015

update

Our latest family picture from October 2014

 I figured it was about time for an update.

I started walking at the community center last fall.  I'm up to 1 and 1/10 of a mile.  On the track it takes 10 laps to equal a mile.  I did 11 laps this week.  Next week I'll do 12.  I'm adding one lap per week until I get to 2 miles.  Then I will start walking faster.  I get passed by EVERYONE that walks. lol  I don't mind.  There are two sweet little older ladies that pass me about 5 or 6 times every morning.  They are amazing!  I hope I'm like them when I'm older.

I also started using the elliptical and the weight room.  I guess you could say I'm pretty serious about getting into shape.

Oh and this is all in addition to my karate class - that YES I'M STILL TAKING!!! Yay, me!! lol

My wonderful husband is with me on all of this.  Of course he and our oldest son have been lifting weights for much longer; I just joined them.

Hubby is still working hard to provide for all of us...I don't know how he does it.  I would be floundering about now I think.  I guess that's why I'm in the role I'm in right now.

Our oldest is starting her own Native American Flute circle today.  We've reserved the room at the library and are expecting quite a few people.  She's excited.

Second oldest is also going with us to the community center.  She was my walking partner until my husband started walking with me.  Now she will sometimes walk with us, or play basketball downstairs with our oldest son/third born.

And I've already mentioned what he is doing - going with us to the community center.  He also is looking forward to his birthday next month.  He has some friends (twins) that are having a birthday a few days before, and they are planning a joint party.

All the rest of the kiddos are growing...and growing...and growing. lol

The baby is only 8 months and already is getting a tooth.  That may not be surprising for some people, but my babies usually get their first tooth at around a year.  Our earliest so far was our baby right before this one.  She got her first tooth at 9 months.  The current baby is also starting to pull up on things.  So I'm wondering if he won't be walking earlier than the others too.  Yep, they all starting walking at around one also.  In fact, I believe a couple of them actually took their first step on their 1st birthday.

Well, that's about all for now.  Hopefully, I can remember to update more often.  Between normal life in a large family, plus homeschooling, plus outside activities, it gets a little hectic.

Until next time...

JenT

Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year and update

Happy New Year!

We are all healthy and happy this last day of 2012.

My husband is on the way to the airport to pick up our oldest daughter.  She spent the last week with my mother-in-law in FL.  This was a big thing for us.  In the past we have not let our children spend the night with anyone unless it was a whole family thing; visiting friends or family.  She turned 15 on Dec 11th and my mil has wanted her to visit for a while now.  So it was time.  :)

Now for some updates on our family:


M.D. our oldest like I said turned 15 this year.  She started high school in the fall and that was fun.  We are branching out into multiple curriculum choices to meet the high school requirements.  Our core curriculum wasn't meeting our needs for all of the classes she has to take in high school.
She has an interest in horses and anything Native American.  She has been playing a flute (Native American style) that she picked up a thrift store.  When we went to the TN Valley Fair in Sept. she found out about a Flute Circle that took place once a month near our home.  So we started taking her to that.  One of the men in charge gave her a better flute made of PVC pipe.  We didn't know you could make one of that material, but it's durable and sounds pretty good.  Her goal was a nice wooden flute.  She got one for Christmas.  It is a drone flute (one side plays the notes and one side plays a continuous note for a very beautiful, melodious sound).  She got her picture in the local paper last month.  See that here.  She is still saving her money for a horse and I got her a book on horse training that she wanted.  She  is also writing a book with her sister.



Our second oldest D.R. is excelling at school.  She turned 13 this last October and has finished her 7th grade math.  She is finishing up the rest of her 7th grade and will be starting 8th grade early this year.  One of the benefits of homeschooling is that we can go at their pace and not hold them back.  She is the one writing the book with M.D.  They have almost finished it.
She is very interested in spy technology and law enforcement.  She loves Sherlock Holmes and got the complete set for Christmas.  She also got a violin for Christmas and will start learning to play that.
She also has an interest in video.  She has been doing short movies of her brothers and sisters for a while now.



Our oldest son, ST3 is now 11 and will be 12 in Feb.  I measured all the kids in April and again in November and honestly he grew 3 inches in that time.  In fact, I think he has grown since than too!  He is a great help with the younger boys and our 2 year old just loves him.  He is very interested in weapons (isn't every boy?) and he likes parrots.  He wants a Golden Conure parrot.  He recently had the opportunity to visit Parrot Mountain here in Pigeon Forge and had a wonderful time.  He also has wanted to play the saxophone and so got one for Christmas that he can learn on.



Our 4th child second boy, M.J. is our family entertainment. :)  He is very funny and quite the little actor.  He turned 10 in September and is so full of energy.  He loves Calvin and Hobbes.  He wants to play the guitar and got a red one for Christmas. 



Our 5th child, third boy, M.E. is a very serious child and yet can be quite a clown himself.  He sometimes acts older than his age, which is, as of yesterday, 9.  He is very generous and always has something to give to a sibling or parent on their birthday and Christmas.  He loves tigers and has a large collection of stuffed tigers, plastic tigers, tiger clothes, tiger pictures, tiger books, if it has a tiger on it he likes it. :)



A.M. is our third girl, sixth child.  She is our little princess and likes all things girly.  She is 7 and will be 8 on March 1st.  She is a very big help to me, especially with her baby sister.



N.D.  is our 6 year old ball of energy.  He is very smart, very curious, and gets into a lot of trouble because of those two things.  He is also very loving and is quick to give a hug.  He is also our 2nd left-handed child (D.R. being the first).


A.L. is 5 and our other little princess.  She likes to do everything her older sister does, but also loves to play with her younger brother, who is only 13 months younger than her. :)



A.Z. is our 4 year old superhero.  He likes Spiderman and his favorite Christmas present was a Spiderman costume that his older sister got him.  When he's not Spiderman he's Hulk.  Or he's watching Cars or Cars 2.  Those are his favorite things. :)



B.V. is 2 and he is NOT going through the Terrible Twos.  We don't believe in them.  He is however, very curious, clingy to Mama, loving, learning to talk, and just all around cute.



C.D. is our 10 month old babydoll.  She is crawling, eating, smiling, standing up to stuff, still nursing, and has 5 teeth.  lol  She is everyone's favorite toy.

So far, there are no more additions on the way, but that doesn't mean we don't want more.  We would love more children.  We are just in the waiting period now.  As you can tell by their ages, they are pretty close together.  But I have had a couple of longer breaks in between and suppose that this is what is happening now.

My husband and I have learned a lot this past year and are hoping to apply what we've learned to our lives this coming year.  We are looking forward to exciting things happening soon.

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!


Until next time...

 JenT

Saturday, September 22, 2012

I'm still here...


It's pathetic, I know.  My blog that is.

I'm not hiding away, I promise.  :)  My priorities have adjusted, I guess you could say.  More time with the children, less time on the computer.

And if you have tried to contact me through my blog using the email address, that too has changed.  I cannot even access my old email account.  So I have changed my email on this blog and if you want to email me, try again.  Please.

One thing that has kept us busy is a couple of local fairs we entered.  My oldest is quite the photographer and she won several ribbons this year.  About 95% of the photos you see on here lately are from her.


So hopefully even though school is back in, I can update more often.  Just stay tuned...

Until next time...

JenT

Monday, January 16, 2012

Chocolate for the Soul and other things

I've really got to get some new posts up here.

Started a new blog in addition to this one.
http://chocolateysoul.blogspot.com/

Got a new haircut.

Had a great Christmas. Went to visit my brother for Christmas and while there we went to the Creation Museum. They had spectacular lights in the garden. It's free to the public and there were tons of people there.

It's getting closer and closer to the new baby's arrival.

All the children are doing great and growing so much. (More on them later).

We've had several birthdays in the last few months.

I'll continue at a later date...gotta get busy.


Until next time...


JenT