Happy New Year!

Just to let you know how behind I am...I have not even sent out our Christmas cards yet. They haven't even been written! I will send them out though, hopefully before Valentine's Day. Life has been really busy with the holidays, managing schedules, visiting family and friends, packing and unpacking, sick kids, a new puppy, and the list goes on and on. It has actually been nice not having Internet to distract me.

Justin started his new Captain position and is hardly home. He graciously takes Merilee to school and picks her up when he can which is a huge help to me.

Merilee is still doing well in school. She says she doesn't like school because it is boring and I worry that she is not being challenged enough. I requested that she bring home extra homework because she finishes so quickly. She is a wonderful cleaner-upper and I appreciate her help around the house so much.

Cara started sunbeams and is excited to be a big girl in primary. She is terrified of out puppy and screams when she plays near her. She is also a big help, sometimes not knowing exactly what she needs to do to help. She always asks me if she is a big girl and is not happy unless I tell her that she is. She is so FUNNY! She makes hilarious comments with animated facial expressions. I am always laughing at/with her.

Holland is growing fast. He is still just cruising the furniture, not really trying to walk. He can stand for short periods of time by himself. He loves to feed himself "real" food. He also puts everything he sees in his mouth. He loves to get into the kitchen and get in trouble. He once put a pokey sticker (the kind outside in the grass) in his mouth and as I fished it out it got stuck in his lip and he was bleeding and fighting me....not fun. He is kind of small and is fighting off ear infections and fluid. He has followed the girls' problems with ears and will most likely end up with tubes as well.

I have just recently started babysitting a little 9 month old boy who had open heart surgery just before Christmas. It is a challenge but the extra money will be nice and as he grows, he and Holland can play together. I want to start getting back into couponing and meal planning. We have an 8 week old puppy named Mattie. She is a basset hound/ Irish setter mix....sounds weird but she is cute. She is an OUTSIDE dog! So, we are busy and I like it that way.