As usual, this year leaves us with so much to be thankful for:
In January, we survived the Fernley flood (the water stopped five houses away from our house) so that we could then brave Donner summit to attend the "Dinosaurs Live!" event in Sacramento.
In February we were blessed by a visit from Grandpa Tim from Idaho. Big Tim and I took the kids out so my Tim could finish a paper for his Master's degree. We had a great time! We also went to Chuck E. Cheese with Grandpa Tim and spent a lot of time outside.
March brought us not only another round of visits from Grandma Mary and Papa Steve, but our own travels as well. We went to San Diego for spring break and came home to celebrate Brady's second birthday. We spent our time at Sea World, the zoo, and of course Disneyland.
April gave us a bit of a respite and we used it to gear up for our summer time. We also had discovered that Tim would be having shoulder surgery (again) during the summer and began to plan accordingly.
In May, Jen prepared to let go of her 8th graders that she had been with for two years. She was also accepted into a writing/teaching program and had a lot of fun gearing up for that. Tim went to a conference on gang activity...and then the prison relocated his gang unit to another institution.
In June Mamina (Jen's Mom) came to stay with the boys for three days so Jen could go to a conference for the Writing Project. She then was in class for three weeks. It was wonderful, but very hectic. The boys spent most of the summer naked and running through the sprinklers. We opted to not have a garden this year because of our busy schedule. The boys did learn the alphabet and phonics this summer and are well on their way to letters with the help of Zoo-phonics.
July brought visitors from the Northwest in the form of Grandpa Bill and Nana Joan. We went to Chuck E. Cheese's and spent a day at Pyramid Lake. The boys really love to swim. Tim had surgery on July 31st.
August was spent recuperating from Tim's surgery and Jen gearing up for school. We had a lot of family time and enjoyed each other's company. The boys received bikes and we spent lots of time tooling around the neighborhood.
In September, Grandpa Bill came back just in time to come and enjoy the "Best in the West" rib cook off. We had a great time together and we may even be able to get him back again next year for some more "Bone Daddy's" ribs.
October was a very special month because Mamina married Papa Nick. It was a beautiful wedding and all of us participated. I'm not sure I've ever seen a more beautiful bride and ceremony and we were all honored to be involved. The boys don't know it yet, but getting to be Ring Bearer's in one's Grandmother's wedding is a real privledge! We met many special friends for the first time (for the boys) and it was a very special event! We also were able to go to the zoo, Sea World, and Disneyland again. Brody was able to ride Splash Mountain (twice) because he was actually tall enough. Brady learned to live with it by getting to see Tigger by himself...and having a cupcake with really thick frosting! The boys watched, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" shortly after we returned and it quickly became their favorite movie eclipsing, "Cars" and all other Disney commercial dreams. Jack Skellington is the current hero, after all dinosaurs of the T. Rex and Allosaurus lines.
In November, Brody turned 4 and the boys started a new school. Both boys love school and have adjusted well to the environment. For the first time since I have had children, I feel that they are safe when I am work. I haven't been called one time yet!
December has just been a time of great things! This kids are growing and healthy, Tim is well respected within the prison system and has nearly finished his Master's degree in Criminal Justice. Brody just participated in his first holiday concert at school. He loves to dance and sing. Brady is fairly gifted in the same way. The boys nearly burned down the house a couple of weeks ago when Brady plugged in a fish tank heater to the wall. Brody saw the smoke and tried to "save the day". He came away for some burns, but got to be a bit of a hero. Brady has learned much from being grounded and is showing a newfound respect for authority. The boys have been helping in the kitchen and love to do arts and crafts. They love to be outside and the snow has been very exciting for them both.
