The End (I hope) of the Beginning

This is what I posted one year ago;

Tonight, today is the end of the old and tomorrow is the beginning of the new. 2010 was a grand year in many respects and a devastating year in others YET, I am looking forward to what 2011 has in store for us as a family and as individuals.....so without further ado...

This is how I started my Holiday letter in December for 2011:

I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy and full of wisdom!! For me, 2011, will go down as a year of extremes. It has been a busy year, a hectic year, a chaotic year, a crazy year, a stressful year, and one that many times left me wondering if the sun will truly come out tomorrow. :)
Needless to say I look forward to 2012!!!

And that pretty much sums up my thoughts...so again without further ado...

HAPPY NEW YEARS TO EVERYONE!!! and here's hoping for a better year in 2012 (at least for me)

Christmas eve gift opening

Tomorrow morning they will open presents from Santa, and then we finish our prep for the guests arriving at 1:00pm...Tomorrow Ve also turns 8, so I gave her her gifts tonight and the family will celebrate her birthday on New Years day as we have done in the past.

We opened presents from each other tonight. The girls went shopping with Kiki to buy me some gifts this year and I must say they did a FANTASTIC job. I was impressed with how intuitive they were. I think they liked all their presents as well, but the winter hats were the biggest hit with them all...as you can tell..they wore the hats all night.

The girls also went to Christmas Eve service with Grandma since I decided to stay home and keep cooking!!

Ve in the hat and her new zhuzhu pets

Mim sporting her new yoga pants with her hat


Tuki jamming on her paper guitar with her hat

Today is the first

day of 11 days that we will have off for Chritmas break. Since I have been busy with other parts of life, I have been scrambling at making the Christmas goodies every day since Monday of this week. I will also host the family Christams gathering so I need to start preparing that meal as well as clean the house. Busy Busy, but happy!!

Tuki was an angel

in our church's Christmas play. Ve didn't want to be in it, but now after watching Tuki having fun with rehearsals and the actual performance she says she may change her mind for next year. Kiki, Uncle J, Aunt M and Cousin N came to watch her 20 min singing debut!!


Before the play, in front of the tree

close-up

action angel





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Mim's 2011-2012 Hoops team

Now four front teef!

Three years home

Birthday gift from Grandma - day with Gram at the ceramic shop

making a cup

together time

She has been home 3 years today. In some ways she has made so much progress, and yet in others I feel like we are stuck in the mud.....Her wonderful even moods add a nice balance to her wildly moody sisters...LOL, and she is starting to really show her true personality....School still takes work, but she is beginning to try harder when she doesn't understand a new concept. Her memory is still bad, but I sometimes wonder if it isn't a gift from God...that way she doesn't have to hold on to the things that she saw and things she had to endure prior to coming home.

Our tree is up, our outside lighted deer are up (gift from Grandma), almost all the presents are purchased and it looks we might not have a white Christmas...and guess what..I am TOTALLY excited about NOT having snow, that is how much I have learned not to enjoy our winter wonderland..as I have stated before I need to go south in my retirement. My first semester of admin classes are finished as well, only 2 more years to go!!

All I want for Christmas

is my two front teeth!!

Birthday Party for Two!!

The only downer was the fact that we were promised 2 hours of skate time and we only were given 1 hour since there were 2 Hockey games scheduled tonight. I talked with a person in charge and they said they owe something for the loss of time on the ice. We ended up staying for the first hockey game. I have NEVER been to a live hockey game before and I must say it was one of the most exciting sporting events I have ever been to. Who would have figured!! The kids all had fun in spite of the obvious shortage of skate time. Kids are so resilient.


The Party Gang just before they started to skate

Kiki and Tuki
Skating

Mim, Tuki and cousin N

Birthday Girls

6 year olds (Kindergarten & 1st graders)

7 & 8 year olds (1st and 2nd graders)

Opening presents

Yeah!!! Barbie!!

Kiki and Mim helping out