Darn Cute Nathan

 Nathan loves it when people read to him and his favorite book right now is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

I love how chill he is when he's watching TV.  He's just so relaxed.  And those cheeks!  Sad will I be the day he outgrows his chubby little cheeks.

He can put his own bib on and decided that he didn't want to sit in the booster seat anymore, so opted to sit on a stool on the chair instead.

Sometimes he just gets tuckered out and even though he refuses to take a nap in his bed, he falls asleep on the couch.

Jordan's Birthday

We try to remember Jordan on his birthday every year.  This year he would  have been 44.    I miss talking with him and think about him often.

Newsies!

Our exchange student Benjamin was one of the Brooklyn Newsies in our school's production of the Broadway play Newsies.  We were able to see him in it and we all enjoyed the play.  But we admit to still liking the 1990s movie version better.

Gator Groove

Jonah did well during his term right before Christmas and earned the Principal's Honor Roll award, which meant that all of his grades for the term were 95 or higher.  My kids will often get all 95s and higher except for one grade that is a 94, so I was excited that he got this award!

End of Christmas Break

Annmarie and Nathan were having so much fun playing with bubbles in the tub and being so cute with each other that I couldn't resist taking a photo. 

Caleb got a Groupon for archery for his birthday, so over the break he chose to take his friend Riley with him to use it.  They had a great time, and Riley even brought his own equipment!

We spent some of the time outside in the sunshine, as it was in the 60s and 70s here in Texas for much of the break.

Westley spent some time over the break building with Legos, and I always enjoy seeing what he has created.  This was a miniature piano he made.  It was amazing!

End of the Year 2018

Merry Christmas from the Kings 2018

Another year has flown by, this one faster than the last!  We are still here in Wylie, TX and the kids are growing so fast. 

This school year we have chosen to host another foreign exchange student.  Our student, Benjamin, is from Denmark and is sixteen years old.  He only has two older half-sisters who are grown and out of the house, so coming to our large family has been a big change for him.  He has fit in well with us and the kids love him.  He keeps busy participating in the school theater program, first securing a lead role in the play “Peter and the Starcatcher” and now as a cast member in the musical “Newsies”. 

Westley is now fifteen and in 10^th grade.  He has continued playing the trumpet in the marching band and absolutely loves band and music.  He even submitted a score of music for the Reflections Arts contest here at the school and just received word that his musical composition is moving on to the district competition.  He is learning to drive and Corey and I are learning what will truly turn our hair gray.

Caleb is now fourteen and in 8^th grade.  He also participates in band at school, playing the trombone.  He has recently joined the chess team at school.  He is still trying to get as far with boy scouts as he can until the Church drops the program at the end of 2019.

Travis started football and choir this year.  He loved playing football, and he has found that he really enjoys singing in a choir.  He continues to do well in school and is a social butterfly with friends always inviting him to do things.  Travis turned twelve in September and is in the 6^th grade.

Eliza is eleven years old and in the 5^th grade.  She did cheerleading and I coached her squad.  Our squad cheered for Travis’ football team.  This team and squad were through a recreational city league.  She is also trying out the violin through a program at school for 5^th graders to try the instrument before committing to the program. Here, with orchestra and band, they have to join in 6^th grade and follow it through or they can’t play in high school.  Unfortunately, the orchestra is a new program and is only offered at one school.  She would have to change schools in order to join the 6^th grade orchestra next year.  So we are having her try it out this year to see if she wants to play violin badly enough to change schools.  So far she seems to like it, but she likes her choral music class more (it is once a week where they get to learn about singing).  She is looking at joining choir in 6^th grade instead of orchestra. 

Jonah is now seven years old and in 2^nd grade.  He is doing well in school and has also started taking gymnastics classes.  After we noticed last year how he was always climbing on everything and pulling himself up to places with amazing strength, we thought maybe gymnastics would be something he could accelerate in.  He is doing well and awing his coaches with his strength and he loves it.

Annmarie is five years old and in kindergarten.  She is rocking that kindergarten class!  Her teacher just loves her outgoing and bright personality.  She also started gymnastics in June and the coaches have already fast tracked her to the advanced program.  She’s a natural.  She also tried cheerleading at a clinic that the high school cheerleaders do every year and she loved that.  She has gone around yelling cheers ever since the clinic.  Reading has become a favorite past-time for her as well. 

Nathan is almost three years old (end of February).  I can’t believe our baby is that old!  He is obsessed with robots.  Like most other children his age, he gets excited about everything and becomes super passionate about it too.  Toddlers can be so fun!  He is definitely a bright spot in our family.

Corey is still at the Plano In-N-Out as store manager.  He works hard and long hours.  He is also still serving as the Elder’s Quorum president in our ward and keeps busy with that as well. 

Jenna keeps very busy with managing all the endless piles of laundry and juggling how to get kids where they need to be.  Sometimes she forgets to pick up a kid here or there but no permanent damage done, right?  She was recently released from her calling as Primary Secretary and will be serving as the Relief Society Meeting Coordinator.  She will learn more about what that is soon (she hopes).  She now has six students in her preschool (after losing one this month) and hopes to continue building it in the future.  She also teaches fourteen piano students, as well as three of our kids (Travis, Eliza, and Jonah) and will start lessons with Annmarie in the spring.

We hope that you find joy this Christmas season in celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Family Portraits 2018

On a whim, and because a coupon was about to expire, I decided to get family pictures done this month. I think they turned out very well.