Not Sure What to Post

I just realized that my most recent post here was way the heck back in beautiful October... right around the time of our last boat trip and sunburn. I've been really struggling with what to write, so I simply have not been. My mom always stressed that unless what you're saying is nice, keep quiet. Rather than get into some of the not-so-fun turmoil that seems to surround our little family, I've just stepped back.

But my heart has been so lonesome for writing. Perhaps I ought to just move to a private journal format. Or just stick with love notes to DH and thank-you notes to my loved ones. But I like to blog. So, here I am. Back at it. Wondering what to say that won't stir those rotten proverbial pots. Unfortunately, we have a few turbulent relations on both our sides of the families, so I simply bite my tongue and put my typing fingers in my pockets.

Thankfully, not everyone in our lives creates turmoil - it's just that the ones who do, do it in a huge way. My dear folks and my sweet sister and her family are still incredibly awesome. And thanks to a couple of funerals in less than a week, we have had the fantastic opportunity to get to know DH's uncle and family and fall in love with them. And our wonderful collection of friends all over the world continues to be our cherished "family by choice."

Speaking of awesome families, our dear kiddos are getting bigger and bigger. Both of the girls are really "getting" how to share and be kind to others. They are praying spontaneously for others and thanking God for the goodness we continue to encounter. Besides the beauty of watching them mature emotionally, the girls have learned how to read recently. I've been so excited for this time with them, and the number of books we pore through each night amazes me.

Lillian really seems to love our great language. And Breanna, while equally as good as Lillian with words and letters, has a real affection toward numbers. They both are adding up streams of numbers (2+4+3=9) and learning together. The more we work together on all this, the more I realize I would really love to study Latin - I've been finding myself looking up pronunciations on YouTube so I can better explain the roots of our words to the kids. Yes, I realize they still don't know Winnie the Pooh's name (they just call him a bear), but man, they are really just as interested in the roots as me! We can be nerds together!

Because they were May babies and premies at that, I used to wonder if they would end up entering kindergarten at age 5 and be the youngest or at 6 and be the oldest. No doubt, they're going next fall at age 5.

Grant has not missed a beat with all this learning going on. He is very hands-on, like his dad. All of our scissors, screwdrivers, knives, etc. are far out of reach in a locked closet. This kid will take apart everything he can - I recently caught him using a toy car to loosen a screw beneath our recliner. He also silently used his thumb nail to unscrew the bow of my glasses that sat on my nightstand while I slept. Besides being such a "handy helper," Grant is really developing a wonderful vocabulary. Plus, he's been fully potty trained for about six months now, which is a real treat in my book.

Amidst all the excitement within our house, DH and I have been thoroughly enjoying our down time together once the kids go to bed. We have shared some wine, shared some laughs, and had some of the nicest conversations. I look outside past our sweet little neighborhood and can't avoid seeing turmoil all around us, but right here at home, wow, are we blessed.