I am not very good at sending out Christmas cards and pictures. I have only done that once and it was Lindsay's last Christmas with us. So I thought this time I would just write on her blog and give a update on all of us. So sit back with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and get ready to read.
Tanner turned 11 in October. Yes you read that right 11. He is almost as tall as me which is hard to believe, He is in 4th grade at Edgerton Christian Elementary School. This year has been a bit harder for him as he has a few more tests to study for, a word of the day twice a week, spelling words, vocabulary words, and memory verses. He has a great teacher this year and lots of great friends. He loves sports of any kind, he loves to read (but only at night), and play with his friends, and build Lego's.He has joined a cadets group this year that meets twice a month, They learn all kinds of fun stuff and he loves it,
Case is 6 years old and he is in 1st grade at the same school as Tanner. He also loves school and loves to come home every day and unload his folder with all the things he did that day. Going everyday this year was a little hard for him at first but he got the hang of it. He loves his teacher and his friends. He has to memorize verses this year and he is so good at it, Sometimes I forget to practice with him and he comes home with it all said and passed already. He loves to be outside, play with our farm cats Max and Lily, drawing, reading books, eating candy. He is such a tender hearted kid and won't leave the house each morning with out a hug and a kiss.
Wyatt turned 5 in December and always keeps me on my toes. He is very energetic and very loud at times. He loves to go and do anything with Daddy if he gets the chance. He loves anything to do with Lightning McQueen and Dusty crop hopper. He and Sydney get along pretty good during the day with out the other two. We go to MOPS and Story Hour on Wednesdays and he loves that. He has a love for the old pink panther movies, riding his bike, playing outside, coloring, playing Wii when he is alone, and snuggling.
Sydney is 3 but will be 4 in March. She is such the little girl at times but can also be a tom boy and get dirty with her brothers. She keeps us smiling and laughing all the time, You never know what will come out her mouth. She loves to play with her my little ponies, her babies, her princess castles. You will often find her chatting away to all her little people and making up cute stories. She loves anything that has to do with princeses, loves to wear lipstick when we go out, loves to wear dresses and have her hair done pretty. She has been so much fun.
Jon still enjoys his job working for Binford Farms. He does all kinds of things at work which he likes. Harvest time is a very busy time for them so we didn't see much of him this fall. But we made it through a good harvest and was glad when it was over and he was back with us. He made two trips this summer to help his brothers with various projects.
I guess it is my turn., Well I keep busy with the kids and caring for them. At times it is difficult but I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I am on the praise team at our church which I love, I help with story hour on Wednesdays, and go to MOPS once a month. Jon and I just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on December 12. We went out to supper with our good friends from church Dan and Amy Hanson. We have enjoyed getting to know them and their cute twins Joel and Jeremiah. I am so glad God has placed them into our lives. Amy and I have gotten really close and we love spending time with each other.
This summer the kids and I made lots of trips to the pool and a few trips to the zoo.
In July our family went to the Black Hills to the Groen family reunion. We had lots of fun seeing family and seeing the sites. We stayed right near Mount Rushmore and could see George Washington's profile from our room. We got to drive through Custer State Park, and the Badlands. Jon's family got to spend some time here in MN with us before the reunion.
In August my parents and my niece Emma were here visiting for 10 days. We surprised the kids once again. They had no idea they were coming. It was a fun surprise.
We spent Thanksgiving in Colorado with Ben and Ainsley and kids. We also surprised Jon's parents who were also there. We had a great time but ended up getting the stomach bug. We had a good time anyway and got to enjoy time playing games and eating lots of good food.
This time of year is always hard for me because I miss Lindsay more around the Christmas season, She would have been 9 this past June, Not a day goes by that we don't remember and think of her. Some days are harder than others but we know she couldn't be in a better place. We are thankful that one day we will see her again. If you don't know Jesus this Christmas season I beg you to invite him into your heart. Don't let another day go or minute go by, invite him in so you can join us all in heaven one day.
Our prayer for all of you during this time of year is that you will enjoy the time with your family. Remember the real meaning of Christmas and what that means for all of us. We love you all and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Love,
Jon, Laura, Tanner, Lindsay, Case, Wyatt, Sydney
