Howdy y'all

Well Hello...it's been awhile. :) I can't believe it has been nearly three months since I last updated the ol' blog. That's a record, even for me! Here is a bit of the learning and growing we have been up to lately:

Grace is...

...even more entertaining than ever! She continually amazes us with her non-stop energy and her endless list of things to talk about. She is a smart little girl and loves to read books and play board games and card games.....which she beats me at the vast majority of the time! She is really into princesses, ponies, and Fancy Nancy (okay, that last one might be highly encouraged be her mom...have you read these books? They are adorable!). She can often be found wearing her leotard and tutu, her favorite rainbow striped skirt with her pink Croc boots, or her princess dress. And if none of the above, she is, at the least, dressed from head to toe in various shades of pink and purple. She exhausts me daily and yet I would be lost without her.

Joshua has...

...continued to amaze us with all of the things he is learning at school. His reading has really taken off and I am very impressed with how well he is able to sound out new words. There is just something so neat to me about watching him learn new things, and especially to watch him gain a love of learning! We are grateful for the wonderful teacher he has at school! He came home last week telling me all about George Washington and the Revolutionary War, and whenever he got out his playmobils that week he would play "George Washington and the battle of the Revolution," as he called it. As both Bryan and I have our bachelor degree's in History, we were quite thrilled at his interest in the subject! :) Picking him up from school is one of my favorite parts of the day, and I love hearing about the things he remembers from school. He is just a good, good boy, and I am grateful for that.

Our Family feels...

...very blessed to have one another. The last few months have been full of fun times together and memory making moments, and it has really made me realize how blessed we are in our family. Lately I have realized more and more that there is so much joy in just being together, in being family. It has reminded me that there is nothing I want more, or need to work harder for, than a joyful family life. And I am learning that "joyful" doesn't mean sorrow-free, but we can find joy in even the difficult times as we look at the good things that surround us. What a wonderful blessing!