A Little Update

(The spacing on this post is bizarre for some reason. Blogger is having issues, apparently. It's not my fault!)

I haven't done an update in quite awhile, and even though I don't have anything scientific to share (like heights and weights), there's plenty going on that is noteworthy!

I guess I'll start at the beginning, and when I get to the end, I'll stop.

Two days after Christmas, David and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. Amazing how time goes by! Below is a picture of us on our day. I wanted to post a picture from 7 years ago along with this one, but I'm afraid it would show how much weight we've gained and just how tired and slightly jaded we've become. But we're still smiling, and we still love each other. So I guess that counts for something!

David's schooling is going very well, and he is excited about what he's learning. He's also excited to begin seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, and that makes it easier to stay motivated. And he's received some pretty cool recognition of what he's doing every day. After you read this post, scroll down to the next one to check it out. He also really enjoys his job. I'm looking forward to being able to enjoy having him home more after he graduates and gets into his career. That's the light at the end of MY tunnel.

I keep plugging along day after day, trying to stay on top of everything, and it works for me for now. I got a couple of great photography books for Christmas, and I'm really learning a lot from the one on exposure. I'll read about a certain element of exposure, and see the author/photographer's example, and think, "So THAT'S how you get a picture to look like that!" So now, rather than just "getting lucky" and taking a great picture, in theory, I can know exactly what I want the photo to look like when it's developed, and I can adjust the settings on my camera to get the exposure I want. Now if I could just get my kids to hold still long enough to experiment with different aperture and shutter settings, I would gain some practical knowledge as well as end up with some great photos of the girls. But alas! I think my best bet is to set up their baby dolls and take pictures of those. But enough about me!

Lucy is a rock star! She does so well at school. Her work is neat and correct, and she is in the top reading group. She's been reading words for several weeks, but it seems like it really clicked for her last week. She totally gets it. I love to hear her read! It's the coolest thing ever. She also got a Razor scooter for Christmas and it didn't take long for her to figure that out either. She's gone out on it a couple of times, but it's been so rainy here that she can't wait until it's dry enough to go again.

Amy is one tough cookie lately. I am trying to find some way of working with her that doesn't involve one massive tantrum after another, and lots of screaming and kicking and crying. (And that's just me!--just kidding.) She struggles because when she wants something, she wants it. It doesn't matter if she was told no, or to wait or to ask first. She will just go ahead and do what she wants or get what she wants anyway, and when we stop her, that's when the REAL fun begins! She also has a hard time following our family rules and often does the opposite of what she was asked to do (or just downright refuses). I'm really having a hard time with her. I should say something nice about her, though, so that I remember that it's not all bad. So...let's see...sometimes she is very sweet and funny. And she loves to sing and dance. I enjoy watching her do that.

Sadie has changed so much since her birthday. She even looks different to me. She is now walking most of the time, which is GREAT, and she babbles a lot. She does have a few words that are clear, but I love to listen to all of her little sounds. She loves to take baths (one of her words!), but I think her favorite activity is to sneak over to Grampa M's computer and press the keys on the keyboard.

I'll get some new pictures posted in a few days. Now keep reading...there's something cool below!