The 2009 Year in Review

Well family, friends, and random blog readers....the year is coming to a close and that means that it is time to write my newsletter for the year. But this year, I have decided to be cheap and instead of printing and mailing a letter, I am recording my newsletter in blog form. And yes, I am still mailing a Christmas card but many of you will not receive it until after Christmas has past, let me just say I did try this year to get it out in time but a certain almost 3 year old decided not to cooperate at family picture time and the card making was delayed. Greg decided to add some comments of his own...they are in italics.

2009 was a year of changes for our family, well mainly Greg. But even with all that has happened it has been a pretty good year...

Greg has decided it is time to finish his degree and has started taking classes through the University of Phoenix. This is an online school that allows him to take one class at a time in 5 week rotations. He is doing great and loving the challenge - he will graduate in 2011. In order to do this Greg also had to make a job change. He left Schwan's in April and started working for MyBullFrog.com, and then realized he was not happy there and found a job with Tom Scott Toyota. Greg is a natural salesman and I think he has found somewhere to work where he is happy. When he is not working or going to school, Greg loves to spend time with his boys and really loves when he can have free time (no boys) with his lovely wife. I (Greg) will agree that this (written by Cynthia) is true. I do love my job a lot and have found something that I truely enjoy. Alas, I could make more money but I do love what I do and who I work with. It really has been like being in a tornado careerwise for me this year, but I know that I am being blessed. With great challenges come great rewards!

Cynthia has officially spent her first year as a stay at home Mommy and even though this presents its own challenges, it was a great decision. And if the two boys don't keep her busy enough - she has added taking care of two little girls each day. All of the kids get along great, and it has been a lot of fun. Cynthia loves updating her blog (especially with updates on her two boys...and occasionally the cats), and finding projects around the house. Sometimes I (Greg) come home to her sitting in a pile of blocks with all 4 kids laughing her head off and gigling uncontrollably. Yes, I do believe she had lost it! Those are the days that make me laugh and I do what I can to help her try to regain some of her sanity...

Wesley continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It is nice to talk to him and actually know what he is saying - we even get complete sentences! He loves his Cars shoes, and trains - sharing the trains (or most toys) with little brother is hard but he is learning. Wesley loves to pretend and has an awesome imagination. And I can not believe that he will be THREE at the end of the year. Time really has gone by too fast, I miss the baby that he was (and I still catch glimpses) but I look forward to the wonderful person that he is becoming. Next year he will be a Sunbeam at church - they have been taking them to Sharing Time...he looks so little in the primary room. The coming year will bring the challenge of potty training. This will be an interesting task for my stubborn little man. Wesley is every bit his father's son, doing what I do and imitating me at every turn, I truely have enjoyed this year watching him grow up. I just wish he would stay that little boy always.

Maxwell...or Max Max is a little spitfire. He has so much energy and natural curiosity. Max really never slows down, read runs, right up until you lay him down for naps or bedtime. I have loved watching his little personality develop over the past year (can't believe his is ONE). And to top it off he is getting quite the little vocabulary - he knows what he wants (food) and he will get it. Max is attached to his dish towels, which he calls snuggles - a dish towel may seem weird to most but for those that know how bad his reflux was a dish towel was the only way to go. With Max, I look forward to watching the changes that I know will be coming this next year and I just hope that I can keep up with him. Max Max as we call him is the joy in our eyes. He is so persistent in his telling us what he wants that if we do not pay attention we may pay for it by the shrillness of his shrieking. Most parents know what I am talking about. But I love his giggles and smiles and it more than makes up for his crazy behavior.

And because it is my newsletter I am going to add a segment about my cats. For those that got last years newsletter you know we got a kitten named Flower and this summer I went grocery shopping and besides groceries came back with a cat we named Mushu. Both animals have been great additions to our family - Flower helped Wesley understand the meaning of gentle just before his baby brother arrived and Mushu has given Flower a friend and Max something smaller then him to torture (yes, truely he does!). It is a good thing both cats are so good natured. The boys love them and hopefully take over feeding them in the near future.

Well that sums up our year - We hope that it has been a good year for all that read this and we look forward to a great 2010. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love ~ Greg, Cynthia, Wesley, and Maxwell