Another Christmas

Well, it's Christmas Eve and I didn't get a single card in the mail. My excuse? We didn't take family pictures this year....again. As the cards started trickling into our home this year, some of my favorites were hand made with no family picture, just with a sweet personal note to us. Why can't I be like that? Alas, here I sit, at 9:00pm on Christmas Eve, posting to our blog, hoping that those we love will know that they were not forgotten this year. I am hoping 2013 I will be better prepared. I really had the best intentions going into September, but then all of the sudden it was December and the cards/pictures never happened.  So here goes... my best shot at our Christmas card update this year - via blog:

Olivia! Wow... what can I say about that little fireball. She turned 5 this year and she is as crazy and wonderful as that electric hair of hers. She wants to be as rough and tough as her brothers but all the while wearing a skirt. She has the most hilarious personality. She says things that just dumbfound me, and majority of the time I should punish her for what she says but I just so impressed stunned by what she says that it's all I can do to hold in my laugh. She just turned 5 last week and is beyond excited for Kindergarten to start next year.

Ethan turned 10 in August and is more and more like Dan everyday. He is really tall for his age, towering (at least a head) taller than any of his friends. He is also quite strong for his age, something he hasn't really adjusted to yet. He has a tendency to hurt those he is playing with, thinking he is being fun. We are working on self-awareness. We found Ethan his own club baseball team this year, The Blaze. He is their primary shortstop but we are hoping to see him get to catch a little more in 2013, now that some other kids are getting some time at SS too.

Spencer is twelve now, and had his first run with priesthood duties at church this year. Something that had him rather nervous, but just like Spencer he didn't quit and powered though. He found that he can do anything he needs to, and be good at it. He is still playing baseball with the Raptor's, going into their 3rd season together and we couldn't love a group of people more. The boys and families are all one big family and it is a wonderful situation.

Ryleigh is 2 months shy of turning 15, and reminding me regularly that she will have her permit this time next year (eeek!). She is a freshman in High School and is doing pretty well.. She has always been a good student, not because it comes easy but because she works hard, but this year has proven to be a bit challenging. We discovered she has a bit of "test anxiety" which has pretty drastic effects on her grade point average unfortunately. We are currently accepting all suggestions on how to deal with that.

Dan is busy working, coaching, working and coaching. He is crazy busy but I think he likes it. He doesn't have much down time but it's only for the time being and he is wonderful about remembering to live in this moment. I am busy shuffling kids to various activities. I go through an astronomical amount of gas but I know that I will miss these days when they are gone. We try to keep that in mind everyday.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful and Merry Christmas!

Love,
The Linn's