What an incredible year it has been! It's been a year of growth and learning, joy and fulfillment.
Like sunflowers, I like to look toward the light and bask in its warmth. It helps me and I like to think maybe it helps others too. We've had a really bright and beautiful year! It wasn't without its challenges, but the blessings have been plentiful all along the way.
We had a few firsts this year with the MOST exciting being the kids' first airplane experience. We went to visit my brother and his family. It was an exquisite vacation and we can hardly wait for the next time we can be together. The kids enjoyed the airplane (after the initial turn and feeling like they were falling out of the sky). They really loved the resort swimming pools, watching Emmalynn play volleyball, game night, the chocolate factory with Uncle Jer and Nathan, and the big dessert with sparklers in it! Lunch, chatting, staying up too late...the sunshine was amazing too. When I asked them about the highlights of their year, this was at the top of the list. It was for me too. I loved it all.
Highlights also included the daddy-daughter princess palooza, TaVaci concerts, bedroom makeovers, one-on-one dates with Mom and Dad, Disney on Ice, holiday and birthday celebrations, mowing the lawn (Trenton), learning how to sew (Annalee), Bluey Live, bowling with Jeff and Tracy, going to lunch/dinner with Grandma, drawing (Morgan), losing teeth and learning how to read (Kate).
Annalee
She's growing into a delightful young woman. This has been a year of many firsts for her! She is participating in our church's program for young women now and enjoys being a part of it. She's had the opportunity to teach at church and gave her first talk in our Sacrament meeting. She did so well!
She was able to attend a girl's camp (another first!) for a few days this summer. She got her packing list, packed her own bags, and was overjoyed to go. She learned a lot while she was there.
She enrolled in her first online class this fall and is excelling. She's still homeschooling and has enjoyed this new addition to her education.
She was also able to attend the temple for the first time. Our sweet neighbor and friend went with us. It's a memory to last forever.
Her friend circle continues to grow. I'm so grateful for these sweet friendships because of the richness they bring to her life. I think every mama is grateful when her children are surrounded by genuinely good friends. I didn't realize what a gift it was, but I do now!
She is still baking bread and running AFC Bakes. She does well with it and is able to earn money for the things she needs and wants to buy. She took her bread (with samples!) to a children's business fair this summer where she sold out and came home with a big smile.
Annalee is still singing and dancing with TaVaci. She'll be aging out, so she's asked if we can hold her back so she'll be able to continue as a 7th grader forever. {I happily agreed.}
As is usual with these pre-teen years, there have been some bumps, but she's resilient. I'm frequently amazed by her sweet heart and goodness. We are so glad she's ours!
Morgan
We are celebrating her this month, as we always do. Her birthday comes a couple weeks before Christmas and adds a sweet sprinkle to our season.
She is a beautiful pianist. She plays by ear and has since she was tiny. Listening to her play warms my heart. She continues to draw and has turned her talent into a money maker. She also did the children's business fair and sold out, plus she came home with custom orders. She had big smiles for days!
She's still homeschooling and loving it. We are doing American Girl History this year with several friends. It has been so fun and we've enjoyed diving into the history of our nation together with the American Girl dolls and books. Morgan has especially loved this method of learning. Doing so with friends has been a wonderful bonus!
Morgan is still singing and dancing her heart out with TaVaci. She was invited to do a special number this year. They did some cheerleading with a cute Cheer for the Elves song and she was a flyer. I will admit, I was worried and so was she, but she nailed it! So proud of her.
As many of you know, physical growth for Morgan has been a challenge, but after many years of struggles, therapy, testing, and worry, we are finally seeing a growth spurt this year! We think we've cracked her nutrition code and seem to be doing something right because she's outgrowing her clothes and shoes. We're so grateful! There may be additional things in the future, but for now, we are letting her grow and celebrating every 1/4 inch!
Morgan is our tender-hearted peacemaker. This year, she discovered her spunk and her voice. We've admittedly been surprised to see her stand up for herself and speak up for her needs, but this is something we've been working on for awhile. That makes it a success worth celebrating! Truly, her growth in every way has been inspiring to be a part of this year. We're glad she's our girl.
Fun note: Morgan and Trenton still look like twins. They continue to be the same size. It's my favorite!
Trenton
Having one little boy in our family is a treat! He's becoming quite the little gentleman. He's a handsome little guy too. He keeps us hopping and guessing and dribbling the basketball, chasing the baseball, and running to soccer. This spring, we couldn't pitch it hard or often enough. Then we chased the soccer ball for weeks. Now he's hungry for more and more and more hoops. He's pretty athletic and enjoys playing sports. He's getting better at losing, but that's going to take little awhile longer to master.
He also loves homeschooling. He can't wait to get started on his backyard construction site that he builds every winter. He's disappointed that we don't have any snow yet. I think we're all a bit surprised. I hope it comes soon so he can get to work.
I realized earlier this year that this active guy needed something more to hold his attention. We learned about economics and they each got their own bank account and debit card last year. He is eager to work and earn money. He's also really good at remembering things and doesn't tolerate inconsistency well. When I'd pay him for various chores, he'd get upset because I changed the pay from one time to the next. I eventually decided to create a family economy to appease and motivate him. This meant each positive action and negative (punishable) action had a price clearly printed on a card. It's been amazing for all of us, but especially for him! He looks forward to getting paid and paying his fines every evening. Who knew something like this could be loved so much!?
Trenton also does TaVaci and has a sweet, special friend in his class. He hasn't really had any close friends and really prefers to not be inundated with talking and words. {Maybe because he has three chatty sisters and a chatty mom AND a chatty dad?} Aly has been a great friend to him and for him. For the first time, he cannot wait to see his friend and asks for playdates. My heart melted this summer when he asked me for at least the 100th time to figure out how to get ahold of her mom. His persistence has resulted in family friendships that have been good for all of us!
He's still dirtbiking every chance he gets, fiercely protects us girls, and reminds us that hunting is for him and Dad. No girls allowed. It's true: he's our favorite little boy in all the world!
Katelynn
She's reading and writing very chance she gets! She loves to pick out cards for people. Funny thing is, she doesn't care to read what they say. She picks them solely on the picture and colors. So her daddy came home from a business trip this summer to a welcome home card from Kate that was pink with kittens and said, "Happy Birthday, Granddaughter". She couldn't wait to give it to him. His face was priceless.
Her cards are everybody's favorite!
She is doing TaVaci too, but she's been pretty scared each time they've performed. She loves the classes, but an auditorium full of people was a little too much for her. This year, everything changed! She did a special number (and was cutest little gingerbread girl in the room!) and didn't miss a word in her song. She is growing up.
She loves doing school, playing with her babies, telling silly jokes, and working her mischief alongside her brother. They are still a dynamic duo. A force to be reckoned with. Wild to the core. Adored (and feared) by us all.
Kate also likes to bake cookies, play the piano (Morgan taught her how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb and Hot Cross Buns), run around and squeal really loudly, refuse to put her buckles on in the car, and remember all the fines each of us owe when it's time for our family economy reckoning at the end of the day. She's our family manager. We work for her.
And we count it all joy to do so. We love our Kater Buggy!
Homeschool
So often, our friends and family are curious about what we're doing these days for school. It changes from year to year. I always love this question!
We do the usual reading, writing, 'rithmetic, but you don't care to hear about that.
We got some insects early this spring to watch them grow and then we were able to free them. We had lots of lady bugs and butterflies. Our praying mantis never emerged. The ant farm was a BIG hit and we all took time to sit and watch them do their tunnel building. We learned about beneficial gardening insects and got some to eat fly larvae in our garden and to take care of scale on our maple tree. Bugs are cool!
As I mentioned above, we're reading the historical American Girl books and diving into the eras of America's history. We've had so many wonderful discussions and we've done some really fun projects. Sewing flags, making Native American parfleches, painting 'the bombs bursting in air' with a poignant image of the flag in the front of the image, connecting with friends, making ginger cakes, ice cream cone teepees, cross stitch sweaters for a teddy bear, journaling---so much goodness and learning!
The solar system has been a favorite for sure. Trenton loved the Oreos we used to illustrate the phases of the moon. The girls enjoyed making their own solar systems. We also made a cardboard globe. Our local museum has a flight exhibit, so we visited and they got to do a mock space flight preparation. It ended with their cute faces in the helmet of the astronaut suit. They loved it.
The kids have taken turns with menu planning and overseeing the budget and menu execution. Turns out it's a little more complex than it looks when Mom does the work. It's been good for them to have the experience! You can read more about it and get the printables here, if you'd like!
We're part of a robust community of families who value family life and heart education. We get together with them routinely and my kids all love learning from the other moms in the group. I learn a lot too!
Kate loved reading Blueberries for Sal then learning the life cycle of a blueberry and planting some seeds. Her favorite part though was eating all the blueberries she could find. This was her last story to complete her challenge to read 1,000 books before kindergarten. She got to put her handprint on the local library wall this summer!
I presented at a homeschool conference so we made a family vacation out of it. The kids explored with Troy while Annalee and I attended the conference. She enjoyed the youth classes. I loved sharing what I have learned and grown to love in my journey. The best part by far though was connecting with others who are on this path too and hearing their experiences and stories.
We had the opportunity to visit the traveling 9/11 exhibit on September 11th. It was so well done. There was a reverence there that was wonderful to be able to share with my kids. It's hard to give words to that day and the events so I was glad to have some people who were there share their firsthand experiences with my children and me.
Our big girls did sewing lessons with a cute teenage friend in the spring. Everyone has been working on learning Spanish (except Dad, he's an expert already and we're negotiating a wage to have him tutor us ;) so we can actually learn how to speak).
Troy is a valuable part of our homeschool too. He is the expert teacher of building and fixing. And soon, tutoring Spanish. The kids are frequently helping him with tasks. Sometimes it's not their favorite, but we hope they'll grow to value these moments and lessons with him.
Field trips are our favorites; we've done quite a few this year. The police station, zoo, museums, fire station, post office, bird refuge, apple orchard, family history library (to learn more about our ancestors), art museums, recycling center, Artitorium/Children's Museum, library, air museum and air show, water treatment plant, and a local grocery store (bakery, deli, meat department, fresh produce, flower shop).
Visiting our temples as we travel is a HUGE highlight every time. The history and attention to detail, the gardens, the beauty and peace...all of it is so inspiring and reminds us why education was never intended to be free. Indeed, the Lord loves effort. How kind and wise of Father to give us this incredible classroom: all of the earth and the people and their discoveries.
Troy and Britt
Troy's doing well. He enjoys the work he's doing and while he's super busy, it is rewarding for him. He's been able to tackle a few woodworking projects. Sawdust and woodworking is his happy place. We are grateful for him and the hard work he does to care for us. He's working on finishing his MBA now that I'm done with school. We seem to just like learning or something!
I graduated with a bachelors of science in marriage and family science this year. It was a long time in the making and the reward was worth all the hours and work. Going through the coursework was really good for my own well-being. Many of my professors were practicing therapists and I was finally ready for their feedback and began my healing journey. What a gift!
This blog was largely inspired by the work I did in my internship. Family life may never be perfect, but it really can be rewarding and fulfilling. I love encouraging families! I was part of hosting a couples retreat and a mothers retreat this year. They were amazing! I'm looking forward to doing both again.
Homeschooling for us has been a blessing for me as I've been learning right alongside them. Truly, our family has benefited from the way we've chosen to educate ourselves and our children. This journey has shown us a more simple lifestyle and greater appreciation for the old-fashioned and slow things: gardening, family relationships, faith, time in nature, caring for each other, chickens, free play, chores....
As for Troy and me, our marriage is the best quality it's ever been. We've had some rough patches and some really barren seasons. Maybe it's just time and age, patience and grit, perhaps it's because we've both surrendered a little. Likely, it's because we're just two ordinary people having very ordinary experiences trying to remember that there's much more in the big picture than the day to day struggle. Don't misunderstand me here, I realize there's value in consistency and the day to day certainly matters.
We are grateful for our loving Savior and for His sacrifice for us. We cherish our faith and we love each other. Even on the hard days. We've also mutually decided to place our relationship in a much higher place on the priority list which was long overdue.
As such, we've taken some time to be together over the past few years. We have discovered our love to travel. He travels some for work, so I tag along when I can. This year, we went to North Carolina and New York.
North Carolina was pretty and I rested and worked on memory books for the short time we were there. He attended his classes and enjoyed networking.
New York was stunning! We got to spend some time visiting our church history sites, cheese tasting, Niagara Falls, taking in the beautiful fall colors, and remembering again why we fell in love in the first place. He remembered I'm actually pretty fun to hang out with when I'm not worn out and overwhelmed. I remembered his jokes are funny. I even had a minute to really look at him and see how handsome, how kind, and caring he is. Even our layovers were so pleasant!
A big thanks to Grandma for taking care of our lovies while we were away. It's always so hard for me to leave them, but it's better knowing they're in good hands. It helps when Troy reminds me that our healthy marriage is in their best interest too.
Time together with our children and by ourselves has really blessed us.
More Family
Scout, Troy's hunting dog, that we've had since I was pregnant with Trenton got really sick this summer. He came to us a pup; we've grieved his loss so much. We didn't realize how much of a buddy he was to Trenton until it was time to put him down. We were blessed to find a Boykin Spaniel pup and adopted him. It felt strange getting a new dog so quickly, but I couldn't bear to see Trenton's heartbreak and Troy found a litter that he was interested in so it worked out really well.
Dexter is his name and he's a joyful, spunky addition. For some reason, he doesn't like my potted plants, but it's okay because he chases the ball when Trenton's up to bat. I guess that means we're a good team.
This fall, my Dad reached out and asked for our help in bringing him closer to us. This was an answer to many of my prayers. We were able to find a suitable place for him. I hoped this place would be temporary (and that we could find something better soon) though he said he didn't care. We picked him up and our kids were overjoyed to have him near and to spend time with him. I have always loved my Dad and yearned for him to be close physically and emotionally. Having him here has been good for my heart and healing in so many ways. We haven't always had a close relationship and many years have gone by with no contact.
I was able to find an apartment for him and he will be able to move in January. I'm so grateful and especially glad my little family-my husband, my children, and I-petitioned Heaven together for this blessing for him. Something beautiful happens when we "love one another; as I have loved you..." (John 13:34)
I am grateful for the healing I'm experiencing as we talk and revisit days gone by. I wholeheartedly recognize a large outpouring of grace and enabling power from Jesus himself. I know angels are near. I know God's hand is in the details because I see and feel Him there often.
I don't say that to elevate myself in any way but rather to simply bear my witness to you that God enables us and gives us power to obey his every word, no matter how hard or scary it may be. God is good like that. He is always good. He has never let me down so I don't fear this season. He is here and there's nothing He and I can't do together.
How wonderful it is to have been raised by my dad (step-dad) who loves me, to have my dad (biological father) nearby now, and to have my Heavenly Father always near through it all. I now realize how lucky I am!
What better time to share the good tidings of His Gospel--his good news!--than now, at Christmas time when we celebrate the season which the Christ child entered in? May Earth receive her King and may He stay near your cradle always, especially when it's dark, 'til morning is nigh.
We rejoice in our Jesus, in His promises, and in His goodness to us. There is nothing we could possibly boast about because all that we have and all that we are that is good comes from Him.
We are thankful for you and wish you a very Merry Christmas.
May Heaven's richest blessing be yours!
-This Coulson Crew
2024 Photo Gallery
Comments