Still hangin' in here

We had an enjoyable Thanksgiving in Boise. We just wish it wasn't a 9 hour drive to and from. The company and food made doing it at least once worth it. If Erika has the Thanksgiving weekend off, I vote having Thanksgiving on Friday and in Shelley. =)

Aiden's favorite part of the weekend was playing with the animals and swimming in the pool. Lately, he's been singing the Christmas songs he's learning at school. I must say, it's nice to hear songs about Jesus for Christmas instead of just secular ones. That's a perk of a religious school. I think his favorite song is still the "weather song". I've learned it, he's sang it so much. Aiden is really cute still and makes me at least smile, if not laugh every day.

Avery is also going around singing Christmas songs. It's great to hear the two of them. Lately, Avery has been invited to lots of parties. He thinks it's great. CJ and I think it's okay. I am glad he has come out of his shell and is making so many friends. He was a little lonely last year. Avery really struggles in school. I hope things "click" for him earlier next year. I had no luck finding a tutor over the summer and need to look else where this summer.

Andrew is doing better in school. He is making friends and seems to be enjoying himself. Well, I THINK he is doing better. I haven't gotten calls from school and at midterm, his grades were pretty good. He doesn't like to stay after school for a thing called hip-hop which seems to me like an afterschool study hall. We have been strongly encouraging him to stay after and finally this week, he's done it on all the days it's offered.

Alex also like school. I think especially because he never has homework. Yesterday, he went to a credit union on a field trip and opened a savings account. He recently turned 16 and hasn't decided if he wants to take drivers ed or not. He says he does like some of the girls in seminary but I'm not sure that he'll ask anyone out.

LeNell is surviving on little sleep. Ari does sleep through the night but I always have something else to do. Getting any exercise done at the gym is about impossible now. Ari does NOT like being put in her seat anymore and is very vocal about it. The other gym-goers don't appreciate her lung capacity. CJ ordered exercise equipment for us for our Christmas, birthdays, mother's and father's days for the next couple years. I'm looking forward to being at home where Ari can roll around or be loud and no one will mind.

CJ is working a ton. He is trying to finish up something called a C-to-B conversion for the Air Force. It has the potential to earn him 35k more but makes him more desirable to be called TDY. He also will be indentured for four more years. Which isn't really that big a deal considering we plan on putting at least 20yrs into this organization. Recently scuttlebut said CJ might be considered as a conmmander for a dental clinic. We weren't sure that would happen but on Tuesday or Wednesday, his commander said someone had called about wanting to move CJ to a small base to be a commander. The current dental commander said to leave CJ alone since we haven't been here a year and half yet. Whew.

No teeth yet for Ari! I am Okay with this. Ari is getting pretty good at sitting up. She is "chatty" and sweet. This little girl loves to go. If you sit for too long with her, she'll start bouncing to go somewhere. When she's in a Bumbo, she'll arch her back to get out. Ari is so much fun to have around. I had forgotten how neat it is to watch babies learn all the little things we take for granted. Oh, and for those who haven't seen her, she's actually starting to grow hair (yay!) and she's also keeping her blue eyes so far.