Saturday, December 20, 2014

Our 2014 Christmas Card



 
Merry Christmas!

2014 was a wild rollercoaster ride, ups, downs, super-fast and over in the blink of an eye! 
 
The biggest and best thing that happened was our little boy, Ames Johan (Ames after my great-grandpa and Johan after a couple relatives on both sides), was born on August 19.  He is absolutely amazing!  While writing this, hes 14 weeks, loves smiling and just started giggling.  He has surpassed both Hakan and Adeline in height and weight when they were his agehes a really good eater.  He definitely looks more like Adeline when she was a baby.  He sleeps like a champ (thank God)!  We are so very thankful for Gods master plan and blessing us with him this year, he was worth the wait.  We are all head over heels in love with him!

Adeline is 3 ½ and as spunky as ever!  She loves to make up songs, which usually end up with let it go, let it go, dont feel from Frozen stuck in there somewhere.  When she says the word stick, she replaces her s with a d and doesnt sound like stick anymoreJ.  Coloring and painting are some of her favorite things to do, especially using herself as a canvas.  Like me, she LOVES animals, to the point where she may just be loving them a little too much, ha!  She is fearless and loves adventures!  She is so sweet and will just come up and give us kisses.  She is an amazing, caring big sister and so adorable with her little brother. 

Hakan is 5 ½.  He finished up his first year of preschool last spring and this fall were doing some preschool at home, with possibly homeschooling kindergarten next year.  He loves numbers, not something he gets from me, but probably his CPA dadJ.  Creating things is also a passion for him, crafts, masks, little projects, anything that involves paint, colors, glue and a toilet paper roll, hes all in (Ill take a little credit for that).  Hes so sweet and remembers the craziest things.  He had tons of fun playing baseball and soccer this year, with soccer being his favorite (cutest thing ever watching 5 yr olds play sports).  Hes a wonderful big brother, helping me and taking care of Adeline (when theyre not fighting) and Ames.

Derek is heading into his 10th busy season at Abdo, Eick and Meyers in January, doing mainly audits not taxes, which take him out of the office and out of town quite a bit, but he enjoys working with and helping all the different clients.  Im trying to mentally prepare for this busy season with 3 kids and wintershould be fun ;)  He played on a couple different softball teams this year and we really have fun watching him play, or I have fun watching him play and the kids have fun covering themselves from head to toe in orange sand.

I, Lacy, stay at home with our kids and wouldnt trade it for anything!  Its not always easy, but for me to be the main influence in their lives and spend every day with them is awesome.  The days are long, but the years are short!  We spend a lot of time with friends, at the zoos, parks, beaches, museums and tons of free events around the area.  I was also working at Lifetime Fitness as a swim instructor and swim coach to 7-9 year olds, which was so awesome getting back to something I love, but decided not to return after having Ames.  I put my Anchored Hope etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/anchoredhope) on vacation after having Ames, but I hope to have it back open come January.  Its not easy getting sewing and knitting done with three little ones (Ames just woke up from his nap and is crying, perfect timing!), but its something I love doing, so I try to make time for it.  There are also a few handmade shows in 2015 that Id love to be a part of, something I didnt really get to do this year.

Derek and I vacationed at Lake Las Vegas this summer and had a great time sitting by the pool, reading, kayaking and even meeting up with a friend, a much needed getaway, while the kids had fun at the Grandmas in Jamestown.  We spent one afternoon on the Strip, and thats probably enough for a lifetime.  We didnt gamble so no wins or losses.  We also went on our first family camping trip up in Duluth, I may have been 36 weeks pregnant, but it was amazing!  We had the perfect camp site in the woods where we set up our tent and air mattress that almost took up the whole thingthe kids had plenty of room to sleep J.  We cooked over the fire and spent the weekend being filthy dirty and loved it!  We visited the historic Split Rock Light House, and spent the day hiking and exploring the gorgeous area.  Adeline found lots of sticks, big, little, long and short, ha!  This will definitely be a repeat trip. 

Our cat, Bear, is 9 ½, and doing pretty well with all the craziness in our little home.  Now that our Christmas tree is up, shes a happy camper sleeping the day away underneath it.  I think she secretly loves it when the kids chase her around the house

2014 also came with the loss of my Grandpa Don and Dereks aunt Glenda.  We are thankful that they are not suffering anymore, and rejoicing in Heaven, but they are loved and missed so so dearly.  It is not the same without them.
We are standing alongside and praying for all our family and friends who are going through some difficult times, know that we love you so much! 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2015 New Year!

The Halvorsons