They told us before we had children that time would fly
faster with each year once little ones joined our lives and now we are truly
grasping what they meant! Peanut will
turn 3 on January 22nd and Nugget turned 1 on October 25th.
Our two little girls have very big personalities and it has been such a joy
watching them grow, learn, and explore the world around them.
The year began far
different than we ever imagined as we transitioned to the civilian world after
ending our time with K on Active Duty.
We have adjusted to living back in our home state and it has been
such a joy being so close to family. It’s
hard to believe we have been away from military life for almost a year and we
definitely miss the community and comradre that it provided. We are finding our niche here, however, and
finding places to connect in our new environment. We absolutely love our church, Waypoint and cherish the friendships old and new that surround us.
K has spent 2015
working in Iraq as a Security Contractor. While it
has been difficult having him away for so long, he is enjoying the opportunity
to continue to use his specific skills in a relevant occupation. We hope that 2016 brings him home to us for
good and are trusting the Lord to provide a job much closer to home. He still dreams of the day he can have a
Ferarri, but he still hasn’t died from driving the old family car (yes, Roger the Versa is still running!), so he will
survive until the day of miracles occurs.
Peanut is bright,
busy, and full of life. She is quick to
let you know that her favorite color is purple and her favorite princess is
Cinderella. It is hard to believe that
she will be 3 next week. She
has a tender heart and loves her little sister with every fiber of her being. She enjoys going to the babysitter’s house
three days a week and playing with her best friend, Z. You will often find Peanut singing, dancing,
crafting, or playing with her dolls…usually without pants on (we’re working on
that). She loves Sunday school and has recently started learning how to memorize Bible verses. We are so proud of our sweet peanut!
Nugget is our calm and
quiet little lady. Usually found with
her fingers in her mouth, she’s often content to observe the fun around
her. Now that she is walking, she’s
becoming braver to venture out beyond mommy’s sight, but she’s always certain
to come back. She will likely be quite
independent in time. She loves to read
and will often plop herself in a corner with a book unprompted. She adores her big sister and also adores
driving her crazy. Nugget may be tiny,
but she’s capable of shenanigans I never imagined. She had tubes placed in early December after
countless ear infections and now, because she can finally hear, is starting to
talk! Like every good toddler, “no” is her favorite word with “hi” not too far
behind. She loves to dance and was absolutely thrilled when she started sharing her bedroom with big sister earlier this month.
Kim (me) is quite the expert at “worst timing ever” and, as
such, decided to start nursing school this fall. She is attending Nebraska Methodist College
and completed her first semester with a perfect 4.0! She is hoping to get into summer clinical so
she can graduate in three years, but will graduate with her BSN no later than
2019 if all goes according to plan. In
addition to nursing school, she also works part time at a local non-profit as a
breastfeeding educator. She is
continuing her doula work and her volunteer work with Babywearing International,
just on a much smaller scale than in previous years. Kim is thankful for all the remarkable people
who have helped her with the girls over the last year as she found her balance
between work, school, and motherhood.
She is also thankful for coffee (and yes, she did dress up the whole family as Doctor Who characters for Halloween).
All in all, it has been a remarkable, life changing year
for all of us. We are continually
humbled and amazed by everything the Lord is doing in our lives and in our
family. We look forward to all He has for us in 2016 and we pray that you are
touched by His mercy and goodness during the New Year! Don't be a stranger--our home is always open to friends near and far!
Sending all of our love,
K, Kim, Peanut (almost 3) & Nugget (14
months)
