Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here’s what we’ve been up to in 2009:

Brent continued on in nursing school. With that came long hours in the library, more than we care to remember, a better understanding of anatomy than is polite for dinner conversation, a skinnier version of himself due to stress and a new wardrobe! He has traded in his dress shirts for man hose and fancy clogs, but since neither requires me to iron them, I am pleased. School. That’s all he’s done all year. (oh yeah, and some really great personal growth but that stuff’s too gushy for a letter) He graduates in March!

Brooklyn officially did find her way around a new school and has managed to survive her days away from me (shocking!), but putting her on the bus just didn’t happen. Mostly because we enrolled her in a school that doesn’t have a bus route out here, but maybe an itsy tinsy bit because I just couldn’t fathom it. She writes us notes now like, “I luv yo.” and says things like “I feel in my heart that God is cheering for me!” She is girly from head to toe as is evidenced by her Christmas list. Princess costumes. Again

Sam turned four in August and his obsession with Transformers has not waned since. An official study shows that 98.9 % of his conversations are about Transformers with the other 1.1% being requests for more food. He’s trying out new strategies for how to get his way like the following conversation:

Me: Sam, it’s quiet time. Head upstairs.

Sam: Mom I don’t want to do quiet time, could you change your mind?

Me: Sam go upstairs, I am not going to change my mind.

Sam: Uh, excuse me Mom but if you’re not going to change your mind, that means you’re stubborn.

Me: Welcome to the Doherty side of the family Sam.

He’s fun, full of energy, love and lots of giggles. Good luck to his teacher when she wants him to sit still for a whole day.

I am still Brent’s sugar mama slaving away as a waitress in the evening and eating bon bons all day. I love being home with my kids all day even when I have a 4 year old calling me on my character issues and I love going to visit Brooklyn at school and seeing her light up. But I’m excited to go back to work next year too. I want my dream job: Anti-Trafficking work in Africa. Maybe I’ll even be lucky enough to buy hose and fancy clogs for my new job!

May you all be blessed and know that you are loved in 2010.

Love, Courtney, Brent, Brooklyn (5) & Sam (4)

Christmas Decorating in Pictures

Thanksgiving

We started the day with the Turkey Trot in Wash Park. The kids did about 1.5 miles alternately sprinting and walking. Then we cut across the course and finished off the four miles in about 2.5 miles. We had a turkey to get home to!

Then we were blessed to have a house full of friends come over and fill our house with food, laughs, love and general sillyness (the kids... well, and Brent). Brent even got a chance to practice his nursing! One of our friends nearly passed out. Probably from dumping syndrome... eating too much too fast. Now there's clear proof, I saw him in action and, Brent's going to be a great nurse!

It was a fantastic holiday. We went to bed late, full and very blessed.

It's been 3 years

This is one of my very favorite pictures. I don't know why it's not framed any where in my house, the picture is precious to me. The fact that Brooklyn's not looking or that Sam's face is covered by a cup probably makes it sweeter. It's the first picture I have of us as a family. When I look at this picture I remember the utter joy. The elation. The thankfulness. Knowing that I was drowning in grace.

My children came to me in different ways. God blessed me utterly and completely both times, but differently. With Brooklyn it was peace and steadfast assurance. God was mercifully a rock. With Sam it was grace. Everywhere grace. How could I be this lucky, twice?

On Wednesday it'll Sam's Happy Home Day. Three years. It doesn't seem long enough for all the joy, love, and grace we've experienced. Our lives are a lot more active with a little boy around. Secretly, we're all glad for that. He brings craziness to our everyday. He is Brooklyn's best friend, brother and grounding force. He is a tender warrior with a spirit of fire. By grace he became our son.

Thank God.

Happy Halloween

We had a great Halloween here. We started with a party at Brooklyn's school on Friday (which Sam even went to. He was so excited to be in Kindergarten for a morning.), followed by a birthday party Saturday morning, trick-or-treating that night and free burritos at Chipotle to finish off.

Here's our Super Girl ready to go trick-or-treating with friends Saturday night.

Sam the pirate collecting all his booty... he loved yelling TRICK OR TREAT at every house.

With our big group of kids this is what people were met with when the opened the door. More than ten kids begging for candy :)

Here's some of the group.

Here are Brookie and Sam. Adorable don't you think?

We're Sick

There's not much to say about our lives here, just sick. The kids have been sick for nearly a week and seem to be getting better but ebb and flow and now Brent is sick. He's the worst out of all three of them with a 102 temp last night. I, thankfully, have not gotten sick. Here's to hoping that I stay healthy and that Costco sells chicken soup by the crate because we're going to need it.

In Colorado even the kids run...

Last week Brooklyn had the Dragon Dash at her school. It's an annual race for the kids in the neighborhood of the school. K-2nd grade run .8 miles and 3rd -5th grade run 1.5 miles. Despite Brooklyn's hacking cough she made it through the whole thing and got her medal. We all ran together and had a great time!