Happy Holidays!!

 

 

The following is our annual e-card:

Happy Holidays!!

Yes, we are that annoying family that sends family updates as their Holiday card… alas, at least we aren’t wasting a ton of paper printing it out! So, without further ado:

This year has been one of growing and learning! Elijah turned 3 in January and where certain challenges were eliminated, others were introduced. He has excelled in his soccer class and is now in an independent class with a few other peers. We are very impressed with these strides and are constantly amazed at the transformation. He is mistaken, quite often, for a much older, um, girl. He is rather tall for his age and his features as well as his hair often throw people for a loop, but he never seems bothered by the misspeak of others and we laugh it off. He is shy and quiet, but VERY observant. His imagination expands daily. He delights in telling us stories and making up songs. He will start preschool next fall. We are excited for this transition, but realize that our little boy is not so little anymore. He is an amazing big brother. He watches over Grace and plays with her in a loving way. This is not to say that there are not fights, but for the most part they love to be together.

Grace turned one in May. She was taking a few steps at her first birthday, but took off on our vacation to the Outer Banks… on the ferry nonetheless. We also discovered that her eczema was due to an egg allergy. Her language has taken off and she constantly surprises us with her vocabulary. She loves to dance. Jerry has taught her how to pump her fist hard rock style, which makes me giggle, as she doesn’t look the least bit rock-n-roll. People stare at both she and Elijah, but she lights up under the attention. She plays shy, but constantly looks to make sure you are still looking at her. I fear that we are in for the time of our lives when she gets older. She is anxious to do things that Elijah does. She loves watching him play soccer and delights in the few times she has gotten to do the warm up with his class. She will start soccer class in the fall when Elijah goes to preschool. She is very independent, which is a blessing and a curse. She has no fear and does not seem to understand the word “no.” She takes off to the water at the beach and seems to think that all cars will simply stop at her appearance. This has caused many grey hairs to spring up on her parents’ heads. However, this independence also allows for mom and dad to not have to be around every minute of every day and can actually enjoy an occasional date.

Jerry started working for a new company (SGS North America) in January. While he is doing the same thing, he is MUCH happier working for a company that actually seems to understand that employees are human beings. He has proven to be a valuable employee. While he has had to work much over time, it is well worth it to have a happy husband and father!

Erin is still staying at home with the kiddos. She tries to keep them active and running around. She only participated in one craft fair this year, but ended up booking a face painting gig with a friend of hers that may turn into a business at some point in the future. She is actively figuring out what to do with herself once the children are both in school. While this is a while away, there is possibly more school involved.

So, this is most of the news from this year. We are all happy and healthy. There is not much else for which we could ask!

Happy Holidays!!

The Jones