We are staying busy.

Rick just finished his second semester at Missouri Western in Saint Joseph. He passed all of his classes and we are now a year and a half closer to his goal of becoming an RN. He has somehow managed to work full time, go to school full time, study, be an attentive father and a great husband all at the same time. He is taking the summer off of school to spend some time with us and we are loving having him around more. He is pretty AWESOME!

Sarah is finishing out her 8th grade year in middle school and will enter high school next year. She is smart as can be and loves going to school. She is friendly to everyone- even the jerks that aren't very nice to her and she is a really good friend. She plays in the school band and LOVES playing sports. She is very into shopping and texting on her cell phone, she is a huge help around the house and with the babies. I have a lot of fun laughing and talking with her... I just wish it wasn't always after 10pm at night, which is when she seems to turn on and want to hang out.

Rachel has been doing school at home due to her health and she quite enjoys it. She gets to walk across the field to my Aunts house every Monday afternoon for a social studies/storytime class and she loves going. She enjoys being home and spends a lot of her time snuggling the babies. Kymball will reach for her sometimes before she will come to me. Rachie just loves that! She and Gabriel fight more than any of the kids and the two of them enjoy pushing one anothers buttons. Rachel is very into 'fashion' and takes longer to get dressed than anyone. She is lots of fun to have around and I love having her here during the day to talk to, cook with and laugh with.

Gabriel is 5 now and is going to Kindergarten this fall. He wants to go to school so badly that he asked me to sign him up for the local summer school program. He will be riding the bus to and from school everyday this June. Sarah does not want him riding alone on the school bus with all of the 'bullies' so she has decided to also go to summer school. He is very excited to go and has been practicing his writing and letters. Gabriel is a superstar at the Wii and at games on my iphone. He loves playing anything with a screen and buttons- and he's pretty good at any that he tries. He likes to go outside as long as he does not get sticky or dirty or sweaty. I think he may be the 'work behind a desk' kind of guy. His cousin and best friend recently moved away so he has been kind of bummed out but I am hoping summer school will help cheer him up.

Ammon is almost 2years old and he is a pistol! He is into everything, climbs on everything and does not like to listen very often. At the same time he is my most helpful child, he is super loving and snuggly. He loves to be outside and wants to be outside all of the time. He loves going places in the car and doesn't really care where we go as long as we go somewhere. He picks on Gabriel and is a bit of a bull in a china closet when it comes to Kymball- even though he tries very hard to be loving. He is funny and keeps us all on our toes. He enjoys music and dancing and loves 'giving 5'. We love him to pieces and can not remember what we ever did before him.

Kymball is almost 1 year old and she is the resident princess. Gabriel calls her Kymbie, Sarah calls her Bootiful, Rachel calls her Baby Girl, and Ammon calls her Key-key. She is hardly ever set down and her favorite place to be is in Rachels bed with her all snuggled under blankets with her. Kymball likes going for walks in the stroller and LOVES to eat. She was almost walking when she took a fall, hit her face on the concrete and chipped her little front tooth. She has not been as eager to walk and get around on her own since the fall. She is a very happy baby and smiles at everyone and everything. She LOVES music and sings her way around the house all of the time. She even sings the ladies at church under the table. She is lots of fun and we ALL adore her.

I'm just plugging away, enjoying all of my sweethearts and doing Mommy things. I get to help my church in the compassionate service area and there are some days that my calling keeps me very busy. I miss my parents serving a mission in Russia and wish my family were closer but I love my home and my little life and am quite content where I sit. We are all looking forward to summer and warmer weather and hope for fun things to come.