Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!

It is New Years Eve and the house is quiet.  It gives me time to think back over 2011 and look forward to 2012.  Gary is working... Kayla is home from college and enjoying time with her friends... Noah is with the guys at his friends house... Even Mckenna is spending the night!  Ayden Jane and I have the house to ourselves.  Of course, she will likely sleep with me anyway so it won't seem too empty.

Looking back:  Gary is settled at work.  That is a short sentence, but it took years in the making.  Trust me.

Kayla is a Clemson student.  2011 was a big year of transition for her.  She graduated from HS and lived somewhere other than Pawleys Island for the first time since she was 3!  She has made so many new friends and learned so many new things.  She is still our Kayla, but she is becoming more and more her own person with a giant world open to her.  It's hard to explain.

Noah has made some tough choices.  Some of them good and some of them not, but all of them have taught him much.  He has taken on a slightly new role of oldest in Kayla's absence and done a wonderful job of caring for his little sisters.  Ayden Jane trusts him completely and adore's his attention.  I think he will be happy to leave 2011 behind, but I believe 2012 holds great things for him!

2011 was great to Mckenna.  She finished 4th grade and entered 5th confident and happy.  She has discovered that not only is she talented athletically, but that she loves art.  She can still hang with the boys on the soccer team, but has made solid friendships with some girls.  She is growing up so fast!

Ayden Jane accomplished more that I could have imagined in 2011.  We are glad to put the illness of the fall behind us, but I can't let the rough couple of months dampened my awe of what she has learned.  Last winter she was still 'little'.  She was part toddler, part preschooler.  She is all out preschooler now.  She is active and social.  She has friends, she is learning and happy and healthy.  She is far more a typical 4 year old than a 4 yr old little girl with PWS.

So, what about 2012?  I plan to focus on prayer, getting back to running, being a good wife, enjoying all the time I can with my kids while they are around and reading a few books in whatever time I can find.  Oh, and of course, keeping up with this blog!

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