Hello 2016

Hey, it's a new year so it's only appropriate that I dust off the old blog and ramble on about how I'm going to post more often this year and blah blah blah...I'll spare you since I say that and then totally forget to post anything for months.  Boo.  We didn't send out our Christmas cards or letter this year so  I thought a post would be fun to recap 2015.  I had the best of intentions to get them out, but we were busy enjoying the holiday and shopping and all that fun stuff and we basically just never got around to printing cards....

Anyways, it always feels weird to send out letters anymore since we share a lot over the year through social media and most of our friends and family are able to keep up with all the exciting moments as they happen.  I have been looking through old posts on my blog and really missing the way I was able to document so many fun moments with the kids on here so I have been trying to pick up my camera more around the house so that I can start sharing more.

Okay, 2015. Where to start?!  Honestly, the whole year could pretty much be summed up with a sweet picture of my little Jack yawning.

Yes, 2015 did not bring much sleep for the Strickland household.  Starting off last January with a 2 month old AND a 21 month old, meant that there were many sleepless nights.  With our older two we were very disciplined about naps and having them learn to sleep on their own as early as possible.  But then came along the younger two and...well...we just weren't as intentional.  How about that? Haha.  No, but it really just came down to logistics.  With the boys sharing a room and Jack rooming in with us, we were just dreading teaching Jack to sleep all night since for our family that meant letting him cry some until he learned how to fall asleep without help.  That is NO fun no matter where your baby sleeps, but especially when they are in the room with you.  I'm so glad that's over and I'm happy to report that everyone is sleeping all night in their own beds which means Mommy and Daddy are getting to sleep, too!  Yay for sleep!

Randy is still loving his job as Worship Pastor at our church and really growing in all of the ways he serves.  We have been here over a year now and really adore our church family and Oklahoma.  We are still so grateful that God lead us here and it really feels like home. Randy keeps busy shooting and editing video for church and practicing with the band.  He really loves the people he gets to work with each day.  He's also taken up traditional bow hunting this year and got rid of his old compound bow.  So anytime he isn't working or hanging with us, you will probably find him in the woods somewhere :)  One of the highlights of Randy's year was taking a two week trip to Montana to serve at a church that reaches out to men through their interest in the outdoors.  It was a great experience and he loved getting to see the beautiful scenery of Montana.

 

As for me, not much has changed.  I'm still keeping busy as ever with homeschooling Ella and Noah and running behind Owen and Jack.  I'm really enjoying school each day with the kids and although it's the biggest challenge I've ever faced, it is the biggest blessing, too.  I had the privilege of teaching  Noah how to read this year and I still get all teary every time he reads aloud to me.  It was incredibly hard so it's very rewarding to hear him reading.  I'm really looking forward to attending a homeschool conference in a couple of weeks with some other homeschool moms for some fun and encouragment!  When I'm not doing school with the kids, I'm probably running around taking us to and from homeschool co-op, Bible study, cheerleading, or church.  I just started a new study with the group of ladies I lead on Wednesday mornings and I really enjoy that time each week!  I've also been busier then ever with photography which has been really fun! It's been a difficult year in the sense that getting around with the babies takes a lot of effort, but we have just pushed through and refused to be stuck inside.  Finally about mid way through the year, Owen got big enough that he could walk easily while holding my hands and he's become a much better listener.  Since then it has been way easier getting out and about!  I'm taking Ella on a trip in February to see my sister so that's something I'm really looking forward to in 2016.  It's a big deal for me to leave my babies behind, but I'm so excited for such a special time for Ella and I.  Plus I get to see my sister who I miss terribly!  It's going to be great!  Having four children keeps me busy busy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.  It's the biggest blessing to have them and to spend my days with them!

Ella turned 8 this year and she is still as beautiful inside and out as ever.  We are so proud of her.  She  has such a compassionate heart and is truly my saving grace around the house.  She has really matured into a little extension of myself...  She's like Mommy Jr.  She is always carrying around her baby brother and helping with the boys.  It's the biggest blessing to me and she does it with such a helpful spirit.  She does well in school and is still a social butterfly wherever she goes.  She had a lot of fun this year with cheerleading on a team with other homeschooled girls her age.  It was really fun and she was really great at it and already anxiously awaiting next season.  We are obviously proud of what a smart, beautiful girl she is, but we are most proud of how much she loves the Lord.  It shows in the conversations we have and the choices she makes every day.  She loves to read her Bible and share during our devotion time each night.  It's a joy to be her mom!

Noah has had a great year, too!  He learned to read, tie his shoes, loose the training wheels on his bike, and lots more!  He is growing and changing so much.  He is still our shy one in the bunch, but when he is home with us he is a total goof ball and has us laughing constantly.  He is definitely an introvert which is hard when he is in a family full of extroverts, but he has grown a lot this year and I've really seen him coming out of his shell and making new friends.  He is still so kind and sweet. He's got a little flash of temper when he is mad or frustrated, but he's really been doing a good job of keeping it under control.  He loved the holidays and would immediately turn on the Christmas tree lights each morning when he woke up last month so that he could sit and enjoy the tree.  He is quiet and shy, but when he has something to say it's always very well thought and meaningful.  We always enjoy getting to hear what he has to say during our Bible lessons and dinner conversations because he is so observant and really "gets it" in life. He hopes to try out some soccer and football this year so we will see what sport ends up being his favorite over the next few seasons.

Oh, Owen.  Where to start?!  He is the big personality of the family!  He talks non stop all day and has an opinion on everything.  He is like a bright shining light in our family.  He's always in the middle of everything making us laugh and smile!  He gave us a really difficult start to 2015 because he is very stubborn and head strong.  I would seriously get anxious about taking him out places because I didn't know if he was going to make a huge scene.  And he did all over town for several months. But finally, after lots of consistency, he seems to have settled down some and now he does so well.  He moved up from the nursery class at Homeschool Co-Op to the Preschool class and has been doing so great.  I was really worried for him to move up because I was nervous that hearing things like "recess is over, time to leave the gym" would send him into a crazy fit.  Finally one of the moms convinced me to let him try and reassured me that they would all love me (and him) even if he had a huge meltdown haha.  He has been going ever since and been awesome.  He really is proof that parenting is hard work, but they will learn the rules with lots of consistent, loving, discipline.  But whew!  I'm really glad we are on the other side of that stage.....at least for now....Ha!  I'm so grateful to say that he is really such a sweet boy and everyone who meets him just falls in love with him.  He is my little buddy and always by my side through the day helping me out and yakking my ear off.  We all just adore him!

And last, but certainly not least...there's Jack.  Our sweeter then sugar little Jack.  We all are just totally smitten with him!  He's got the greatest little personality and is a spitting image of his big sister, Ella.  He is very easy going and just goes wherever we need to without a fuss.  It's been such a blessing having such an easy going little guy with our busy schedules last year.  Continuing with the mold for all of our children so far, Jack has been slow to move, but quick to speak.  He has just started taking some steps at 13 months old.  He is still primarily crawling and only taking a few steps here or there when prompted, but he is getting better and better.  He signs for "more, drink, eat" and says "Mama, Dada, Ella, quack quack, woof woof, cracker, bye, hi" and then lots of gibberish we can't figure out haha.  He loves going to nursery at church and is sleeping great in his crib at night.  He takes two naps each day which is awesome for me and he now has 8 teeth in the front and his first two molars just started cutting through this week!  So almost up to 10 teeth!  We are so thankful for him and love the innocent joy that he brings to the family and everyone who meets him!

Well, I guess that wraps things up!  Goodbye 2015...Hello 2016!