Dear Family & Friends,
We wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying time with family and friends. With moving and the very late arrival of baby number six I didn't get around to stamping and sending out Christmas cards this year, so we are doing a virtual card/letter instead.
It has been another busy year for the Stannix family and we are so grateful for all of the opportunities we've had this year to learn, stretch, and grow! We've made a lot of big decisions this year and there has been a lot of changes. We began the year with the exciting news that baby number six would be joining our family in November. Mike & I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Europe in May for a little bit of work, and a celebration of our 10th anniversary. In the Fall we packed our home and moved to the Acreage to be closer to family and follow a dream Mike has always had to start his own accounting practice.
Camilla (9) has grown up so much this year! She is such a responsible big sister and brings such joy to our family. She loves to teach lessons during family home evening and often comes prepared with it all written out on a piece of paper, along with pictures and games for the boys. She enjoyed trying out gymnastics this year and became quite good at it. She excelled in violin and enjoyed her teacher very much. She recently started piano lessons and has caught on pretty quickly. She loves music, and reading, and playing outside. She has been such a big help with baby Sawyer and enjoys snuggling him and even changing the odd diaper.
Hyrum (7) grew two whole inches since his birthday in April. He is now taller than his sister (though she doesn't like that too much) and likes to rub it in. He has taken a recent interest in art and loves to sit and draw at the table. He can look at any picture and draw something that looks almost exactly the same. He enjoys being outside and loves to play ninja's with his brother Joe.
Joseph (6) is enjoying grade one this year! He loves to learn and figure out how things work and his teacher is super! They focus on different themes each week like making apple sauce and homemade ginger bread houses. He loves being hands on and comes home happy and content. His active brain is enjoying being stretched and he is improving his reading so much! He enjoys being outside the most and has really loved the extra space at the acreage to run and be free.
Finley (4) likes to be the funny one in the family. He makes us laugh every day and has such a charm about him. He enjoys eating breakfast with Grampa and playing bomber man on the TV. He has started some preschool learning at home and loves working in his booklets when his mom isn't too busy to sit and help. With the older three in school he has enjoyed being the big brother at home and is super helpful. He loves playing with his little brother Oliver and helping with the new baby.
Oliver (2) is super fun to be around and brings such joy to our family. He talks and pronounces his words so well and he seems so grown up lately! He has his moments, but for the most part he is very happy and agreeable. He likes to be silly with his big brothers and join into any wrestling match the moment it begins.
Sawyer (1 month) is such an easy going baby! We feel so blessed to have him in our family. He sleeps like a champ and doesn't mind the noise and chaos one bit. He does four hour stretches at night and often sleeps right through the morning school routine which allows mommy to help the kids and make breakfast. He smiles at us and coos and has a very pleasant way about him.
Mike took his young men on an amazing hike this Summer (over 52KM) near mount Assiniboine. It was a lot of hard work and planning, but enjoyed by all. The theme was resilience and the young men all came away stronger than they left. It was an amazing experience for all involved. He has recently finished work at KPMG and we are so happy to have him home with us full time again. He has partnered with a friend in Edmonton and will be starting his own practise here in January. We are excited about his shortened commute and the opportunity to have him working closer to home this year!
I enjoy being able to be home with the children each day, and have really enjoyed living right next to my parents this Fall. It's fun to be able to teach the children and be at the crossroads each day as they leave and come home from school. In my spare time I enjoy creating, baking, crocheting, and most recently gardening and canning. I really enjoyed our trip to Amsterdam and London in May and am already planning and looking forward to another trip in a few years.
We have been so blessed this year with great friends, loving family members and service. We are grateful for each of you and the support we've received this year through all of the craziness and fun!
Love,
Mike, Addie, Camilla, Hyrum, Joseph, Finley, Oliver & Sawyer
0 comments:
Post a Comment