Merry Christmas to all of our Friends and Family!! I apologize for the informalness of our "Christmas Card," but I found that after moving across the country, the holidays snuck up on me too quickly.Lots has happened to our little family over the last year. I guess the biggest event is that we moved from Denver, Colorado to San Antonio, Texas this fall. Kade decided it was time for him to take the next step and go from working for somebody, to opening up his own practice. It was a terrifying step into the unknown, but we felt it was right for him and our family. So often, we are asked why we chose San Antonio. Our answer is simply: We don't know. We got here in October, and have loved it ever since.
Earlier this year, we were able to get out and see some of the sights in our beautiful country. We made treks to places such as the nearby Rocky Mountains, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands, Moab, and our most adventurous--Alaska.
Our girls are pretty good travelers, and it has been fun taking them to explore all of these places. Though, we think they may enjoy the excitement of staying at a hotel, and eating out, more than they do the beautiful sights we have been able to see.
Kade often tells people he is a "tooth killa," but we all know he's just an Endodontist (a dental specialist for Root Canals). He has been working hard the last few months to get his office up and going. He has discovered that there are a million little details that go into setting up a business. We hope to have his practice up and running at the beginning of January. In his free time, Kade enjoys running, and conquered the Utah Valley Marathon this last June. We were unable to be there to support him, but we were very proud of him and his accomplishment.
With the move and the daily chores of taking care of the kids, this year has been a busy one for me. Sometimes the many hats that I wear as a mom can be a bit overwhelming, but I love that I can stay home with my little girls. Most recently, I've taken up wood working. After the move, I bought I couple of saws, and found some fun projects online to tackle. I still enjoy crafting and making the ideas in my head come to life. My goal for the new year is to get my Dental Hygiene license here in Texas, despite my absence from the field these last 2 and 1/2 years.
Maryn turned six this year, and started first grade. She loves going to school, and is an excellent student. Her most recent endeavors include writing and illustrating "books." Maryn has done so well making new friends at her new school, and at church. She is a fun little girl and a joy to be around. Most Saturdays she can be found watching The Clone Wars with her dad. She still enjoys playing the piano and making crafts, just like her mother.
Ailee is three, and probably the girliest girl I have ever known. Her favorite color, flavor, and theme is pink. If she could have it her way, the world would be painted in pink. She spends most of her time playing dress up and giving loves to her poor, sick stuffed animals. Ailee loves her big sister, and wants to be just like her. She was pretty excited to take her first set of swim lessons this last year. She longs to go to school or get a loose tooth, and is now starting to learn how to read with Kade.
Cora is our youngest, and just turned one this November. She has been such a wonderful addition to our family. We love watching her grow and learn, and she has recently discovered that all the FUN toys are upstairs....thus she has quickly conquered crawling up the stairs. Cora is probably the luckiest girl around because she has two loving big sisters to look after her. She loves to be tickled, and can make anything become a necklace or a pretty bracelet. We can't wait to see what the next year has in store for her.
We have felt very blessed over this last year, and we are excited for the prospects before us. We recognize the hand of our Heavenly Father in our lives, and we love having this season to celebrate the birth of His son, Jesus Christ. May this Christmas find you all well and happy.Lots of love from the Roundy Family!
Kade, Emily, Maryn, Ailee and Cora
Last month, little Cora turned a year old. (Yes, I am a bit behind on the blog. My only excuse is pure laziness.) I'm always amazed at how much a child changes in the first year. They go from being completely helpless and totally dependant to being complete stinkers and totally demanding. But ya love 'em anyway. Cora has turned into a happy little girl, who loves loves loves her family. She is always watching her big sisters and learning (good and bad) things from them. She got her first tooth and 10 and 1/2 months, and finally learned how to crawl at 11 months. At 12 months she could say Mama, Dada, and Please.
Then, it was on to presents!! It's a good thing she has those two sisters to help her open the presents.
I had a stroke of luck as I was strolling through Target one day. Maryn had asked to be a purple fairy, Ailee [of course] pink, and Cora already had a blue tutu. They were just starting to put out their Halloween stuff, and I noticed they had purple, pink, and blue wings out on the shelf. Like they were just waiting for me to walk by. They were perfect for little fairies:
She was one sad fairy.
And how could we leave out little Cora? She couldn't quite reach the hammock, but she loved the feel of the soft grass on her feet.
I was pretty bad at taking pictures while I was on my temporary break from life, so I didn't get any pictures of the girls with their cousins. There are lots of cousins in Idaho for us, so there is hardly ever a lack of entertainment. I will have to remember to take cousin pictures next time.
Pretty great backdrop, huh? The geese were surprisingly friendly 
(my experience is that geese are not nice, and perhaps a bit intimidating when a limited supply of food is being thrown at them), and the day was a perfect one for fall [not snowing]. 
Maryn and Ailee checking out the falls:
It was such a pretty day, and the leaves were changing colors, so I wanted to get a few pictures of the girls underneath a bright orange tree. Now, those of you non-professional photographers with three children, probably know just how hard it is to get a picture of all three of those stinkers, where everyone is looking at the camera, and perhaps smiling. You see, Maryn is very photosensitive. She can't stand opening her eyes when the sun is shining. Especially when her mother asks her to. Ailee, well, she's three, so she just hates to be told what to do, and Cora is always trying to find something to put into her mouth, be it a bug, mulch, or a random speck on the sidewalk.
TWO is do-able:
We are here, in San Antonio, now. We have survived the raging tempest of driving, unpacking, and getting settled. I hope to get pictures of our new home (that was well worth the wait) up on the blog, as soon as I get a few more things done.
Back floats were her favorites. It meant that she didn't have to put her face into the water. That took a little bit of work, but, towards the end (with some practice during bath time at home), she got brave and even put her eyes into the water. Next we will work on getting her ears in, too.
Now it's on to the real thing for this little girl.