WOW! It's been a long time!

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted anything.Well, actually I can to be totally honest. it's hard to find time during the day to sit for 10 minutes and I'm usually exhausted, sitting on the couch after the girls go to bed. It's hard to get your creative juices flowing after you've been running around with to little people all day.

Anyway, Katelyn is doing great. She is a little ball of energy! I really wish she would give me just a little bit of it. I would be able to get so much done! We've been (slowly) working on her nummbers and alphabet. She can pretty much count to 20 and recognize 1-5. She can say her alphabet and can recognize a,b,c,o, and sometimes d. I'm not super structured with it since I figure she'll be in school for the next 18 years or so so why rush it. I'm enjoying watching her play and use her imagination! Some of the things she comes up with are amazing!

Right now she is into everything princess! She plays in "castle" much of the day and loves to dress up in her Sleeping Beauty dress she wore for Halloween. She loves to be read to. Right now, Berenstein Bears books are her favorite. She does have a couple of Barbie books she likes as well. She enjoys watching Dragon Tales, Caillou, Curious George, and Berenstein Bears (On Demand is our best friend some days).

Caroline is 10 months old!! Can you believe it? Times flies when you're having fun! She just cut two teeth this past wek and is working on another one. When that comes in, she'll have a total of 6 teeth. 4 on top and 2 on bottom. She is all about big people food now. She'll still eat somebaby food, but mainly she wants the real stuff. She loves carrots, peas, turkey, Chik-fil-a chicken, and green beans. She really likes to feed herself too. She does pretty well! A lot gets in her mouth, but some ends up on the floor as well. Oh well! You gotta learn somehow.

She is turning into an independent player. We can go into Katelyn's room to play "castle" and Caroline is just content sitting by herself chewing on Katelyn's dolls or her My Little Ponys. She is fascinated by Katelyn's shoes too. I am constantly taking K's Crocs from her. Dirty shoe + baby's mouth = NASTY!!

Caroline is such a sweet baby. She enjoys being around people and loves to "talk" to you. She smiles all the time and really only cries when she's hurting or hungry. Though I love K to death, it's been much easier this time around. She is crawling all over the place! For a long time she only did the army crawl. It is so adorable! She has only just recently started crawling on her knees, though more often than not she just gives up and goes back to the commando crawl. I don't know if it's easier, faster, both, or whatever. All I know is it makes me smile.

As for Dana and I, things are going well. Dan is trying to finish up this semester in school. He is doing online classes towards his MDiv. This semester he's taking Family Ministry and Ethics. His ethics class has been the basis for some interesting conversations. It's one thing to have opinions on conterversial topics, but it's another to base those opinions on what scripture says. It's changed my thoughts on some topics.

He's also getting things ready for our annual Christmas Ministry Night with the middle schoolers. We take our students all over the city into homeless shelters, crisis centers, and homes of shut-ins to share the love of Christ and throw a Christmas party. It's always such a neat time. Most of the kids talk about it the rest of the year. The middle schoolers are also headed to Miami for their New Years Discipleship trip. They will be helping some neighborhood churches reach out and minister to their communities. I knwo it's going to be an awesome trip!

As for me, last week we wrapped up our fall semester of Mom 2 Mom. I must say I have the best group. We're all very different, but we all mesh really well. We have had some wonderful times of encouragement, shared some laughter and some tears, and just loved on each other. I can't wait until we start meeting again in the spring. I miss my ladies!

I'm also busy co-teaching a 7-8th grade Sunday school class. I have such sweet girls and I'm loving it. We're actually putting on a block party for a lower income apartment complex this weekend. It's been alot of work, but I know God is going to do some awesome things. I'm also gearing up for the holidays. I love Thanksgiving nd Christmas! I love decorating (though I dont do a great job) and cooking and seeing family and friends. I also love buying gifts. There is nothing like seeing the face of someone opening a gift that you really thought about and seeing them smile. I enjoying getting gifts too, but there's nothing like giving a part of yourself away. I can't do as much as I'd like with the economy and all, but I know it's the thought that counts.

Well, I hope that catches you all up on our lives. Hopefully it won't be another 3 months before I post again!