Hello

It's been three long months since I've blogged. It was a well deserved hiatus. Much has changed but much is still the same. The summer was long but good. We spend many days at the pool and the zoo and just thinking about summer makes me wish it were still here. As I sit and type, both girls are in bed and fast asleep, not much to their liking. The house is quiet and there was nothing better to do than to write. I left everything from my to-do list at work so here I sit. For the past few days I've thought about writing my thoughts down but something always came up that required attention. It's nice to have a few quiet moments to myself. Doesn't happen much and it almost seems foreign. One day that will change though and I'm trying to soak up these "interruptions" and think of them as blessings. Aiva is turning into quite the young lady although she tries to act older than her 7 years. It must be that 8 is lurking close and she's about to turn another year ....wiser is what I'd like to say but "challenging" is what comes to mind. She's definitely more of a challenge than Ana but day by day we make it through. She has such a powerful personality that it's been difficult for her and Nate to communicate. They end up arguing and it's not pretty. I've been the peacemaker and try to mediate between them both but more times then none, they both end up crossing their arms and parting ways, frustrated. I pray that she learns how to use her personality for the good and realize the damage that it could do if she uses it the wrong way. She's the sweetest thing if you know how to talk to her and build her up. I've researched this and it's taken me awhile but I think I know some key phrases that don't cause friction and we seem to have done better.

Ana my playful child is always hard at play with her friend Riley. They're always side by side although not for long. Riley is about to start kindergarten while Ana is still in preschool. Fun as it seems, Ana looks like she should be the one in second grade. She's about ready to pass up her sister in height. She definitely takes after her daddy. The trait she's taken on is that of whining. Not the best one, but we're dealing with it. She's been whining since the day she was born and she continues to do so. One of these days she will tell us what she wants or what is wrong without whining. When that happens we all will celebrate! She does still have an infectious smile and I can't help to not smile when she's in the room.

We're looking forward to a new year and new things. So much is in store for us and I can't wait to see how things unfolds. Since I'm "back" get used to seeing me on here. I do miss seeing and hearing my updates. I look back at my blogs from time to time and it helps to see how I've grown or what we've experienced. Not just me, but it's amazing to see how the girls have grown and how they've changed. Kids grow so quick and I'm sure soon I'll look back on this and think "where did the time go". Until then, I'm enjoying each moment...hope you can enjoy it with me!