Friday, December 23, 2016

Christmas 2016



2016 - Oh what a year!!!  We keep trying to simplify and minimize our schedules and activities, but we must be doing something wrong cuz it hasn't happened yet!  This is our new TOP priority for 2017, because HELLO, we need more time for spontaneous dance pantries and Lego builds with mounds of Legos covering my floors.  My favorite moments of all is when it suddenly is quiet, and I peek in on them all playing house together, referring to each other as “honey” and “sweetie”!

Tanner turned 8 this summer and made a pivotal decision to follow Christ by being baptized.  We are grateful for his gentle, sensitive, and caring spirit.  While he's still learning to control those BIG emotions, he can express himself more clearly than most adults, and tells me such deep, profound thoughts.  Now if there were only a way to build a bubble to protect him!!! He transitions daily from the fun big brother to the teacher/corrector, pointing everything the girls do wrong!  He's discovered friends are his lifeblood, and there’s always an extra kid playing at our house, or he’s out roaming the ‘hood, coming home with muddy shoes and pockets full of rocks.  He still loves to hang out at home, and tells me "I like my friends but I like playing with you the BEST!" 

Brooke is a ray of sunshine, lover of music, and endlessly creates.  She prides herself on being my little helper, and her memory and sweetness are a Godsend.  This year she fell in love with Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, learning how to control voice-activated Alexa!  She began a music theory class called “Let's Play Music,” learning how her voice is her first instrument, and learning how to read music and play the bells.  And she LOVES Miss Becky, always giving her the biggest HUG.  She tries her best at gymnastics, even if she gets frustrated with how her arms or legs may bend!  But she’ll tell me, “Mom, I never get in trouble.  I ALWAYS listen to my teacher!”  In this house, no craft supplies are safe!  She draws, colors, paints, cuts, creating endless amounts of rainbows, letters to friends, family and everyone in between.  The more sparkly, the better!!!  She thrives in Pre-K, being a peacemaker and a smarty pants.  She's counting down the days til she's 5 and begins Kinder at the BIG school!  She remembers every compliment she receives, but does NOT know how to handle any negativity.  Just the thought of being in trouble makes her cry, and if you ever raise your voice at her, the waterworks will start! 

Rylee is the most fun, spontaneous, and crazy kid.  She loves to shake her booty, has a mild obsession with naughty words like POOP, and insists on wearing a tutu or dress that spins! She keeps us on our toes, with an iron will that cannot be forged!  It has its advantages. One day she decided she wanted to wear panties and we sat back and watched as she trained herself.  But mostly, we watch as random strangers will be scared for her life as she runs, climbs, twirls and spins thru life.  On the playground, there's no limit.  She'll attempt the monkey bars solo and then yell when you go in for the rescue -- "why are you helping me!!  I can do it!"  But if you see her around babies, a completely different, gentle side emerges.  At 7am, it’s a gamble – she’ll either be begging to go to Cosmic Jump, or to see her baby friends!  She gives lots of LOVE and doesn't know how to stop.  Oi!  With the removal of her tonsils/adenoids, her sleeping has much improved, but she still mysteriously wakes up in our bed each morning.  With a firm grasp (think choke hold) around my neck, she’ll wake up declaring "It's not dark outside" and whether it's actually dark or not is irrelevant.  My only saving grace is that she’s began 3 preschool, which she absolutely loves and comes home telling me "we did circle time and sang songs" and tells me other details of the day.  She absolutely loves to sing, mostly at the most inconvenient times (think church or store) at the top of her lungs.  This girl is hilarious and she knows it!!

And if these three weren't enough, we decided to add one more to the mix!  The kids have been begging and pleading for another baby, going as far as to tell friends I had stopped taking my anti-baby medicine and that I was pregnant when I indeed was NOT.  But in one conversation on the way to church, I was explaining to them if they wanted another baby, they would need to pray for one!  Brooke insisted we pray right then and there, while I told her it could wait until we got home.  Shortly after, everyone chirped in whether it should be a girl baby or a boy baby, and World War III erupted in the van.   When church ended and we came home, Brooke hadn't forgotten and asked again to pray for a baby.  We willingly obliged -- and as soon as we said "Amen" she declared, "There’s a baby in your tummy!"   Which would have been a great time to teach her about the birds and the bees, but 2 weeks later, we found out she was onto something!  

As soon as Tanner could talk, he's talked about having a brother up in Heaven.   His last and only chance came true for him, Baby Boy Callison coming 2017.  And if you talk to Rylee, she'll ask "Why does it have to take so long" (amen sister!).  But she talks to this baby every day, giving it hugs and kisses, asking it if it's hungry or need to pee. And the answer is always YES!  I'm always hungry and always need to pee!

I like to think baby Scout sent this baby along, her arrival being the first day of this pregnancy.  We are looking forward to this baby boy grow up next to his 2 boy cousins, one arriving in Feb and another in March, and Scout to keep them all in shape!  

This year we’ve traveled more than ever, getting it out of our system before baby boodle arrives.  I mean – we’ve finally hit the magical stage in life where no kids are in diapers and no kids need naps, which makes vacationing so much more fun!  In the Spring, we took the kids to California, and all together experienced the magic and splendor of Disneyland!  We loved the gorgeous beaches, and now understand why everyone wants to live in Southern Cali.  Anthony had several dental conference so it turned out to be the year for hitting up each Theme park.  In the Fall, we visited Universal Studios in Orlando with Tanner, mesmerized by Harry Potter world, and returned to Florida again in December, this time with the girls visiting the wonderful world of Disney!  Every part was magical, creating memories that BETTER last a while because we’re staying put in 2017 J

On to top it all off, Anthony and I planned a couple’s trip (NO KIDS!) to Costa Rica.  Long before we knew I was pregnant, and long before we knew he’d have conferences in Orlando.   A few days before the trip, we learned there had been several confirmed cases of Zika Virus, and suddenly the thought of ziplining and horseback riding through the jungles lost their appeal.  So we made a last minute decision to head to LA – where we enjoyed awesome food and even better people watching. 

In other news, we bought a boat.  Whoever said owning a boat was like holding up a stack of $100 bills and freely tossing them into the lake was a definitely right!  If only we would have listened!!   So far, that's been our experience, and it's spent more time in the shop than on the lake.  But we're crazy and still would do it all over again!  We are raising little adventurers who love to go tubing and swim in the open water. 

We have been so blessed.  We are surround by Friends and family, who fill our lives to the brim with LOVE and JOY!  Thanks for making our cup run over.  We are grateful for this Christmas season to pause and ponder on the LOVE our Savior has for us, and the LOVE we can show others as we *try* to be more like Him. 


Love,
The Callisons