Last night while we were waiting to ring in the new year I was sending my mom Bitmojis of myself stomping on and smashing the year 2016 with a sledgehammer. 2016 was a hard one (crazy since it was also the year John and I went on our trip of a lifetime). Without going into too much detail I'll just say I've spent the last six months or so trying to get a diagnosis for a health problem I've been dealing with for years. I did finally get a diagnosis (SSCD), but I'm out of fuel. So out of fuel that I can barely make myself show up for the doctor visits that are supposed to help me figure out how to treat this disorder. Lately, I've been feeling like throwing in the towel and admitting defeat.
Today I realized it's been six months since I've written or really even sorted through photos, so I decided to sit down for a photo sorting and editing session. After looking over the last twelve months in pictures, I realized that 2016 wasn't totally the loser of a year I've been making it out to be.
For instance, in April Ainsley, Kaylee, and I went to see Ellie Goulding. She put on a great show and had some fun opening bands. We all had a blast.
In July, our neighborhood got together for a 4th of July block party. It was my neighbor Merline's idea and she and I with the help of another neighbor became the party planners. We got to know each other better while stuffing our faces full of all the food everyone brought. The kids had fun playing on a blow up water slide and so did the adults later on in the evening. It was a blast!
Also in July (and early August), we spent a month in California which I'll write more about later.
As always, summer was over way too quickly and the kids headed back to school. Ainsley started her sophomore year of high school, Kaylee began 7th grade and Landon moved up to the intermediate school and 5th grade. The year started out much smoother than I had anticipated, and we made it through the first semester mostly unscathed.
After many schedule changes and much deliberation, Ainsley dropped her dance class and decided to play soccer for Gateway. She loves playing, and it's been good for her to branch out and make some new friends. She takes her job as high school choir president seriously, which I think is too much pressure for her right now, but she says she likes being president. She's continued ballroom dancing lessons but will be skipping the next session due to her intense soccer schedule. She came out of her first semester of AP World History with a solid A, which we didn't think was even possible. She's a hard worker and has the grades to show for it.
Kaylee was the most hesitant to go back to school. Her 6th grade year was pretty awful with lots of friend drama, and she was nervous about going back to a situation that wasn't the best for her. Fortunately her schedule took care of any potential problems and her first semester of 7th grade wasn't too shabby. It also helped that she found herself a best friend in a girl named Sara (Ainsley's friend Slater's sister). Sara doesn't go to school with Kaylee, but that doesn't stop the two of them from texting and talking all afternoon. They are two peas in a pod. Kaylee is enjoying her dance class at school and has astounded us with her gracefulness. She has continued violin lessons and improved greatly since she started taking practice time seriously.
Landon loves school and was happy to head back to his friends and learning. I swear Landon is the happiest kid around. That boy just oozes positivity. It's a gift that I hope he can hold on to. In November we had a family home evening lesson about being positive, and I gave everyone a tally counter to tally up their positive thoughts during the week. Landon walked around for a week clicking his counter over and over. He had thousands of clicks. It drove the girls batty to hear the clicking all day long (it was over Thanksgiving break), but he would say that the clicking made him happy so he had to keep clicking. He probably enjoyed seeing the girls going crazy too; I never said he wasn't a little mischievous. Landon has continued working on his Webelo and Arrow of Light and is well on his way to starting 11 year old scouts in July (just gotta get a camping session in). He is still taking gymnastics and decided on a Ninja Warrior class this year (they have a warped wall!). He loves it.
In September the girls participated in a successful character tea party (choir fundraiser), and both played their parts well. It was fun to watch. Ainsley was Belle again (we are so excited for the Beauty and the Beast movie in March!) and Kaylee was sassy Elsa from Frozen.
In October the kiddos had their first choir concert together. It was fun to watch them all perform at the same event.
Halloween arrived with pumpkin carving and trick or treating. Ainsley dressed up as several characters throughout the Halloween season but dressed as a creepy doll on Halloween. Kaylee dressed up as a last minute 50's girl (she just couldn't decide), and Landon was Toon Link.
November brought homecoming but forgot to bring cooler weather. I made Ainsley a homecoming mum (a Texas tradition), which we both agreed turned out fabulously. She sang the Star Spangled Banner at the homecoming game and attended a masquerade dance the next night.
December and Christmas are for another time. First I need to write about our California adventures. Until then, I'll keep taking pictures so that the next time I decide a year was full of too many trials and hardships I can maybe look back and realize there were a lot of good times mixed into the crapfest as well.
1 comment:
That's my girl!
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