God has been so good to us as we’ve watched four active little individuals grow and learn in 2011!
Jack turned ten in August, and I’ll never forget the excitement he felt over finally getting to double digits in age! He is in fourth grade this year, and is loving opportunities at school like dissecting, science experiments, and creative writing. He still enjoys LEGOs and reading, and has developed an interest in learning about medieval times. He is our self-motivated guy, loves to keep busy, gets super bothered when his sister gets in trouble, and really, really wants a pocket knife for Christmas.
Trey just turned nine and is in the third grade. Our family had tons of fun watching Trey play lots of baseball again this year, and he even tried flag football for the first time this Fall. Trey is our social, outdoor, sports lover. He is a great middle kid, able to switch gears and play with older and younger kids alike. He is full of energy, has a sparkle in his eyes, and often needs to be reminded to use his inside voice. :)
Chase finally joined the big boys at school this year as a half-day Kindergartener (school in the morning, then home to talk his momma’s ear off all afternoon!), and he couldn’t be more pleased. He is soaking up school and all it has to offer, and is so excited to be a beginner reader! He loves any activity that he can do with his hands: drawing, crafts, baking with mom, and collecting junk to sit on his shelf. :) He is recovering well from a recent urology/hernia surgery, but can't quite always remember that wrestling is off limits for a while.
Tess is holding her own in a house full of boys! She is 3 ½ and is spunky in every way. She is such a mix of personality. We’ll find her wrestling with the boys one minute, then loving so sweetly on her baby dolls the next. She likes running errands and going to aerobics with me while the boys are away at school, and tries to be patient at the boys’ sporting events and when we’re in the midst of homework! Her squinty smile, hilarious monologues and spontaneous dance moves get her lots of laughs in this house, even if she does add some girl drama to our lives. :) 
This year marked ten years since our return to Lafayette, and we feel so incredibly blessed to have Tyler’s job and a church family that continue to make this home for us. When we’re not chasing kids, Tyler is involved in worship at church and recently with Purdue’s FCA group, and I help out with the women’s ministry. One of our kids’ favorite nights of the week is Wednesday night, when our church hosts AWANA, a fun children’s scripture memory program. Oh, how we love that they are learning to hide God’s Word in their hearts!
Thanking God for you this holiday season, and for the special place you hold in our hearts. Thanking God for His gift of Jesus, who gives us hope and help and life!
Love,
Whitney, Tyler, Jack, Trey, Chase, and Tess
