Life in the present

Well I will take this opportunity to get you up to date with what is going on with our family now. Christmas is approaching and as a result, school is a flood of parties and field trips. Today I went on a field trip with McKay and the elementary honor choir around the community caroling. Those kids are so cute and they sing so well. They were in the local Albertsons dancing and singing away. They also visited the post office, the local bank, the police department, and the Home Depot. McKay is in 4th grade now, and just turned 10 back in October. She is getting so big and growing up too fast if you ask me. It is all about Webkinz and electronics now. She has a lot of friends and is doing amazing in school. She is consistently on the honor roll and she is also in the gifted and talented program.
Alexa is in 2nd grade now, she just turned 8 on Nov. 24. She and McKay both had their birthday parties at the Texas Teddy Bear Factory. They love those stuffed animals! I have tubs of them and they just can't seem to get enough. The Webkinz are the biggest thing now though, and I had to make a rule to cap them at 20. I know that seems like a lot, but there are kids with more than 50! They want to use any money they earn or are gifted to buy them. Alexa is also doing so great in school. She is the only 2nd grader in the gifted and talented program! They had to put her up with the 3rd graders and the gates teacher said that she even brings that group up with the questions she asks. I know -I can't help but brag on my girls.
I was just thinking the other day that I should be enjoying every day of this age they are at right now. They are not adolescents yet, and they still think I am pretty cool. They have their moments of fighting, but for the most part, they are just a joy.
Grace is also at a great age. She is starting to notice more things and still is not too big to hold and carry. She loves to cuddle and is just so sweet. She will crawl up to me and put her head on my arm or leg or put her arms up to be picked up. If I ask for a hug, she will put her head down on me for a hug. She squeals with delight and flaps those little arms every time she sees someone she loves. She has become so much better with the crying for me now that we are working on a program in Applied Behavior Analysis(ABA). She would cry for me when she wanted me or wanted something. We have begun under the direction of our Behavior Analyst to ignore the problem behavior, and only praise or acknowledge her when she has been calm for at least a minute. She will now come and sit at my feet as I cook or do chores and tug on my pants. I think it is so cute. She still does horse therapy every week and is consistently making progress with that. Her teachers at school love her and she does so well there.
Life is good at the Dendy house. I have Jenny our respite caregiver 30 hours a week, she started back in June and has really bonded with Grace. She and her husband Forest have become members of our family. I am so grateful for her help and so glad to have found someone that we both trust and like.
We finally broke ground on our new home! The bulldozers were clearing out trees the other day and I can't wait to see them level it and lay the forms. We are hoping to be done in June sometime. This house is amazing and it was designed by me, Dallas, and my brother David. It will be wheelchair accessible and also have a part of the house that is Grace safe as well as a part of the house that we can put all of our breakables and other things and they will be safe. We are so blessed to be able to do this. Our builder is a friend of Dal's brother and he agreed to do this for our family at a significantly lower profit for him. He is amazing and we are so greatful to him for doing this for us.
Dallas is still working for Fidelity Investments after more than 11 years and they are so good to him. He is still in the bishopric in our church congregation and works 80-100 hours a week on top of his calling at church. People often wonder how we do it with him gone so much traveling etc., but we have just grown accustomed to it. He does get 4 weeks of vacation every year and when he is in town, his hours are flexible allowing him to come to school and church activities with our family.
I am on the PTA board this year and I just love our little school. The principal is great and the staff are as well.
I will update more as the days progress, this journaling thing is new, but I hope to make a habit of it. It is a great way to record thoughts and activities.