Year in Review

I know, I know, this is the title of a post you'd expect to see around December 31st, but it's been over a year since my last blog, and I'm feeling guilty. Who knew that making the time to talk about my kids and our lives would be so difficult? I will even admit that I took the link to this blog off of my e-mail signature just because I was too lazy to update here!!

But no more! I am taking 10 minutes (edited after...it was actually 32 minutes) out of my life to update the blogging world on the Sapien family's last 15 months. I know that our millions of followers have been on the edge of their seats, just sitting in front of their computer screens for months and months wondering if we'd fallen off of the face of the earth. Well, rest assured, we are alive and here's a recap of our oh so exciting lives since last you read....

Reece graduated from the first grade...and the second grade! He turned 8, decided he's going to be a writer when he grows up, actually did book reports just for the fun of it, and is in the middle of reading at least a dozen books. He thinks he's smarter than his mom, and at the rate he's going, he will be soon (but don't tell him that). He played Little League baseball this year and was super excited about his team making the play-offs (and though I am his biggest cheerleader and practically got an ulcer watching him pitch at one of his games, this mom was excited when his team didn't advance...baseball season is looooooooooooooooong). He's grown a few inches, but is still willing to hold my hand when we walk beside each other, and tell me about the little girl he has a crush on...for now at least. To say we're proud of the boy that he's becoming is an understatement, but I must admit that I can't believe my baby has gotten so big!!

Carson finished his first year of school and what a year he had!! He loved his teacher (literally...he thought she was beautiful), and made tons of friends with the other boys in his class, but had trouble keeping quiet in class(are we surprised?). He played his first year of coach pitch baseball with a very fun and handsome coach...Eric!! Even though the league didn't officially keep score, Carson claims that he won every game, and I'm inclined to believe him! He loves the fact that he can read now and likes to remind his sister that she can't...always the loving big brother. He's still blonde for the moment, but his hair is getting darker and it's unbelievable to me that he's not my baby boy anymore. He'll turn 6 in just a few weeks and is intent on keeping up with Reece in everything! He constantly makes us laugh...a few weeks ago he asked us when he was born and when Eric told him the date, Carson excitedly said "Hey, I was born on my birthday!!"...the kid is a crack up!! He always puts a smile on my face :-)

Olivia is 3 1/2 and is a sassy, bossy, dramatic little girl. She walks around with her hand on her hip and a purse filled with lip gloss, bracelets, and princess toys over the other arm. She tells the boys what to do, hates to be dirty, and has the highest pitch squeal in the history of man (or woman). We're learning that girls are VERY different than boys, and while I love a challenge, this little girl is still a bit of a mystery. She's the cutest thing to walk the planet, but never stops talking and is full of opinons. Oh the joy of having a little girl! But that same little girl with attitude also gives the sweetest hugs, the timeliest "I Love You's", and loves nothing more than to snuggle. She loves "her boys" (Reece and Carson) something fierce, and is beginning to exude the qualities of a little caregiver. Our baby is growing up and I can't wait to see her in action!!

Eric is still an expert in the world of finances and insurance (speaking of which...if you need his expertise, feel free to contact him ;-)...). He's added baseball coach to his ever increasing list of talents and skills; still plays basketball with the Maverick's team whenever he can make it to the games; and has started 6am workouts with Mikey Joe. He loves his kids with a passion and is pretty nice to me too (he just tooke me to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary!!...ooo, maybe you'll get a second post from me about that soon). He's leading a group at our church's Men's Discipleship Group and continues to be an encourager, a servant, and an example in my life and so many others...not too shabby!

I....drumroll please...went back to work last November!! Well, it's only one day a week, but still a change, right? I'm the Monday girl at the church office and the bookkeeper for Mercy Ministries. I love my Mondays in the office, talking to adults, and getting to be a different kind of productive than at home. Still involved with the Mom to Mom and women's ministry at church, I had the opportunity to teach at this year's women's retreat which was a humbling and stretching experience for me. I'm still making bows and got 4 shipments of ribbon in the mail today...note to self to actually work on that tomorrow. God continues to show Himself faithful and I continue to remind myself to follow His lead.

The five of us have in our possesion annual passes to Disneyland, so this has been a year of 3 fun trips down to Anaheim (so far)!! Though the kids and I are much more excited about this fact than Eric, he graciously puts up with our Mickey addiction and has accompanied us on 2 of those trips.

With only 4 weeks left until school starts and I become the mother to a third grader and a first grader and an almost 4 year old, I'm reminded of the fact that time passes by so quickly (obviously...since it's been 15 months since my last blog and it completely feels like I just sat down to write that!!). Those days of diapers and sleepless nights are long gone and have been replaced with baseball and soccer and dance practices, homework, and trying so very hard to keep three kids as innocent and fun loving as we possibly can and leaning heavily on God to accomplish that. Life is good...difficult at times, but good.

I'd like to say that I'll be more faithful at this than the last year, and though that's my intent, don't hold your breath, just in case the past happens to repeat itself ;-)