Our letter, long as it is, it's a fun read!
Merry
Christmas 2013!
A
lot has happened for us in the last year and as overwhelming as things occasionally
were or sometimes still seem to be, I can’t help but think of how blessed our
little family has been. I am constantly
reminded of the Lords hand in our life, evidenced in the simple and sometimes
more complicated events that we’ve experienced.
How grateful I am to know that there is a God who knows and loves my
family, and me, and who is always here to help us. How grateful I am for the Christmas Season
that makes a dreary winter exciting and wonderful with bright and merry lights,
happy music and fun decorations. All of it helping to remind us of what is
really important; learning to be better people and doing more to show our love
to our family, friends and everyone around us!
In
the last year John finished his PhD and moved our family to State College,
Pennsylvania to take a job with Penn State. So we moved from Columbus Ohio in
June and spent the summer in Utah with family and friends that we hadn’t seen
in a few years while we waited for our housing to become available. It was a busy
summer with lots of playing! The school year started without much of a break
after making the drive from Utah back East the end of August. John went straight into teaching. Weston started 5th, Tyler 3rd and Elayna 1st
grade. I kept busy trying to keep things
together and get our family settled. As I look back now, it’s not much more
than a flash of memories. Memories, I
regret that I didn’t write down. So to
keep from missing out on our family history any more, I’m going to try blogging
again in case you want to keep tabs on our less than perfect moments! jjhowell.blogspot.com
We
miss having all of you, our dear friends close and conveniently able to come
over for dinner when we want. I hope we can do better at staying in contact,
even though we seem to be worlds away. You’ve made us better people and our life
happier for knowing you. Know that we
love you and think of you often. Since
we are renting this year, we’ll be moving again this summer, but after that we
hope to have an address that stays the same for several years!!
We
wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a full year of love and joy and
blessings in 2014!
All our Love
John,
Jennifer, Weston, Tyler & Elayna
As
we’ve done before, here are some comments and conversations from our kids this
last year. Less than in previous years,
but hopefully still enough to give you a chuckle or two!
W
– Weston, (10) T- Tyler (8), E- Elayna
(6) , M or me – is me, Jenn! J –
John
Hopefully
you can decipher it all!
We had a lesson on
responsibility with Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Ed as the guest speakers.
Grandma talked about
doing what needed to be done so there was more time for things like Warcraft...
E -"What, not
warcraft - Minecraft"
Grandma didn't know
the difference
E - "Warcraft
is where we hit each other in the face"
---
Elayna's
conversation with Aunt Becca
E - "I have
some very difficult boobs"
Becca gives a
face... "what"???
E - "I mean
boo-boos"
--
One of the best
nights with Grandma/Grandpa and Jason/Becca over the Christmas break was when
we just talked, did puzzles, looked at old Howell pictures and colored. Well
Becca and Tyler/Elayna colored Mandalas. Becca showed Elayna her finished work
E "Wow - you
are a professional colorer"
---
E - I'm so hungry..
I'm hungry like a pig
---
Making pork loin for
dinner one night, Elayna came in to help.
E - Ohh, mom what is
that? Are we having chicken for dinner?
M - Yes (Chicken is
the generic for meat in our house)
E - Is that chicken
chicken; cow chicken, or human chicken?
We had a quick
discussion of how we don't eat other people.
---
At dinner the topic
of Character Club at the elementary school came up. Each month the teacher chooses 2 kids who
have been good examples of the months character trait chosen by the principle..
Like kindness, honesty, respect, etc.. Then those kids get to eat lunch with
the Principle and get a special treat like ice cream or popsicles. All 3 kids have done this a few times (happy
mommy moments) , but this month only Weston and Elayna were chosen. Tyler was
on a grumpy trip.... (They try and get
all the kids at least one turn so it's not ever a reflection of being bad if
you're not chosen either)
T - that's not fair
that both of you got it.
Mom - You've done it
before
T - ya, but I didn't
get to go this time. (talking to Weston
and Elayna) did you guys get to eat together
E - No...
T - so it's still
not fair. It's like an unbaked pie
all of us - What???
T - (pointing to
Weston ) You're the pie and (talking to Elayna) you're the crust and I'm the
oven. Without me, you're just an unbaked pie.
-----
Elayna was the star
of the week in her class, which meant that she was able to bring in things to
share with the class. Sadly I wasn't in helping this day, but was given the
scoop by the mom who was, and Elayna's teacher and teacher's aid later... Elayna hadn't brought anything in to share,
but confidently grabbed the microphone and said she had a song to sing for the
class and went something like this.... and lasted for a very, very long time as
I was told.
when the light is
red, stop
stop when the light
is red, oh stop when the light is red, stop when the light is red
if the light is red,
stop
if the light is
green go
Stop when the light
is red, stop when the light is red,
and so on and so
on!!!
Mrs. Miller asked
her when she finally finished (apparently all the adults were waiting for the
song to end for several minutes!) if she had learned that song in preschool.
Elayna confidently answered, No - I just made it up
----
In the car driving
one afternoon…
Elayna- "mom,
did you get scared when you got married"
M - what?
E - when you were little were you scared when
you would think about getting married
M - no, I don't
think I thought about it much. When I got older I wanted to get married though
E - I'm scared to
get married
M - that's okay, you
don't have to get married if you don't want to
E - okay
Tyler - "but
you should get married, that's the right thing to do"
M - only if she
loves someone enough to get married,
E - that's why I'm
scared to get married, there are just so many boys I love. I don't know which
one to choose.
----
Walking down the
street...
W- I want to tell you something. When you spit
upside down it makes snot go up your nose.
M-what? (Repeating what he just said).
W-oh I mean spit goes up your nose.
----
E-look my thumb still has its double joint -
holding her hand up showing us her very double jointed thumb (still kind of
freaky!!!)
W- it's always going to be like that for the
rest of your life
E- what!!!!! I'm going to turn
Chinese!!!!??????
( It took a while to convince her she would not
ever become Chinese. I’m still not sure she even knows what 'being Chinese'
means or why she related that to being double jointed?? )
----
7/23 Going
up to Birdseye
E-this keeps going higher and higher and higher
J-aren't you glad we didn't hike in
E- ya, I want to be in the car so I don't fall
off the side and table my head
-----
J-hey look Tyler, a dove (he had been studying
birds in school the previous year)
T- oh how cute. My favorite part of nature are
the birds
E- my favorite part of nature are the animals
----
We saw a mom and 2 baby deer on the way up to
the birdseye cabin.
E- oh how cute. I love littler reindeer. I wish
I was a deer so I could jump over fences
-----
Finding streams of water along the way
John and the boys were discussing water and why
we brought some since we can't drink out of the creeks
T/W - why don't you just use your filter
John-because its not good tasting water
W- why
John- because its ditch water
T- what does that mean
Me-it means it tastes like dirt
John-and cow spit
W/t - like cow spit?
E- oh, maybe cow spit tastes gross. (Very
matter of fact – like it had never been thought of before!)
----
Once we got to the cabin, now surrounded by
cows Elayna got out of the car and started yelling over and over
“Cows, STOP mooing” It didn’t do much good!
----
T-Grandpa, when is the hunting season for
'meat' cows? (Referring to cows they sell for meat instead of dairy cows)
------
Getting ready to shoot guns at targets, Elayna
got really excited to go shooting. Then realizing we were shooting targets she
pulls me close and says, looking disappointed and confused "but I wanted
to shoot the cows"
-----
W- I've come to the stage in my life when I
don't like cereal
-----
Tyler learned how to tie a few knots, now he
walks around with a rope and is constantly tying knots, showing everyone what
he has learned and asking to be shown new ones! Grandma is very nice to
play 'cats cradle' with him all the time!!
-----
(One morning, telling Elayna not to lock doors
on people and get ready for swim lessons)
E- mom, myself keeps telling me not to listen
to you because you are the meanest mom ever.
Me- hmmm, and what do you tell your self?
E-nothing
------
At the soccer fields one afternoon Elayna
urgently needed a bathroom! Lucky for us there was a port-a-potty. She
finished and came out asking if I had sanitizer because there wasn't any in the
port-a-potty. I couldn't find the bottle I usually have so she looked at me and
proceeded to lick her hands and rub them together, licking again because she
needed a little more liquid to rub the first off. Then wiped it on her pants!
Ya, I was grossed out. She just looked at me, shrugged her shoulders than ran
off to play again.
-----
9/8
E-I'm not even sure I was born. I just remember
when I was two, no actually when I was three, no two. I just woke up and couldn't remember how I
was a baby. I just don't remember. That's weird isn't it.
-----
9/16/13
Ty used the bathroom twice in close succession.
The first time I had to remind him to wash his hands the second time he
remembered but when I asked if he had wiped his bottom he just stopped and
stared at me.
"I'm going to start remembering next
time"
M- you really do need to
T- mom, do you know how to to make those words
that you sew onto fabric with string.
M - (not sure what he was talking about) I'm
not sure, but I could probably figure it out
T- I think you should make one of those that
says "remember to wipe your bottom and wash your hands". You could
probably find a pattern on the computer
M- (realizing what he meant) you want me to
cross-stitch and embroider a sign that says to wipe your bottom and wash your
hands
T-(completely serious) yes, I think you would
really like doing it. Grandma really likes doing crafts like that.
Weston- oh ya, that would be really good and
then we could hang it in the bathroom.
(I'm still wondering WHAT, just remember!!!!!)
-------
At the Soccer fields for the games on Saturday (We happen to be surrounded by farms!)
E- why does it smell like reindeer poop?
-------
E- are you so proud of me? It was my first time
obeying you!
Ha! - referring to doing her morning chores
without being reminded. Obviously, she's proud of herself!
-------
Saturday chores on a Monday home from school.
T- mom, now I just think you're trying to make
us do all the work
M- I am
He just stared at me!
----
On the way to “Shaver’s Creek’ for Elayna’s
class Field trip.
E- do you know why it's called shavers creek?
(happy/excited face)
M-why
E- because there's water there and lots of
creeks
(Perplexed face) but people don't shave there.
(Exasperated face) who would shave in a 'creek'???
------
(In the car come back from something)
T-mom I have a great idea. You know how clubs
are awesome. With this water bottle and some PVC pipe I can make one!
He then started beating the car with the water
bottle.
--------
1022
E - Mom, is it okay
if I say this "I love you more than daddy."?
M - you love me more than daddy?
E - oh no, I mean
" I love daddy more than you."
-- She starts
counting, and I'm thinking "What?!" I'm the one laying in bed
snuggling with you after having read you a story. How come I'm lower on the
list???
E - "99. I love
you 99 and I love daddy 100, but maybe you can move up. Before you started at 2
but you moved up fast to 15 ..... (lots
of talking....)
"If you're
really nice to other people then I'll move you up to 100. I get to decide if
you move up or down.
A few days later,
Elayna was 'helping' John make bread and he turned on the mixer on when she put
her hand down in the bowl. Lots of screaming later she had a very red and
swollen hand and John moved down to 20 after that! Luckily no broken bones, and yes, she is
still double jointed! The doctor can now say she's had a bread mixer injury!
I’m sure there’s been more… but this is all we got written
down! Thanks for sharing our year with
us!
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