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| My Snow Minions |
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| Papa Pirate and Mini Me |
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| Happy 63rd Birthday, Grammie! |
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| My sister Laurie and her youngest daughter Caroline. Laurie turned 32 in February. |
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| Loved ones surrounding Grandma for her 90th birthday celebration on 2-6-16 |
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| Looking great at 90 years old! |
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| Two Peas in a Pod; friendship is one of God's greatest gifts in life! Liz also had a birthday in January. |
Can you believe we're already almost two months into 2016? Even with it being a Leap Year, one extra day this month isn't enough to slow down time. We celebrated the many January birthdays we have in our family: my sister Dawn, my dad, Pam (Grammie), and my friend Liz. We also kicked off January with our annual Breeden Christmas; we always get together in January instead of December due to every one's busy schedules in December. Most of us wore ugly Christmas sweaters or some sort of Christmas apparel to add to the fun. TD (Tim's cousin's husband) dressed up as Cousin Eddie from the Christmas movie classic: Christmas Vacation (with Chevy Chase). Tim's sweater was hilarious too with the saying "Oh Snap" and gingerbread men falling apart. Then there were Pam and Ted with their matching Santa shirts and the rest of us sporting some other form of Christmas gear. Beyond our silly shirts, we all wore smiles and enjoyed each other's company. It's always fun to see how much the children grow in a year and watch how they interact with each other; surprisingly, they always seem to get along together so well, which is a rarity when you consider the various ages. Last but not least, I won the "Breeden Lotto" this year, which is a fun dice game we play where everyone puts a few dollars in the pot and tests out their luck rolling the dice.
How has your 2016 been so far? Have you stuck to all of your New Year's resolutions? Tim and I would both still like to shed a few unwanted pounds (don't we all?) to get our bodies beach-ready. However, we're not ones to stress over that sort of thing. I think everyone should indulge in all-you-can-eat-chocolate on Valentine's Day, buy a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies, and not take yourself too seriously when it comes to body image. We'll also have to get ourselves in shape (whether it be fit-n-trim or just a rounder shape) for Water Country this year! That's right; the boys don't know it yet, but their main birthday gift from us this year are Busch Gardens and Water Country fun passes. That will be a nice early birthday surprise for them; we'll present the surprise to them in March when Busch Gardens first opens.
Speaking of birthday surprises, we pulled off an amazing surprise 90th birthday party for my grandmother on February 6, 2016 (3 days before her real birthday). Grandma thought she was just coming to my house for a small birthday gathering for her and Laurie since we traditionally celebrate the February birthday girls together. To her dismay, we had around 35 family members and friends at my house to celebrate her 90 years of life. I was thrilled that we had family from out of town to join us for the occasion. We had beautiful weather, great food, and awesome guests to make the event fun and memorable. Most importantly, we gave my grandmother an irreplaceable memory and gift by showering her with the love and attention she so deserves.
We've had a crazy winter so far with temperatures ranging from freezing to in the seventies. The boys were fortunate enough to enjoy a few snow days as well as unseasonably warm days playing outdoors in short sleeves. We even had a tornado touch down in Waverly, VA this month due to the unusually warm temperatures bringing a massive storm front across the country. We're hoping for more stable temperatures with so many things to do outdoors as we knock on the door of the month of March: we'll begin another soccer season (and, yes, Tim is coaching again); we'll get to try out our Busch Gardens passes; we'll be able to try out our new grill and cook many great meals (most things taste better grilled, right?); and, last but not least, we'll get to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of our Savior this Easter....which also means celebrating with coloring eggs, egg hunts, family gatherings, etc.
For the most part, we've had a nice winter. However, we had a few minor winter woes with Chase and Gabe getting colds and the 24-hour stomach bug. I had a slight cold myself during one of the snow weekends we had, which took away my motivation to want to go out and build a snowman. But, it was still fun watching the boys sled down the hill in our backyard from the window. Chase was scheduled to have a few teeth pulled this month, but he had a stomach virus the day of his appointment which bought his baby teeth a little more time (lucky for him, but it really just delayed the inevitable). He has permanent teeth growing in, but his baby teeth don't want to give up the fight and let loose, which is leaving his mouth overcrowded. He's had several loose teeth for a few months now, but they're just not loose enough to merit the Tooth Fairy's visit. That's certainly not something we're looking forward to in March, but we'll survive (prayers appreciated). On a brighter note with Chase, he had another great quarter in school with making the honor roll and perfect attendance. I remain proud of my firstborn and can't believe how grown he seems at just 6 years old. In his downtime this winter, he has enjoyed playing games on his Tablet and practicing on his drums.
As for Gabe's winter struggles, he refuses to do #2 in the potty because it involves having to sit down. For whatever reason, he has it drilled into his head that the toilet will engulf him and that only girls are supposed to sit down to use the bathroom. One of these days, we'll get that stubborn child 100% potty trained. At least we have #1 squared away. As for speech, I'm thankful to report amazing strides of improvement just in the New Year. He is meeting the goals laid out in his Individual Education Plan and his teacher has noted on several occasions that she's happy with his progress. We can tell a difference at home with more clarity in his words. Gabe is also doing well overall with the K3 curriculum. Yay for Gabe! In Gabe's downtime this winter, he has enjoyed playing dress-up with Chase in their many superhero and pirate costumes, building Lego cities and trains, and playing with an array of Paw Patrol toys, fire trucks, dinosaurs, pirate ships, etc....the life of a 3-year old sounds rough, doesn't it?
Although most of our lives consist of more work than play (unlike our kids), Tim and I are doing well with our jobs. Tim has consistently been working Saturdays and some Sundays. Even with his long workweeks, he is content with his job...although he's still hoping for a good raise. I'm extremely blessed to say I was promoted at work and got a raise this year. Unfortunately, several folks aren't getting raises this year at the shipyard and it's no secret that we've had layoffs and could possibly have more reductions to the workforce. I'm humbled and thankful that God has provided for our family through our jobs. There are oftentimes when we feel like our hard work isn't recognized, so it makes it all the more special when our efforts are acknowledged by others. However, one motto I try to live by even during those times I may not feel appreciated is that my joy and strength comes from the Lord (Nehemiah 8:10).
Next time I update this blog, we'll be a few more steaks into using our new grill; Chase will have a few less teeth in his smile; longer days and warmer temperatures will be here; Gabe will (hopefully) overcome his reluctance to sitting down to potty and be able to speak even more clearly; and, we'll have praised our way through another Easter. For all of you snow bunnies and cold weather freaks, enjoy the last few weeks of winter while snow grinches like me grumble just a little longer. On a serious note, may God be with all of you as we conclude another winter and gear up for the spring. Soak up the blessings in 2016 because the year is already quickly passing. Happy St. Patrick's Day; Happy Resurrection Sunday, and Welcome Springtime!
