MERRY CHRISTMAS!
This year I planned to send out my cards with lovely pictures and wonderful things about the girls and then....I couldn't find my address book! I had it recently, then I put it somewhere that would be out of the way and easy to find. Not so, because I have looked in all the easy places and it just isn't there. So, I have to send this instead. Know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers and we wish you a wonderful Christmas season and a great new year filled with happy memories and lots of fun times.
Wynter was 4 in october. She started pre-school and loves being a big kid and tells everyone that she is going to school. We have chosen a christian pre-school for her and it is great to hear her singing songs and reciting bible verses that I didn't teach her! She is learning to write, but having some difficulty due to her left handed status. She writes things backwards! She gets really frustrated when the letters don't come out just right. She has made some friends at school but still prefers her favorite friend Holly, whom she has been friends with since they were babies. We continue to see them at least once a week and the girls play really well together. She loves being the motherly type, making sure that everyone is okay and keeping everyone in line. She loves purple, princesses, fairies and wearing fancy dresses. She loves to clean the barn for grandma and even got into riding around the corral this summer!
Autumn turned 2 in July. She is a barrel of energy and emotions! I can't wait until she has hormones to add to her already great personality! :) She has perfected her pout and her long drawn out crying scream. Which can last a minimum of 15 minutes but has reached an hour! She so wants to be a big girl and do everything that the big kids do. She can play hide and seek and count to 10 and sing the alphabet with her sister. She couldn't decide what she liked better this summer, riding the horses or leading it around the corral while Wynter took a turn. She was so happy. she has also joined in the excitement of cleaning grandma's barn! Mom and Autumn have been spending lots more time together since wynter is in school. We usually hang out at home or head to the library. It has been fun getting to know her a little bit better and watching her personality grow every day. If she goes to a play class, sunday school or the gym she needs to have her sister or her "baby" with her or she will scream.
Blaine and Christine skated again this summer. Blaine did 4 full marathons and a half and christine did 3 full and a half. One of the highlight trips was going to Baxter and staying in the hotel with a water park. The kids had a great time. Our family joined the YMCA a few months ago. It has been a lot of fun. I go with a friend and her family and we get mommy time and play time with the kids in the pool or in the gym. The kids love either one. Blaine has going to be the dean of a new camp for college age kids that will run along side our Jr/Sr high camp at Koronis. Christine worked hard over the summer with three other women to try to find a home for our MOPs group. We were successful with a sponsorship from Willowbrook church. We now have close to 20 women that attend and are having a great time getting to know each other. We get to take a family vacation to Disney World again in February. The kids are looking forward to it so much. Wynter wants to dance with Tinkerbell and Autumn wants to ride on the tea cups this year!
We hope that you are all doing very well. We hope to spend time with you in the new year.
Take care.
The Ruggles
