I hear "Buckeye Chuck", Ohio's groundhog, did NOT
see his shadow.
Click HERE
to see our Halloween page...updated.
I hope everyone got our Christmas letters all right.
We were going to update our site with new pictures,
but just last week our computer crashed, and we lost everything from September
of 2001 on, picture wise. (just the digital camera pictures, I do have
lots of pictures I took using old fashioned film, some still to be developed
and such.) It was a sad thing to lose, especially when just the night
before I was thinking I needed to save these somewhere other than our hard
drive. Live and learn, again.
I do have 2 rolls of film all taken since Michael's
birthday in November, that we will have to scan and put on our site for everyone
to see. Anything that was ON the site was saved, and it made me glad
that I did update the site as often as I did, but not that I cleaned up the
online files of all the old pictures. I am still missing some emails
and such, of family and friends, if you check on this site please email me
and let me know your email again!
Well, news on us.
Tom is working hard, resets are this month, glad we're getting them over
and done with BEFORE the baby is due. We still aren't sure what we're
doing when the baby actually comes, with the kids, on getting to the hospital,
or even how I'm getting ahold of Tom if he happens to be at work. We're
praying about it and thinking, and hopefully we have a few contingency plans
in case things don't work as planned. Keep us in your prayers!
Tabitha is 32 weeks along with our newest addition to the family, and
he is making his presence known daily. I am still busy with www.Parenthoodchat.com and www.parenthoodplace.com , volunteering
my time to help other parents. Stop by anytime! There are great
things going on! Tom helps out too, the people who work to make this
site great are some wonderful people! And our friends!
Michael is busy learning all he can get his hands on. He loves his
calendar and marking off the days as they pass, and learning the holidays
and what is going on in the world. This of course includes history
as we celebrate famous birthdays and anniversaries. We are also having
fun with our 1st grade curriculum and reading, writing, "math", as he has
started doing on his own, and whatever books we can find at the library.
"The Stinky Cheese Man" and other books by the same author has inspired
an interest in fairy tales and fables. It is such a great thing to
learn alongside him and to help him love learning as he obviously does. Michael
is also liking making plays and lots of "events" to put on his calendar,
like pretend parties and such. He loves movies, books, snow, board
games, and helping.
Benjamin likes being read to by Dad, and playing with Michael, and teaching
Emilie everything he knows about getting into mischief and making people
laugh. Everything is a joke some days and he enjoys making her laugh.
He loves his new Primary class and his new CTR ring. He can write
his name and likes to color, and do "homeschooling" with whatever Michael
is doing, just doesn't have the lasting interest some days. So we just
find shorter tasks and games for Benjamin, related to whatever Michael is
doing. He also has a calendar and wants to know what day it is every
day. He knows his baby brother is coming in the spring, and is starting
to grasp the idea that this new baby is coming to stay, that Joseph is not
coming back with him, and that it will be very different this time around.
He wants to know every day what the baby is doing inside Mom, whether
it is time to come out yet, and anything else I would like to add. He
tries really hard to be a big boy all the time, but sometimes loses his patience
and doesn't want to cooperate.
Emilie is in a BIG GIRL BED if you ask her, we converted the crib to a
toddler bed and she loves her new freedom to move around her room if she
wants to . This has led to her giving up her naps, tho she still has
"rest" times, but sleeping longer at nights. She is not potty training
yet because of health problems she has had recently, we'll probably work
on that this summer and she'll get to wear big girl panties. Right
now, for her, it is enough just to be in a BIG GIRL BED! She likes
her potty, we just haven't done anything in earnest. She started talking
in complete sentences in December, as in ALL THE TIME, and you would be surprised
if you have not seen her or heard her talk since then. Especially at
the words she uses and how well she uses them. Her hair is getting
longer, still red and curly. She is getting used to the idea of a new
baby coming to live at our house, sleep in Mom and Dad's room, and using
TINY diapers. They all went to a sibling class at our local hospital
and learned how to diaper and swaddle, and help with a new baby. She
also is listening more intently to doctor appointments and just this Friday,
the 31st, got wide eyed and announced, "that's my new baby!!!!" She
does know that it's not time for him to come out yet.
We all remember Joseph and still enjoy sharing his story with those who
come to our home or ask about our 4th child. His story and his spirit
are still touching lives, and hearts.
Baby 5 has a name! We are pretty sure we're calling him Nathanael
Thomas Valencic, Tom actually is allowing his name to be passed on, in a
small way. (no way in heck he was going to allow a "Third", he's a
Jr.) We think we'll be blessing him on May 11th if all goes as planned.
Let us know if you'd like to be here!
Please visit or email or call! We're all here!
HUGS
Thank you all for your love and support.
Tabitha, Tom, Michael, Benjamin, Emilie, and baby boy Nathanael (32 weeks gestation, currently).
Click here to return to our site.
Click here for our
newpictures site. (updated Nov 16, 2002)
Click here
to go to our Homeschooling page. (updated Sept 19, 2002)