The Valencic Family Newsletter

May 9th, 2005 Edition

Hi everyone!  We hope you are doing well.
We love to hear from everyone.

As usual, not a whole lot new going on here, same old family fun that just keeps going, and going, and going...

Our area of Texas is warming up, with a last shot at winter occuring on May 1st with 5 inches of snow.
See our newpics page for photos, it really happened!

We have now lived here for 5 full months and we think we are adjusting well.  We put in a garden on Saturday, it was lots of fun!  Now we will see how our gardening techiniques hold up in Texas wind and weather.

Tom's job is going well, he still occasionally has to travel but some of those are accomplished with no overnight stay!
He has been to California, Denver, and soon Arkansas.  As a family we will be going to Oklahoma for a Homeschool event at the amusement park there.  His calling as Ward Mission Leader keeps him busy and the ward is getting excited about missionary work, it is great.

Tabitha is, as usual, busy being Mom and wife as well as homeschooling, housekeeping, now gardening, and keeping up with friends and family.  I was just called as the 1st counselor in the Primary Presidency.  Two of us have started walking early
in the morning before our kids (and husbands) get up.  It has been great!
Life is good.

Michael is 8 1/2 years old, or around there, and technically in the 2nd grade, although most of his skills are at varying higher levels depending on what you are looking at.  He is almost a Wolf scout and will have at least 4 arrow points earned as soon as he finishes those last few requirements for Wolf.  He earned a medal for soccer, and a medal for Pizza Hut Bookit Reading.  He loves to read, learn, play and help.  I am so proud of him.  He loves his Primary class and reading his scriptures.
His page is here.

Benjamin is 6 1/2 years old and is learning to read in great leaps and bounds.  We sent some of you a video of him reading some new words and the concepts finally sinking in... it is fun to watch him get so excited about this!  He is formally in Kindergarten but has also excelled.   He too earned a medal in soccer and the Bookit Reading program.  He loves having a big back yard to play in as well as our new garden to work in.  We are very proud of Benjamin as well.  He is a huge help with Samuel and doing what I ask. His page is here.

Emilie just turned 5 years old.  She loves dancing and moving, and princesses and fun.  She never stops moving or singing or talking.  She does not like cleaning her room up by herself (she now shares it with Samuel, as of yesterday, but he isn't much help cleaning up her stuff).  She loves her Primary class, having friends that are girls, and digging in dirt.  She has learned to comb her own hair, and dressing up.  Emilie is a joy to be around.  She likes her ABCs and numbers and working on workbooks as well.  She colors beautifully, but can't understand why Mom and Dad get upset at her murals...
Her page is here.

Nathanael is our little 2 year old blonde wonder.  He just started talking fluently in the last few months, and it has been amazing to watch how fast he learns.  This morning he was counting his blocks and making it to seven without skipping or missing lol.  He says the ABCs forwards and gets most of them singing backwards LOL. (thanks to They Might Be Giants ABC movie)
He knows all the letters by sight as well as shapes, colors and numbers.  He loves having a baby brother and asks to hold him
often.  He isn't too sure on the older ones at times.  He is now sleeping in the bottom bunk of a set of bunk beds and doing great.  He is halfway giving up naps but still needs them.  His page is here.

Samuel is fitting into our family nicely.  Except for waking up in the middle of the night crying when he'd been sleeping through the night just fine, hehe.  He is now in Em's room and doing well in the crib.  Even when Emilie tries to wake him up in the morning to have some company.  He is a good natured baby, only crying when gassy or mad at someone.  (like when Mom cuts his nails or Dad uses the "booger sucker".) (ok, ok, nasal aspirator, sheesh)    His page is here with lots of new pictures and updates.  He likes to stand up, be on his tummy, and I think he can't wait to sit up because he hates being down on the floor with a lot going on.

That's it for all of us, hope to hear from our friends and family soon!

We hope everyone is doing well and look forward to seeing you whenever we can either make it out to visit or when you can make it here.  President's day weekend 2006 is the latest we'll see almost everyone, right?  Give us a call if you will be out in our direction, we are a LOT closer than usual.  We have room for friends and family to stay, just let us know!

HUGS!

Love,
Tabitha, Tom, and family
Michael, Benjamin, Emilie, Nathanael, and Samuel
plus Joseph in heaven!

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