Merry Christmas!!

This year has been one for the books! This year has been full of trial and blessings and since it is so much better to talk about the blessings I think that will be the focus of this post.
ME- I will be starting my last semester of Graduate school at the University of Idaho. I will graduate in May with my Masters in Family Consumer Sciences. It is a huge accomplishment and one that I can not take all the credit for. I would have never been able to do it without all the amazing support from my family and friends. My project is coming along and I have done rather well in my classes. I have been sick a bit more than usually this semester and it was reflective in one of my classes where there was a heightened importance to attendance, in the end I earned my first B in a class. bittersweet really but I can except it because I did all I could. I love my job, being Head teacher in the Child Development Labs PM. I have really enjoyed working with the preschoolers, their families and the undergraduate students. In my spare time I enjoy being with my family and seeing my children grow up. I am so grateful for the 4 children we were blessed with.
TRENT- Started his new job at Washington State University at the end of the summer and is really enjoying the new environment. Trent often expresses how much more he enjoys his new job and says he would have never known how crappy his previous job was had he not found this one. It was a true blessing to be laid off and forced to look for new work. The group that he works with are so awesome and support him in all he does. Trent enjoys playing with our children and talking "geek" and "sports" with Micah. I glad Trent is not out numbered and has Micah to balance out the girls.
MICAH- Is enjoying 7th grade. The school is well aware of his abilities and as such has been placed in harder classes that challenge him (sometimes). He really enjoys math and science (not sure if he is my kid). He elected to take a second science class for one trimester because he enjoys it so much. He is also taking advanced algebra and has learned that challenge is a good thing, it builds character. Micah had a great football season and will start wrestling in January. He is a BIG kid and loves learning new things. Micah is busy in scouts and working towards his STAR, with a couple merit badges to go! Micah enjoys hanging out with his friends, playing video games and creating new math problems (again not sure he is  my son) :)
EMELINE- started middle school, 6th grade this year. It has been a BIG adjustment but she is push forward with strength and determination. Emeline loves taking art, I think she would elect for it any chance she got. Emeline played volleyball this year for our local parks and rec team and will be doing club ball started the end of January. She is so excited to learn more about the game and improve her skills. Her goal is to serve the ball over hand by the end of the season. Emeline turns 12 this next year and with it will bring new opportunities like girls camp and young women. I can't believe she is getting so old! Emy enjoys playing games, animal jam and spending time with friends.
CASSIE- is a firecracker of a 3rd grader. She loves her teacher and class this year. Cassie especially enjoys reading (she is my child there) and knows everyone... and I mean everyone. She is such a social butterfly. Cassie wants to try soccer this year and would like to take more dance classes. Cassie enjoys playing with friends, doing crafts and playing computer games.
HANNAH- is a silly little 1st grader. Hannah has a great teacher this year. She understands Hannah and will let her move around the room when she gets antsy. Hannah is learning to read and works hard. This year her class has reading dogs the children read to at school. Hannah loves it. Hannah doesn't really have a favorite thing to do yet, she just likes to do everything, all the time. Hannah does best when she is busy. Hannah's health has been wonderful and that has been a wonderful thing this past year. Hannah enjoys snuggling with mom or dad, playing and being read to.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!

Karen, Trent, Micah, Emy, Cassie and Hannah :)

Blessings

I find it is important to recognize the blessings in any situation. It gives perspective to what life has dealt you and makes the challenges easier to bear. While Trent has been unemployed we have been given many blessings with our trials.
First, Trent was able to be with our children while I took a very intense summer course for a month. The class was very valuable to my education and I learned so much. I was able to dedicate the time I needed to the class and not only did I learn so much, I also completed this class with an A. I also learned that Trent and I, working together make a great edit team. We would read through my long papers for class and edit them together, discussing and learning. It was awesome to work with Trent in this capacity.
The next blessing was a few weeks later, after my class ended, when I was caught off guard by a a very bad headache followed a few days latter by body pains and then a rash. Having seen Shingles before I knew what the rash was and called the doctor to see if there was anything she could give me so I did not have to come in to the office (no insurance). Of course once I described where my rash was and how much rash, the pain and headaches... I was told to go to our quick care clinic and be seen. Needless to say, several drugs later (one being a great pain med) and 10 days of sleeping and not much else, the rash had stopped spreading and scabbed over. I am gaining the vision back to normal in my left eye just in time for my classes to begin and the pains have mostly subsided. Through all this Trent was home and able to take care of me, the children and the house. Having Trent here to take care of everything so I could do what I needed to recover was a HUGE blessing.
The last blessing came from Trent and my faith growing. It is hard to have interview after interview and nothing come from them. Not knowing what we will do if.... SO, Trent and I started to pray as a family with our children. We also started to serve others in our ward and community. We had free time so we used it to help others. We knew that the Lord would guide us and the right job was coming. surprisingly enough, we were never worried that he would not find a job after we started these two simple things.
In the end, Trent started a new job this week. We were both very excited when Trent received a call offering him a job at Washington State University in Pullman, about 8 minutes away from Moscow. It is with an Enterprise group doing computer programing for their student systems. In the group are several great men from our ward and Trent is excited to work with them and the other members of the team. Although he has only worked two days, he is loving the job and we are both happy it worked out so well. Oddly enough, we both started back to work the same day, How cool is that?
It was a bummer to stay home all summer and not take any real vacations but it was also cool to spend time together as a small family, doing local activities and not getting lost in the hassle of vacations.
Now we return to our busy lives of school, work and various other extra activities.. but we had a great summer together.  :) Thanks for all the prayers and support!!
I will post some fun family photos later...

The trials of life

I feel like there is a life lesson here, but I am too close to the problem right now to appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, life is good in so many respects. I have a wonderful family with a fabulous, caring husband and 4 amazing children (I know, I'm a bit bias) and we have food to eat and a roof over our heads. Things have been good for us, with Trent and I both working and me finishing school. We have had enough for our needs and for surprise moments. We work as a team at our house, everyone having responsibilities so that we run smoothly and are there for each other. The children are successful in there own areas of school and really. life was good. A month ago, Trent received a letter from his employer letting him know the University of Idaho was not going to be renewing his contract, thus, Trent was out his job. This was a shock to him and to me. We saw it as a opportunity to find a better job for Trent. Trent had been looking for a new job at this point, because he was feeling that he had outgrown his current one so we were already applying for other jobs. We both felt comfort that it would not be long before he found another job and there was nothing to worry about. We love the Moscow area and so have kept our search local thus far. I have one more year of my education and we feel strongly that we need to stay together as a family. 

The worry is, the paychecks are stopping and we still have not found new work. It's hard. It is discouraging to make it to the end of a process for countless jobs and not get an offer. So far Trent has applied for 15 plus jobs this last month. He has had 6 in person interviews and all of them have gone from ok to great. We continue to pray for guidance and support, feeling that everything will be ok and that the Lord will provide for us. It's hard to have that kind of faith. To know that a job is out there for Trent but not knowing the where and when for it to occur. 

This reminds me a lot of when we had Hannah, and the trials that came with those blessings. I feel that this is another trial where Trent and I can be strengthened as a couple and as a family. I know that there is a plan here, we are not sure how it is all going to unfold but that it will be right for us. Right now it is about having a positive attitude in a crappy situation and seeing the good in day and not the struggle. We have had to cancel planned vacations, wait for a new dryer and make due with shoes that are getting holes. We have also gotten to spend more time as a family, with Trent home everyday. We are playing together and enjoying each other during summer break. I am taking a rather rushed and strenuous online class for the month and Trent being home has helped support me so I can focus on the class more. The children love having their dad around more than ever before and has been really nice to have that opportunity. 

I decided to write this post, not for sympathy but to let everyone know that we are ok. that we would appreciate any advice or job opportunities available and for your prayers through this trial.  because I think it is bad form to know have a picture in a blog post I have include this picture... 

Trent needed a hair cut to prepare for a job interview... we thought it would be funny to give him a mullet cut for the weekend  and then fix it just before the interview... 

We decided that Trent could probably pull of a mullet... Then I finished cutting his hair :)

Birthdays.. and last day of school

June has started with a bang. The children's last day of school was the 5th, an extra bonus to Cassie's Birthday this year. Emeline graduated from the 5th grade and will join Micah at the middle school in the fall. We are excited and nervous all at the same time!

 Congrats Emy!

 We take a picture here every year at the beginning of the school year and I remembered to take one at the end of the year.. 

 Cassie opening her gifts

 Cassie wanted to decorate her cake this year. She is still at the age where more is better than less. There was a lot of candy on that cake, but it was yummy!

 Hannah's birthday was quick to follow, she helped put the sprinkles on her butterfly cake. 

 gifts of course...

 trent is limiting his sugar intake these days and so for his birthday his special treat was a bowl of grapes... he also picked dinner since Hannah picked the dessert. The kabobs were great!!

 Normal for our birthday weekend we go camping. The week got away from us and we were not ready to go, so we took a day trip to Elk Creek and went hiking instead. We were luck the water levels were relatively low so we got to walk on the rocks, which led to playing in the water. It was the first time in years I was not prepared for the children to get wet. within minutes of walking on the rocks all the children were wet from the neck down. I guess that teaches me.. we got lucky and a group of college students there lent us a towel for the shivering little girls.

 It is so hard to get a picture with Micah in it lately I asked him to please let me take on of him. He obliged  this was after several goofy pictures...

Well, Summer is underway at our house... we'll have to see where it takes us next.

Updates; mostly pictures.

 Our family took a trip for a weekend to Triple Play. We always have a great time. We played laser tag...

 did some rock climbing...

took a ride in the go-carts

Were a little bit lazy by the end of each day...

and had a great time!!

Enjoying some of the first signs of summer

Found some eggs at the University of Idaho egg hunt

Had a very happy Birthday to Emy. 11 now!!

Decorated eggs with friends..

Just some photos, thought it was time to replace the Christmas letter :)