Griner Christmas 2012

Griner Christmas 2012

 Our yellow brick road has been one full of new adventures.  With the years passing by and the kids getting older, extracurricular activities seemed to be the name of the game with Soccer, Baseball, Scouts, and Piano engulfing our free time.  Visits from extended family, Royals games, a vacation to Florida, 2 Yellow Brick Road Parties, VBS, and weekend sleepovers with Grandma Griner are at the top of our 2012 list!

 Andy (33) Continues to enjoy his work as an Occupational Therapist at Garden Terrace treating patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Dementia.  Andy has enjoyed his daddy daughter /son dates and in October he took Caleb on his first Tiger Scout Camp Out!  He has been writing his own music and his recent song about the kids was a big hit at the camp out!

Aubrey (8) Was baptized this summer by her dad.  She loved having her close friends and family members travel to attend.  She loves math and tetherball!  She played two seasons of soccer this year and started piano lessons.  Although shy and very quiet, she is a great big sister.  When she grows up she wants to be an artist.

Caleb (7) Played soccer, baseball, and took piano lessons this year.  He loves to swim, do flips, back dives, and fun twists into the water.  He enjoys Tiger Scouts.  The highlight of the year for Caleb was our trip to Florida, it started his interest in bugs, rocks, and shells.  By the time we got home he was digging for bugs, catching bugs, climbing trees for bugs.  Isn’t he so lucky Kansas has so many different kinds!!  For him science, everything science!  When he grows up he wants to be an anthropologist.

Ainsley (5) Started pre-school.  In her mind she had waited her entire life to start preschool!  There is nothing better in life then going to preschool.  She loves counting, counting in Spanish, and she loves her teacher.  She spends all of her free time coloring and drawing.   She was finally old enough to play soccer this year!  The Cupcakes only lost 1 game!!   She always has a smile.  When she grows up she wants to be a “painter”.

Tate (3) Is a solid little man.  Weighing more then Ainsley but drastically shorter, he is thick and just wants to be included.  He can definitely run with the older kids.  Constantly climbing the fence to go to the neighbors house or breaking the bottom of the fence to go under. I am quiet certain you will want him on your football team.  He loves banana’s, oatmeal, and hotdogs.   All year he has always carried a stuffed dog/pillowpet with him and I am pretty sure he thinks he is or will grow up to be a superhero.

Sara (27)  This year was full of learning or banging my head against a wall….  I did finally learn how to get banana stains out of clothes!  That was pretty big.  This year I learned that I love watching Caleb play baseball in the 100 degree windy, dusty, heat where no team wins, no one strikes out, and everyone gets on base.  I learned that there is nothing better then peewee soccer and watching  Ainsley steel the ball and score her first goal.  I learned that even after hours of helping your child with homework sometimes they just need you to color with them.  I learned that it doesn’t matter what I cook if the kids see what ingredient I put in or on the food they will not eat it!  This year I learned how rewarding going to school was, studying, writing papers, and even passing finals.  Even Tate got a backpack…although, if ever I can’t find something I always check there (for example…) measuring tape, screwdriver, ice cream scooper, forks, ipod cord….he is out of control!!!!  I learned that lime green is happy, silence is sinister when your child is three, and ketchup goes with everything, even breakfast.  I learned hugs AND reeces pieces cure tears, going to the zoo is fun AND alot like being a kid again, and most importantly I learned that locking my keys in my car happen twice a week AND so does running out of gas.  Between dropping off forgotten backpacks, taking classroom snacks, half- birthday treats, and the fact that my son SERIOUSLY gets in the car and goes all the way to school with no shoes on….its just going to be okay, because I will learn eventually.

 

  2012 has been an exciting year and the biggest adventure of all was our move.  Less then a week on the market and we were in need of another house ASAP.  No pressure, right?!!!  With over 9 years of marriage, 4 kids, and no pets I didn’t think moving would be that big of deal.  WOW!!!!   We have a lot of stuff !  Here we are in Kansas (still).   There truly is no place like home.