Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas! Are you and your elves busy getting ready for the holidays? My family sure is! I know I haven't been very good about this blog but here is our update and I entered in all the kids new pictures too!!
A lot has happened this year. Let’s go from oldest to youngest. Peter started working at NNP which makes the gummy vitamins for Costco and Target. It is less than 3 min from home! He gets to come home for lunch and we feel like we get to see him so much more since he doesn’t have 2 hours of travel time every day. He has also been called as the Elders Quorum 2nd Counselor. He also spent the summer months making the kids Halloween Costumes. They were very cool!
I have been busy with a part time at home job, being a counselor in the Primary in charge of Cub Scouts and a taxi driver to all the kids’ different events. I have also been doing some home improvements. I have installed a ceiling fan where there was no light, I also installed an over-the-range microwave where there used to be a hood and did all the electrical related to both of those. I am hoping to start my next project in Jan after the holidays. And of course my 5 kids have kept me hopping. Speaking of hopping, I have started eating healthy and doing Zumba 3 times a week and have lost 30 pds since July!
Logan is now 11yrs old, in 5th grade and just earned his Weblos with all three compass points and his arrow of light. Logan has done wrestling, soccer, and track this year and has done well at all of them. He’s now old enough to leave him home with the other kids for a little while and I have enjoyed having a little more freedom. He is growing into such a wonderful young man that the women in the ward are telling their daughters to marry him; we’ve had 2 offers already! LOL! We’re in trouble!
Speaking of trouble…Kira just turned 9 and is in 3rd grade. She is my “little mother” to all the boys. She is such a good helper. She had a rough start at the beginning of the year when she got sick and had to have her appendix taken out. It was her first surgery(as compared to the
rest of the boys who have all had more than 4, except Jake who’s only had 1 so far) She also did Wrestling, soccer, track and also tried Basketball this year. Heaven knows she’s got enough energy! It has been fun seeing her grow and mature this year. She has become a beautiful young lady inside and out!
Dallas will turn 6 in January and started Kindergarten this year. He is my mild mannered child who has always been very low key. We never have to worry about him, except when he rides his bike, then he turns into Evil Canevil!! He tried soccer for the first time this year and picked it up pretty quick. We love our Dallas!!!
Kaden will be 4 in January and has started going to Pre-School. He is finally talking to where you can understand a little over half of what he says, but with him it’s “how” he says it! He has 4 different voices he uses throughout the day. He is very funny and those dimples get me every time!!
Jake just turned 18 months and is a busy guy. He has gotten the most beautiful red hair! He has learned how to climb both bunk bed ladders, and sadly has not learned how to climb down yet! ;) He says “Mom” a lot, as that is the only thing he can say. If I am not careful he sneaks away from me gets into everything! Bill Cosby once said, “You know you have a two year old when they have a right hand reach of 8 ft!” This is so true for Jake but he needed to say 18 month old.
Happy Holidays and have a very merry New Year!
Love,
The Newman Family
Peter, Jen, Logan, Kira, Dallas, Kaden, and Jacob