Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone!
It's almost the last day of 2008,
Our first full year with Noelle - how far she has come! The only time she seems to become intimidated is when she comes in contact with people who are from China. It took me awhile to figure it out, but in China the orphans are looked down on and sometimes ridiculed, and I think all that comes back to her when she hears Mandarin spoken. However, with her Zion friends, with all the love and acceptance that they have shown her -she is happily confident. Ter and I often say how quickly the year has gone, but how we can't imagine our lives without her.
Nick was confirmed, graduated from Zion and has started high school - and he's growing up so much - he's lifting weights and he's starting to look like ....a bigger boy (my baby boy can't be a man, yet!)
Akaela has grown up so much this year, too - she's really starting to "be a girl" - wearing a bit of makeup and enjoying dressing up. Her face has gotten longer, and so have her legs! She has slimmed down and she has a waist! She's almost as tall as I am....
Ter and I are doing great - albeit a few physical issues - but then, as our kids grow older, so do we! But, as we grow older, the distractions fall away and the priorities become so clear - God, family, friends - helping others.
Blessings all - and Happy New Year!
Lisa

A few more pics

Merry Christmas!

Hello all,
I know, I know - I have lost my status as a blogger since it's been so long since I updated. My only excuse is that we have been busy! Nick's basketball games started and one week he had three! He also has practice that starts at 5:30 pm and ends at 8 Pm so poor Ter has become a taxi service! Of course, Akaela has been practicing until 5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I usually just work until she's done on those days - add in Wednesday night church, and getting ready for Christmas and we were seriously sleep deprived!
I'll try to catch you up on what's been going on -
We had a fun thanksgiving - we actually tried to work at the thanksgiving dinner for people who don't have anywhere to go - but there were five times as many people to help as there were eating, so we stayed around for about an hour and then left. Later we went to Dave and Christine's for an awesome dinner. We stayed late playing Wii and had a blast!
Kristi and I went shopping early on Black Friday and got some good deals, but Walmart was probably the craziest I have ever seen. I forgot my cell phone and had to sit on the water softener salt for about a half hour hoping that Kristi would find me!
Then we had our Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday - the Howsdens joined us and we had a good meal, too.
Times are tough right now - everywhere, but in Automotive, we're really feeling it - we hear about ourselves on the news every day. we've lost about a third of the people at work and are taking an extra long break at Christmas. We kind of feel like we are on a roller coaster - one day they say that the congress will bail out the big 3 then they don't pass it - a bunch of plants will close down then the president might help. All we can do is work hard pray.
Billy and Alex got baptized! It was pretty cool!
Then we decorated the house for Christmas. Noelle got to put the angel on the tree for the first time.
The kids had their Christmas programs. I was amazed how how incredible the Kearney High music program is! Akaela did a great job, too - she had a solo! Noelle was very sweet - her class sang "The First Noel" and every time they sang "Noel" she got the cutest smile on her face!
Ter had surgery on the 22nd - double hernia and he has had quite a time recovering. The doctor scared me to death when he came out to talk to me - he took me into the private room! He said that they got it done, but it was "a bear" and that Ter would be VERY sore - and he was right! Poor guy is still on pain meds - he wanted to do it over Christmas break, but I'm not at all sure that he will be ready to go back to work - we'll see.
We also had our furnace go on the blitz and the night of his surgery, a water pipe broke! Needless to say, he was in no condition to fix it...so we had to call in a plumber. Stressful day! But...we made it through and we'll be getting a new heat pump sometime next week. Thankfully, our old one is still working enough to keep us from freezing!

We had a great Christmas - we got a family gift - a Wii - and the kids are really enjoying it. Ter has even bowled a bit from his recliner!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas!
Blessings,
Lisa