It is already time to write another yearly letter. It doesn’t seem like it has been that long since I was writing about waiting, and waiting … and waiting for Colton to be born. But so much has gone on since then. As I was looking through our yearly pictures, I wasn’t sure where to start, but I hope this will be fun for everyone to revisit the last year and all that has gone on.
A NEW BABY AND A LOOK AT THE KIDS
Colton was born on February 5. He was the fastest delivery ever and was almost crowned “The Porcelain Child” due to his prompt delivery.
It seemed like life kicked into full gear. All that time sitting around during pregnancy was spiritually refreshing (as I read and prayed a lot in those many sleepless hours), but that huge stack of things that weren’t getting done were now beckoning to be done.
For instance, we needed to spend some time snuggling that baby.
COLTON
Colton has been such a fun baby. I think he smiled within his first week of life. He has just been very social and expressive. He loves to be played with and was a perfect fit as a youngest of many siblings.
The things I could say that dominated his first year of life were his insatiable hunger, our sleep interrupted nights, and his giggles. One dramatically made up for the other. Finally, at 9 1/2 months we moved him into a room with no near him and nearly turned off the baby monitor. What a blessing!
SILAS
Silas is my serious and quieter child. Labeled “The Golden Child” for Rick’s
un
-slightly-ashamed adoration of this guy.
One thing that we notice about Silas is his deliberate speaking. He doesn’t say a lot, but what he does say he says with enthusiasm or finality. At the same time, he can be found coming up and talking a millions words in a language that none of us can quite understand, but sounds something like the Chef of The Muppets.
He loves swords, guns, trains and Colton but most often plays with Charlotte. My favorite thing he said this year was when he came up with a gun and said, “I’m a bad guy. I hurt people.” then paused, turned to me and said, “but I don’t hurt you, Mom.”
He is most likely to be found in the kitchen helping Mom cook. At the table, waiting for the food to be done. Or somewhere within the vicinity of food.
CHARLOTTE (CHARLY)
Charlotte is in such a fun stage of life. She is just full of creativity and excitement. This year she started school and has really enjoyed learning. She has done much better than I expected and is getting so far ahead in her goals that I think I may need to get some 1st grade work books.
She truly is our sunshine girl and when she is in a good mood she has been heard saying things like “Happy girl, coming through.” or when asked to get something she’ll bounce up and chipperly reply “Coming right up!” Albeit she does have one of the meanest streaks I have ever seen, too.
This year Charly got saved. She was very personal about it. At night we were talking about salvation and hell and while I was talking a look of reality and fear showed upon her face and while I was in the midst of talking she closed her eyes and started mouthing a prayer to God. I knew that at that time she was asking God’s forgiveness, but didn’t make a big deal due to her very shy tendancies. She started telling people on her own that she was saved and then when Rick talked to her privately she told him all about why she was saved. What a blessing!
Lastly, she is our dress up queen. Always brightening the day with her craziness.
LILY
Lily is also a very serious child and yet as sweet and tenderhearted as they come. She does not like to be tickled. She doesn’t really tell many jokes. She chose green to be her favorite color because Charlotte liked pink and Lily didn’t want there to be a fuss every time someone had to choose colors. She likes peace. She doesn’t like to be teased. She gets her feelings hurt easily and quickly lashes out with a squeal of disapproval. She likes imaginative play to be all inclusive where no one is a bad guy. She makes the most beautiful flower and still life arrangements. She has a gift of seeing beauty.
She doesn’t like suspenseful movies and does well to know the plot ahead of time. She was heard saying, “Well, I’m okay with the story because I know good guys never really get hurt or die.
She whistles the loudest, shrillest, sound you ever could hear. All her songs can be heard in an octave above the normal sound range. It takes all your patience to allow her to enjoy her musical “gift.” She is also learning piano, but as is typical for Lily, it is difficult for her to learn because she goes back and forth between “I know, I know mom.” and “I can’t do it. It’s too hard.”
She is very dramatic yet intensely self-conscious. She is my sweet heart. She cries when others are hurting and she loves her friends and family deeply.
KIERA
Kiera’s longing in life is to wrestle and climb with anyone who will not whine about getting hurt. She wants to be an adventurer, and yet she gets grossed out cleaning up sticky things.
I think she has read every age appropriate graphic novel (a.k.a. comic book) aloud to her brothers and sisters … and most other books as well.
She is a gifted musician and has learned three levels of piano in one year. She can sing harmony naturally and plays better by ear than by music.
She is her dad’s game buddy and loves all strategy games. Her current favorites are Clash of Clans and Dominion, but she will play any game any time.
She is the typical oldest child in that she mothers everyone, nit picks, bosses and is a personal perfectionist. But she is an excellent student and a blossoming cook.
She is my companion and a good friend.
EVERY DAY FUN. (I NEED A COSTUME STORE DISCOUNT)
It seems that throughout the year, I am in a continual mode of preparing costumes, cleaning up costumes, or enjoying little people who create their own. Here are some photos that show a little of what I get to see.
DRESS UP
HOME SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND MASTER CLUB NIGHTS
Here you can see that they were able to go to the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra, Participate in PJ night, dress up for their Nationality of their class’s Missionary, go on their first bus ride out to the Oregon Trail Center, do some at home science projects, dress up for A Day in Romania, crazy hair night, Idaho Wildlife Exhibit at the church, Team Color Night at Master Club, and the annual Christmas Program.
FAMILY OUTINGS AND ADVENTURES (with some special guests).
During the year, the kids each would spend Sunday evenings after church at Gpa Ed and Gma’s house. Gpa Ed was known to make yummy food with them. We also bid fairwell to the Webers before they headed out to Hawaii at a great party at Gpa Ed and Gma’s house.
Uncle Rob, Aunt Julie and Mason came for a short but full time together in the spring. We went to Famous Daves (yummm), the Greenbelt, MK Nature Center and Discovery Center. They helped out in Jr. Church playing steal the bacon. And we talked far too long into the evenings. Uncle Rob got sick (very sad). Then, business minded Aunt Julie also helped us figure out how to get this here web-site and blog up and running.
Gma Perkins came to visit a few weeks later and she helped out as we took the kids to swimming lessons, a preview of the Creation Museum, and the orchestra in the Park.
We enjoyed birthday parties, summer bike rides, 4th of July Celebrations, going to the Zoo with Gma Schworer, babysitting with the Rasmussens, Gpa Schworer Day, Rick running a 5K, getting rained out of our Family Pictures, Skyping with Gpa McClain (don’t know how to do those pictures), going to the Pumpkin Patch with Gma Schworer, Rick building dog houses over the weekends, Thanksgiving with the Eoms and Daltons (forgot to get pictures), sledding with the Robinsons, Yearly Gingerbread Houses, Gma and Gpa Ed moving into a new house and Rick painting it, Rick finishing up Thy Kingdom Come 2, the Annual Home School Skate, Master Club Christmas Program, Redecorating our room, the Botanical Garden trip and Christmas at Gma and Gpa Ed’s new house.
What a great year.
RICK AND MELISSA
We don’t really have a lot of pictures of Rick and I throughout the year, and I thought, “Hmmmm. What did we accomplish this year?” Then I laughed to myself because the entire letter shows what we accomplished. We brought a new baby into the world, we raised and enjoyed our children and we are happily married.
It is an exhausting life. Like Gma Cummons says, “The days are long but the years are short.”
God has been tremendously good to us. We have seen His hand in every aspect of our life. He has provided financially in miraculous ways. He has allowed us to grow spiritually by stretching us to be more hospitable. He continually provides grace as we try to use our love and gift of teaching in the areas of home schooling, personal work, Bible Institute, blog articles and Rick’s books. He prods us to be better soul winners as we try to give out tracts where ever we go and by handing out muffins to our neighbors. He has encouraged us in our church and we have grown to love it and our pastor even more this year than last.
We are very blessed.
So, in parting, I hope you enjoyed our 2014 Year at a Glance. Also, if you care to stick around, here is a little video I made earlier this year that features our 11 years in 3 1/2 minutes.
The post The Schworer Family – 2014 – Year at a Glance appeared first on Truth and Song.