WELL, here's the latest with all my brood as of tonight.

While I'm writing this, they're all downstairs watching a movie with Jeff.  It seems to be the weekend thing around here...bodies all over the family room watching a dvd on the big screen and munching on whatever snacks are left in the pantry.  I think tonight it's crackers of some kind.

Anyway, here is the scoop on them all:

IRENE is a senior, still working at Cracker Barrel, and looking forward to getting done with high school.  This Spring break, she and Jeanette are going to Russia to visit our family friend, Olga Spachil, see the orphanage where they spent their early years, and try to locate her birth family.  It should be a very emotional trip for them both. 

Ditto on JEANETTE.  She is also still dating Curtis and that is going well.  Next month, she'll be going to the courthouse on a job shadowing class offered by the high school.  She's really interested in criminal justice.  JJ is also playing indoor soccer for the winter.  She's getting very tiny these days....a size 1 or 3.  She is healthy, just too busy to eat, and growing up. 

DENNIS is 15, 150 pounds and 5'7".  He is doing well with school so far and enjoys being the equipment manager for the JV basketball team.  He is also really into hanging out with the construction guys who are building our 2nd barn.  He's always been good at putting things together....maybe this building thing will be a future occupation for him?  We shall see.

DANIEL is on the 8th grade basketball team (Jeff is coach) and is almost as tall as me.  He is literally growing daily and now looks at me at eye level when we talk.  His voice is deaper now, but he still hugs me in public.  His 3 best friends are going to the public high school next year, but he wants to attend the private Catholic school next year.  His high school placement test scores were almost off the charts.  I'm glad he got his Dad's smarts.
 
EMMALEE is on the volleyball team and just turned 12.  She is very girly and is growing her hair for "locks of love".  Hopefully, next month we will go and get it cut...it's very long.  On her birthday, she decided to re-pierce her ears...ouch.  She and Jeanette can share clothes.

MITCH is playing basketball and is still taking piano lessons.  He's very talented at drawing and making short films.   He likes to hang out with friends and play on the computer.

KEVIN is almost nine.  He's a typical boy through and through.  Yesterday, I found a huge slab of ice in the freezer.  He found it under the deck and wanted to preserve it, so, it will probably be in there until Spring.

CRAIG (Kevin's twin) has improved so much with his reading...I'm so proud of him.  He's very into sports of any kind.  Basketball is his thing right now, but he will soar in football.  He's a natural athlete and a very strong kid.

talk soon....

Lori