Merry Christmas from the Rogers' family!
So I actually did get most of our cards in the mail before the holiday actually happened, but I realized that much has happened in our life this year and so I thought I would update our family and friends with the fun excitement of our life this year!
Trying to think of one word to sum up this year is hard, but let's say "full". Full of love. Full of chaos. Full of energy. Full of joy. First of all, we were so amazingly blessed with baby Abby joining the family to turn us into a wild family of five. Chris took on a new job which I will share more about later. We sold our first house (with one super complicated house sale that caused an amazing amount of stress!). We moved to the suburbs of Washington, DC. Aiden started his last year of preschool and Andrew started his first year of preschool. We can definitely say that this year has brought us lots of moments keeping our hearts and hands full!
So one of the biggest moments in this year was Chris getting offered a Professional Accounting fellowship at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC. This was no easy position to get. Chris spent hours and hours working on preparation for the big selection last winter (writing a technical paper, preparing for interview, and attending conferences). Thankfully, it paid off and he was one of four people in the entire country this year to get this amazing opportunity. The fellowship started in June, lasting for two years, before we make another BIG decision in our family's life...what to do next? Now, you are wondering about Chris' hobbies? Well, I have to admit that as a father of three young children and working many hours, he doesn't get moments of free time. But he has worked hard on becoming more fit and manages to sneak in a few moments to watch some of his beloved Hawkeyes. And he is very thankful that although we loved our house in Cranford, he no longer is having to do weekly fix-up jobs to the house or manage the yard every few days!
So this new position required us to move to our new home in Vienna, VA, a suburb of Washington DC. We somehow managed to sell our house and find a rental, all within the first two months of Abby's life. And if you would like more details about one of the most complicated house sales ever, click here. (I am trying to forget this stressful moment from my memory!) The kids and I moved here the first of July and are STILL trying to get settled into our house and new town. Moving with kids is no easy thing, especially I have found out for the mom. There is nothing like showing up on moving day and Chris has to head to work and I am faced with boxes and boxes (and boxes) to unload with three young children looking at me to entertain them. Somehow, we survived the summer and we have moved onto a new routine with our days filled with school, activities, and making a new life here for a few years. I dearly miss my friends in New Jersey (and everywhere else that my friends lie), but have enjoyed making new connections in our new town. I spend my days completely engulfed in my children's world (like most moms of young children) but I do try to take some time to work out, blog over at The Chirping Moms, and of course try to stay up to date on my much-needed reality television.
So we have now completed our fifth move in eight years (trust me you know you move a lot when your son asks, "Next year what house will we have Christmas in?"). We are enjoying the "here and now" while also excited about where our future lies next wherever it may life. So enough about the "life" stuff, let's move onto our little rugrats.
Aiden. Just turned five. Yikes, I still can't believe it. He is in his final year of preschool, attending in the afternoon four days a week. He is sweet, sensitive, and spunky all at the same time. A boy of many personalities, I have to say. He is a helper as he loves to do things: mop floors, make my coffee, help bake in the kitchen. (But trust me he does NOT want to make his bed, clear his plates, the chores that we want him to do just like most five year old boys!) He is not a huge "toy" kid as he loves to do things that interact. His favorite things to do is play school, do crafts with Mommy, and play with his brother Andrew. He loves spending time with his siblings and is great at being the "oldest" as he loves and protects his siblings. He loves school and quickly adapted to a classroom full of new friends. His teachers are amazed at how his brain is always going and thinking and trust me, it never stops! He is just starting to learn how to read, but I definitely don't push it as I know that as soon as he does it will really take off. In his "very rare" quiet time, he loves movies, "Diego" and "Paw Patrol", playing on his Leappad, and recently Legos.
Andrew. Seriously our little toddler has now turned into a three year old boy. And his personality has really come to life this past year. He now attends afternoon preschool twice a week and had NO problems adapting to this new routine in his life. He loves his teacher, the toys, and all of the fun activities involved with school. Andrew LOVES to play toys and is known to be carrying some toy around with him wherever we go. He is very attached to his dog lovies and stuffed puppies, Marshall and Chase. Some of his other favorite toys include: trains, planes, cars, diggers, Switch and Go dinos, Rescue bots, "sharkey", and his fire costume. He is NOT fond of dragons and monsters though and will even leave the rooms of anything that may contain one of these scary things! He is adventurous and quick to learn. He zooms around on his scooter, balance bike, and even the tall bike with training wheels with no problem. He also loves his quiet time and can often be found snuggling up with his books, lovey, and his beloved pacifier (yes he still has it for naps and bedtimes and no plans to get rid of soon!). He is petite, weighing in at 26 pounds this year, and is a picky eater but loves his tacos, chocolate milk, and yogurt drinks.
Now our sweet little Abby. It's amazing that she is only nine months old and how much she has changed. She is a perfect third child. Goes with the flow, spends lots of time in the car seat, and has no problem playing with trucks and cars versus girly baby toys. She is one active little girl, already cruising around and standing for several seconds on her own. The first step should happen any time. She loves her brothers SO much often crawling out of the room where I am to find her brothers. Her favorite moments are jumping on Andrew's bed with him before nap time and when Aiden comes to find her in the crib. I love my wild boys and I have no doubt that she will be one wild little girl but I am excited to have a little girl in our family to just add to the craziness of our family dynamics.
Looking back on 2013, we are so blessed and thankful to what life has brought us. We are also thankful for our family and friends. It's not easy to live away from all of the people you love, but we cherish some very special visits and conversations from grandparents, friends, and more. I have to admit that as I look on to 2014, I am looking forward to hopefully a more "boring" year. No moving, no new children, no job change, right?!?! But I have realized that with three little kids, daily life isn't boring. It may seem boring on the outside: diaper changes, dirty dishes, reading books, afternoons in the back yard, playing school, and more. But honestly, each and every day is a new challenge in our house and I'm looking forward to seeing what adventures 2014 will bring.
We wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a happy 2014!
