Merry Christmas!

Rohdes

2010 has been a wonderful, fruitful year for the Rohdes.  Things are never dull around here, but we're constantly amazed at God's provision and direction in our lives.  I spent the first 8 months of this year pregnant - I know, most of you are not surprised at this:)  I think since we have school-aged kids, we tend to think of time in school years, so...we finished up our first "official" year of homeschooling this last spring.  Even though homeschooling is a big challenge, and honestly probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, I LOVE having my kids with me and sharing our days together.  Who knows how long I'll continue this endeavor, but for now, I'm thankful for the time with my family.  Our days our full and blessed.  Here is a lowdown on each member of our family:

Kirk is still working for the Wyoming Dept. of Transportation as an accountant.  We're thankful for his job.  It's flexible, close, and he doesn't carry the weight of Wyoming's economy on his shoulders when he comes home.  Since he does carry the weight of the Rohde economy on his shoulders, he has part time ventures that make up the slack in our large family.  Thankfully, most everything can be done together as a family (even though there are many groans from the children).  I remind them that all these "errands" give them opportunities to do all the fun stuff they get to do.

Take a deep breath - Here's the "fun stuff" everyone is doing:

Zion is 9 1/2 and in 4th grade.  He is a very eager learner and a delightful student.  Often he is found reading a book and is currently reading through the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy for the third time.  Don't go thinking this is a boy who always has his nose in a book, though.  He is also very much into sports and has had a full plate since baseball started in the spring.  Then it was football in the fall, with basketball getting ready to start very soon.  It makes me laugh, but he also loves any video game of the previously mentioned sports (or actually any video game, really) and Kirk has had to tell him that even though he is amazing at [fill in the blank sport] on the wii, he will need to practice to get good at the sport in real life.  He has been taking piano for about a year now, and just started walking down to the neighborhood school for violin 2 times a week this year.  This fall he and the other 3 oldest learned how to swim, thanks to Grandma.  Not that she taught them, but was nice enough to finance this activity so her grandkids would learn to swim at a young age.  However, Zion is really close to "double-digits."  I can't believe he is almost 10! 

Tekoa is a 2nd grader this year.  She turned 8 in August.  I am so thankful for her help.  She loves to hold the baby and be my "little mommy."  It's been so neat to see her mature over the last year.  She has always been my "strong-willed" child, but I feel like she's tempered it more and things are definitely smoother.  She is a natural leader and loves to line up all the other kids (minus Zion) for playing school, doctor's office, Little House on the Prairie, etc.  Becoming a solid reader has been very exciting to Tekoa (especially for playing school:).  She is in ballet, piano, and getting ready to start basketball for the first time.  We'll see how she does, but I have to say that she seems like an amazing shot on a kid-sized hoop.  Maybe she is going to take after her Auntie Chris?  She loves going to church and taking part in "Prims" each week there.

Toren is 6 years old and currently holding his place as our family clown.  Not that I would want this for him, but I could totally see him as a stand-up comic.  He's just funny!  We are doing kindergarten work this year since his birthday is so late.  It's a tough call because a lot of it seems way too easy for him, yet he seems so young at the same time.  He really does love learning and looks up to his big brother so much.  He also followed in Zion's footsteps and participated in baseball, football, and now basketball.  Even though Toren is ALL boy, he is so sweet and sensitive.  I could tell the first time he held his new baby sister how much he loved her.  Some day this guy will be a great catch!

The budding artist around here is most definitely Micaiah!  She just turned 5 and to celebrate we had an "art" party.  I'm realizing more and more that "artistic" can basically translate to "messy", but I'm doing my best to try to roll with it and give her some space to create.  Micaiah is probably the most like me in her personality (scary, huh?)  She is the most likely to be caught eating candy and getting into my makeup, although I'm sure there are numerous things she doesn't get "caught" at.  Micaiah loves to perform and she participated in the children's theatre with Tekoa last spring as well as "Can-Can Cuties" in the Melodrama with Tekoa and Shiloh this summer.  She is very "at home" in front of a crowd.

Shiloh turned 3 this fall.  When asked if she knows how to spell her name, she holds up 3 fingers.  This age is so cute!  Shiloh is definitely a girly-girl and loves to have her nails painted and any makeup she's allowed to wear (i.e. chapstick...sometimes)  She participated with her sisters in the Melodrama this summer as well, and it was really hard NOT to watch her the whole time because she was so cute and little up on the big stage!  She was the youngest dancer up there and did a great job!



Ezra is going to be 2 in January, and right now he is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!  I always say that he is lucky he's so cute right now, because otherwise I would go crazy trying to keep up with him.  Praise the Lord for naptime.  Ezra is a good sleeper (and it's no wonder) and I'm so thankful!  Ezra is doing his best to follow after Toren as a comedian.  He makes all of us laugh everyday.  The funniest thing (and scariest) is to see him mimic the other kids in the things they do.  Wow!  He is a little sponge.  

Na'arah (pronounced nay-ar-uh) June Rohde made her fashionably late entrance to the world on August 17, 2010.  She delivered via VBAC (which means a vaginal birth after cesarean).  This type of delivery comes with some risks, but I so felt God's presence and peace during the weeks leading up to her birth and during her delivery.  She was due August 6th, and if I'd had a c-section, she would have probably been delievered a week before this.  I had kind of thought she would come a little early since she was in fact the 7th child, but she had other plans and I was induced a day shy of her being 2 weeks late.  I definitely realized during those 2 weeks that I'm horrible at waiting!  She was worth waiting for though and came in at a whopping 9lb 3.4 oz.  Not quite as big Zion, but a pretty close contender.  Now at 3 1/2 months, I'm totally in love.  She is a delightful baby and will be one tough cookie.

From reading above I hope it's obvious what I do most of the time.  There is never a dull momernt in this family!  I am still leading worship at my church, although my pastor and I are currently doing "tag-team" style worship.  I call it my perpetual maternity leave:)  Right now one of the biggest things we have going is a move to a new house.  I'm working on a blog that tells all about this new venture, but we are very excited about our new casa.  At the latest, we should be in our new house by February 1, 2011, but it could be a little sooner.  I am so amazed at God's abundant provision for our family.  He provides financially, physically (caffeine only goes so far), emotionally (I can run to him with tears in my eyes or a smile on my face at anytime), and spiritually (He truly is the "lover of my soul").  If you haven't experienced this same fullness that only He can give, I invite you to dialogue with me about it.  After all, it IS the whole point of Christmas.  Jesus is the greatest gift you can open!

Merry Christmas from the Rohdes