MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS AND FAMILY!Our hearts are filled with celebration this season. We have so much to be thankful for as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. What an EXTRA special gift that was sent for us that night long ago in Bethlehem: the gift of knowing God personally, and the grace he shows us through forgiveness and life with him in heaven forever!
Just thought I'd give a little update of what each of us in the family are up to these days. If you would like to see more pictures and details of our year please look through this blog!
SHELDON: Sheldon continues to work at Allied Insurance as a commercial claims manager. There have been lots of changes in his company the past year, the biggest one being that in April his office will be closing down and moving most people to work from home. He has been working from home about once a week this year, and we love those days, so we are looking forward to this big change.
Sheldon continues to take lots and lots of photos as a hobby. He's had a chance to connect with several other local guys and go on photo shoots with them to very beautiful places around the state. Check out some of his landscape photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheldonnalos/
In addition he has had the opportunity to use his studio lights and backdrops to take family portraits for not only us, but many other families.
When he's not taking our kids' pictures he loves playing daddy "bear" and giving lots of snuggles and love to our kids. They LOVE it when daddy comes home from work each day and he's always greeted with MUCH enthusiasm!
He's also been playing his guitar on the worship team at church and enjoys meeting for men's Bible study before work on Fridays.
Jamie: I have been staying busy around the home! The biggest endeavor for me has been homeschooling Braden for kindergarten. It's been very rewarding teaching him, as this is my passion! We've also enjoyed being part of a homeschool coop with several other families and attending Friday school class.
In addition to teaching, the past few months I've been pretty consumed with being pregnant with baby number 3! The first trimester I was very morning sick, but I am feeling much better now. I'm so happy to be back in the kitchen cooking/baking for the family, as I enjoy finding new and healthy recipes to make.
At church this fall I helped with women's Bible study by leading a small group, and I also taught Braden's Sunday School class over the summer. As a couple, we have enjoyed our couple's/family Bible study, and are blessed by christian friends at our church.
Hobbies I enjoy are working in my garden in the summer and reading.
Braden: Braden just turned 6 this month. We've really seen him grow up this year, especially with the start of kindergarten. We enjoy listening to him read to us and HE would say that he likes numbers...the bigger the numbers in the equation the happier he is (enough with this simple 2 + 2, mom, let's move on to googolplex)! He also has become quite the inventor as he has his very own corner of the kitchen as his workspace where he keeps all his boxes. Give him yarn, some scissors, a hot glue gun, and tape and these boxes may turn into a very detailed flying machine. We can even keep using the same boxes as he's willing to take apart hours of work to start over and make something new. Braden's enthusiasm for life and his love to be with people are still some of his strongest traits! He can make friends with almost anyone even on a simple walk or an hour at the playground. We are thankful for the joy and excitement he spreads to others...and have seen his love for God grow this year, especially as he likes to share the good news of Jesus with friends.
Ashlyn: Ashlyn turned 3 in October. She seems like such a big girl now and is capable of doing so many things on her own. I'm almost out of a job when it comes to the basics. She loves to be my helper in the kitchen, help clean, or fold laundry. She enjoys playing boy stuff with Braden, but is also very content to play alone in her own world of pretend. She especially likes caring for her babies and stuffed animals. She also enjoys making her own crafts with crayons, paper, and scissors. In fact, she likes cutting paper SO MUCH that our kitchen floor is often covered with paper scraps. She stays very "busy," so I must keep my eye on her as I never know what I may find if she's unattended for too long. She has picked up on Braden's sense of humor, and it's been fun to see her tell her own little jokes and laugh and laugh with her! She brings so many smiles to my face as I watch her grow!
Baby Nalos #3: Baby Girl Nalos is due the beginning of May. All the family is excited about this new arrival. Both children cannot wait and enjoy hearing about how big baby is each week. At 19 weeks she is currently about the size of a heirloom tomato. Ashlyn is especially excited and is already taking on her big sister role, for instance: she'll shake a rattle in front of my tummy or "tickle" the baby! For me, May cannot come quick enough!
Make sure to check out more details of our family highlights throughout this past year on the blog such as our trip/cruise in Alaska, special days and visits from family, and our recent trip to the Redwoods in California.
May your season be filled with the joy of the Lord as we celebrate Jesus' birth.
With Love,
Sheldon, Jamie, Braden, Ashlyn & Baby Nalos
