*blows off dust*

Hi, there! Remember me? I used to post here semi-regularly. With a new year upon me, I'd like to do so again. It's been so long, though, that I'll just hit the highlights.

Jill is ten years old. I don't know when that happened. I think I might have blinked, because it seems to have gone by just that fast. She plays the flute and takes voice lessons, loves all animals and insects, loves nature shows on TV, and would read all day if I let her. She's a funny mix of kid and not-kid, and as she figures out who she is, some days I have a grumpy kid and other days I have a fantastic kid. But I love her and enjoy this crazy ride she's taking me on as her mom.

Beth, at eight, is almost always sunshiney. But that's always been her personality. She makes friends with every person she meets. She plays the piano and harp, loves all insects and animals, and while she likes reading, she prefers graphic novels and stories over regular novels. She also has a passion for art, and if it came to a choice between art or reading, she'd choose art every time.

Kate, my baby at six, is definitely a youngest child! She loves attention, and while she's typically pretty happy, knows how to turn on the whine to get what she wants (which, funnily enough, doesn't work, so who knows why she still tries!). She's a sweet kid, and adores her big sisters. She plays the piano, and while she also loves bugs and animals, she also loves dressing up and pretending to be a princess or a super hero, whichever strikes her fancy.

These kiddos are crazy, always-busy, and make me smile each day. Sure, we have our hard days or our frustrating days, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. I love watching my girls grow and change every day.

Jon and I are doing well. I have a part-time job, but I'm trying to get a writing job of some sort since I just finished college and now have my Bachelor's in English. I love writing, always have, so I hope I can find something. The thing about writing is so often, you need experience to break in anywhere, but no one will hire you since you don't have experience.

I plan on taking up the clarinet and piano again. My clarinet is being serviced, and I don't know what happened to my piano book, but I look forward to reimmersing myself in the world of music. Also, now that I'm done with school, I can read books again. I checked out almost half a dozen just today! And I can keep the house clean and spend time with my girls and jut live life.

I'm hoping to start writing in here more regularly, so stay tuned!