Christmas Letter 2018

It's December 1st and I am posting our Christmas Letter on time which feels like an accomplishment in itself. We have a lot to celebrate in 2018 as we prepare to ring in the New Year. Like any other year it hasn’t been without it’s challenges but we can even celebrate the hard times when we reflect and see how they allow us to grow. It feels like a huge year of growth for all of us.

One if he biggest changes this year was Jonathan's decision to go back to school to become a Medical Transcriptionist. He started the 1 year program in September and it took a while for us to find a balance. Some weeks are more challenging than others but all in all we are loving the flexibility of schooling from home which will be very similar to working from home when he graduates. When we moved a year and a half ago he was hoping to "do something different"... studying Healthcare Documentation has certainly proven to be different and is allowing his skills to be expanded and used in new and different ways. We are so proud of him.

This year I had the opportunity to attend a Christian Homeschool Conference in Kelowna for the first time. It was such a valuable experience that it left me wondering why I waited into my 7th year of homeschooling to attend. I am looking forward to attending again in the Spring. I have a new found love for indoor plants and am expanding my collection. I’ve also found a new appreciation for art, through teaching art and have started my own drawing sketch book (in my spare time so you can imagine how many pages are filled). 

David continues in his love of reading and has read through the Harry Potter series and is now reading the Lord of the Rings. Spring through Fall he made some extra $$ mowing lawns and now he volunteers as a Library Helper at school. This fall he joined the Jr. Curlers league and has been enjoying learning a new sport. He enjoys reminding us that by his next birthday we will be parents to a TEENAGER, something we are still wrapping our minds around.

Angeline will be turning 10 in the Spring. She is blossoming into a lovely young lady with the occasional bit of pre-teen ATTITUDE. I would get on her case about her eye rolls but she probably learned that from me. We are constantly thankful that she jumps in to help without being asked. She enjoys playing Lego and Shoppies and she loves art, choir, playing "Donkey Kong" and board games.

Samara turns 8 next week. We are proud of her decision to join choir despite the fact that performing is not her "thing." She has a beautiful singing voice and enjoys the weekly rehearsals. Samara is more "behind the scenes" than her older and younger sisters. She is loyal and caring and quite witty when you get a glimpse behind the shyness. She is clever at math and strategy games. She is a good mix of competitive and kind.

Rebekah is our bubbling 6 year old. I love that she frequently jumps up and down when she is happy about something. Her joy is contagious. She is loving homeschooling and has learned a lot in her first few months of Grade 1. She definitely finds herself "stuck in the middle" and can often be heard saying "I don't know if I am big or little!?" She is looking forward to her first choir performance tomorrow night, singing in Wee Glee with her two older sisters at the Capitol Theatre.

Joshua is now 4 going on 8. He is our most helpful four year old so far and can vacuum, sweep, fold laundry, wash dishes and help prepare meals. He can often be found in his Batman shirt and mostly switches between that and his Batman pyjamas. He likes to earn points towards screen time by doing chores but is also motivated just to be a nice guy. He loves to laugh and make others laugh. He lives life to the fullest.

Naomi loves singing, listening to stories and playing with play-dough. She is working towards giving up nap time and hopefully soon will be potty trained. She seemed to transform from baby to toddler over night. She turns 2 in 2 weeks. She's not a big fan of the camera so we haven't yet been able to capture her rendition of "twinkle, twinkle" and she often frowns for pictures or anything else that isn't her idea. She is strong willed and a tease and right now her favourite word is "NO!"

Onyx turned 1 at the end of August. She is a good dog! We are happy that we made the decision to get a puppy last fall. She still gets excited when we have company and will sometimes jump up but is improving as she continues to mature. She is supper good with the kids and I wouldn't get out for my walks without her.

Our highlights are often the same year to year. We LOVE CAMPING and look forward to increasing the time we spend in a tent each year. We also love hiking and spending time at the Lake. We LOVE playing board games, drinking tea and sitting by the fire (indoors and out). We look forward to making new memories and spending time with loved ones. 

One new tradition we started this year was to let the kids pick a family outing rather than give them a birthday gift. I thought it might take some time to win them over to this idea but he kids have all enjoyed choosing an activity and spending time together as a family. We have enjoyed swimming at the Nanaimo Pool, Mini Golf and Bumper Boats and we are looking forward to ice skating, more swimming.... and an ice cream date at our local creamery. Everyone is looking forward to continuing this tradition in the New Year and for many more years to come.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love,

the Neufelds

Melissa, Jonathan, David, Angeline, Samara, Rebekah, Joshua, Naomi & Onyx

PS- I hope to post a family picture soon... that is one things on the never ending to do list that we haven't conquered yet.