I'm back! :)

I took a long break from blogging. Life got really busy! I'm hoping to return to it more now. :) I have a lot to discuss!
My family is still busy, we have a lot going on. I will post an update per child:
Caleb is almost 16! It doesn't seem possible that I am going to have a 16 year old soon! 16 just seems so old! lol! He is managing the girls Varsity basketball team. He loves it! Its a bit more of a commitment than I think he tough, but he's working through it pretty well. He grades improved a lot this last semester after we decided to have him stay after for an hour each weekday except Friday. He has amazing teachers who made a great commitment to Caleb, for that I am so grateful! Unfortunately we are not having the greatest time managing Caleb's obsessive behaviors! :( He is now off all meds that cause weight gain, he's doing a bit better weight wise but needs to start watching his food choices. Unfortunately Caleb craves carbs, could be a genetic thing or it could be a depression thing, often times people with depression or anxiety crave carbs. So we are hoping to decrease carbs and increase protein. The med to control the obsessive behavior is not working very well! :( and that makes it very difficult. Caleb has the ability to be amazing but these behaviors make that difficult to see! :( He comes across very selfish and arrogant. I am struggling with my relationship with him right now. We butt heads a lot! We are very opposite each other and that makes it very difficult. Hopefully we find a way to make it all work. He is my baby no matter how old he gets! :) If we can figure out this behavior stuff he will be taking drivers ed this Spring. So hard to believe were there already! Time really does fly!
Cody: Is doing awesome! He got on the honor roll and missed High Honors by 1 point! He participated in Lego League this year and loved it! He got a lap top for Christmas, he was very excited by that. He loves playing minecraft. He's a good big brother and loves to eat!
Carson: Oh my Carson! He's something else! He is so many different things all at once! He's kind and generous one minute then he's hyper and aggressive the next minute! Hard to keep up with his ever changing moods! He is still on Vyvanse and when its working its great, when its not, not so much! As long as I can keep him stimulated he does pretty good, its when I cant that its a problem. He is still my vivacious little man. He loves his family and really does want to do well! He loves 1st grade now! Especially his teacher Miss Bean. He lives minecraft as well. He got Lego's Lord of the Rings for Christmas and he loves that too. He also loves doing Lego's! :)
Connor: He is such a happy boy! Always smiling and happy with anything that moves or has lights! We have these snowman lights that twinkle and sing, he would stand on upside down bucket and push that button a hundred times! Good thing I love him because it got very annoying after about the 20th time! lol! He is doing amazing in pre-k with Miss Amy. I am grateful she helped me see Connor as not disabled, but as the amazing boy he is! :) He has many people in his life he loves, Miss terry picks him up 2 days a week for Preschool and speech. He loves Miss Chris and Miss Jenn. Connor is doing well and no longer has in home support. Other than the occasional outburst for lack of communication he is doing awesome!
Carly: Oh miss Carly! Our girly girl! She is doing dance and LOVES it! she also loves Miss Amy and going to preschool! She is all ready early reading! She is so very smart. She is very competitive! so we need to work at having her slow down, she doesn't need to first, she needs to do her best work. :) She loves dressing up and being girly!
Cathryn: She is still quite the spitfire! Never a dull moment for her!She is so busy and hyper but loves her babies and is such a good mommy! She is having trouble with her legs, 2 times since Labor Day weekend she has "hurt" her legs, and the first time couldn't bare any weight for the better part of the day and the second time "limped" for the better part of a week. After many X-rays we discovered a genetic abnormality in the growth plate of her ankles. So we are off to see a pediatric Orthopedic in Portland. Other tripping up some, it hasn't slowed her down a bit! She is a typical 6th child and doesn't take any ones crap! lol! She is a mommy's girl though, and thankfully I got another one, I haven't had one since Cody so that's nice!

So there is an update on everyone! I have been so busy! I decided to sell fudge and chocolates for Christmas. I was shocked at its amazing success! :) I was so happy to have such great, positive feedback! I was however extremely busy! I will do it again sometime as it was so successful but I will take a bit of a break! :)

I hope to post more on budgeting, I got way off the beaten path with our budget and really have a desire in the new year to get back on track! We have a really big reason to do it this year and hopefully that's the kick in the pants I need to get it done!

I will concentrating mostly on our food budget, as that is the most flexible and most costly for us!

Have a great 2013 everyone! and please feel free to post your own ideas and comments anytime!