Christmas Letter 2013

Our annual holiday letter:

Merry Christmas! Here’s hoping you are doing well and that your life is full of blessings!

We have had another busy year. We’ve been able to go on quite a few vacations, particularly to Disney World last spring and also to Branson, MO at the end of the summer. Both were a fantastic time and we are so happy to be able to travel and do fun things with our kids. It wasn’t long ago that we were pretty homebound so we are enjoying getting away more. Plus, having 4 kids that are 3 ½ years apart makes it somewhat easy to entertain them all and do things they can all enjoy.

Kaitlyn and Mackenzie (9) have quite the schedule these days! They had another fun summer with swim team, while they continue to improve on the other strokes. More importantly though, since school has began, their activities are crazy. Kaitlyn is taking jazz, ice skating, and finally art! She still loves art more than anything, and she is also starting basketball this month for the first time. We are trying to find the thing she loves but I’m pretty sure she has already found it and it is art!

Mackenzie, in the meantime, is still taking piano and has a wonderful talent, but she is also on her dance studio’s competitive dance company this year. It has been a great experience so far, and in November I got to accompany her to Mobile, AL for her first dance competition! She will also get to compete at nationals with her company next June in Myrtle Beach. Oh darn, mom will have to accompany her again!

Ashley and Reagan (almost 6) are both enjoying kindergarten and though they are in separate classes for the first time, they have adjusted very well. Both girls were on swim team for the first time this summer and they are already talking about wanting to go back to swim team! Until then, they are both taking dance for the second year. Reagan enjoys it but Ashley is ready to go back to some other things, so we will see what 2014 holds for them.  There’s talk of trying soccer??

Mike continues to stay busy at work and seems to be traveling quite a bit more this year. At church he is now the Executive Secretary which is keeping him busy as well. No rest for the weary, right? But seriously, he is doing well and blessed to have so much going on.

Lastly, it has been a bit of a change for me this year as Ashley and Reagan started kindergarten.  It has been challenging to adjust to a new routine, however it’s been very nice. Again, so different from just a few short years ago! Being a stay at home mom is such a blessing as I get to volunteer at the school, be a Girl Scout Leader, an activity leader for girls at church, and run them around to their thousands of activities after school. I love watching them develop and grow, and I’m glad to be doing what I’m doing. I still teach Ashley and Reagan’s Sunday School class at church, and I am still keeping my blog going after all these years. It makes for a great record of our family!

We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and get to find time to spend with the ones you love as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.

Love, The Janaks

Mike, Kimberly, Kaitlyn, Mackenzie, Ashley and Reagan