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| Christmas Eve and back to our family of 4 at last! |
Another year, come and gone in the books. It's been busy, full of change, but also full of memories too. This time last year we were a bustling household of 8! Most days we are merely 3 now as
Marko has been working out of town about 6 months of the year. We had the best most full summer with family to keep ourselves busy as our family dynamic changed. We enjoyed multiple trips to Pennsylvania to stay with my sister and brother in law and four nephews. My older sister and I even went all out with matching sister tattoos for her birthday. We went to Virginia Beach together along with Dad, Mark and my niece Kierra too. Missy and the boys came here for a few weeks and brought her husband too on the last trip for my younger brother Joe's wedding.
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Anthony has almost caught up to my height at 12.5y/o
Jayla is nearing 6 and Jayna 11.5 y/o |
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| Celebrating Christmas at Jayla's house |
Our sweet
Jayla and her mom and dad moved into their own home back in April. It's about an hour from here, but we pack in as much time together as we can. She is happily in kindergarten, living in the country with her 4 dogs, cat, rabbits and chickens along with mommy and daddy. They went full circle as they fostered a sweet 2 year old for several month this past spring and summer. We go to her house every Friday! It's a predictable day for all the kids to look forward to and expect. We celebrate special occasions and holidays together, on our Fridays! We absolutely look forward to them each week, just not the drive! During her 6 months with us, I am guess some highlights included getting to help bake and cook, which she loved, lots of fun art projects which she was always fully into, especially the ones our Christmas Elf Elbert brought to us! And especially exciting would be her first out of state trip to Pennsylvania to Aunt Missy's house!
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| Cousins, my sister and I over Easter |
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| Visiting the Bunny w/ most our local friends |
Angela turned 18 in April. We celebrated together at Olive Garden, her choice! But the happy celebration was short lived as she decided she was ready to be an adult and make some rushed hard decisions as many new young adults tend to do. She moved out the last week of May. After a couple failed living arrangements she is back where she was prior to our home along with her sister again, slowly rebuilding relationships and setting new goals. She now works about full time and is a new learner's permit holder. Hopefully she stays on track and doesn't derail again. We still only hope the best for her, although we rarely see her and don't have much of a relationship now. During her year with us she was able to go on several trips. The highlights are likely getting to go to her birth city for the first time, Rehoboth, Deleware and spending a week with Uncle Zach and Aunt Rebekah in Baltimore, along with several Pennsylvania trips.
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Marko spent Oct and Nov in Japan, followed by another month
in Arizona, California and Georgia before returning home 12/23 |
Marko earned a promotion this past winter that keeps him on the road a lot. But he was home for 3 of 4 of the kids birthdays, so that alone was quite a feat! He has spent several weeks in Quatar, a couple months in Japan, been from the west coast to the east coast and Mexico too. He loves his job though so that's an absolute plus! Thankfully the kids are able to video chat with him every week or so when he is out of country, more often when he is in country. Luckily the grandparents fill his role well enough and keep the kids from 9pm until they take them to school the next day so they don't have to get up at 4am with my work schedule.
Jayna's yearly highlight is always her Christmas play at school. Last year she was a reporter, this year she is the Christmas Granny! She has more than a full schedule between soccer, gymnastics, cross country, she gets some extra help from a couple fabulous tutors and has quite the social schedule with her handful of close friends. This summer Jayna, Dad and I got to go on a huge zip lining course at the Creation Museum in Kentucky. That was exciting. Unfortunately they wouldn't let Anthony join with a cast. Mom also joined us on that trip and even met up with one of her good on-line friends at the Ark which was so neat!
I'm still at the hospital. I typically work 5-2pm so that I can do plenty with the kids after school and keep up with their schedules as clearly
Marko can't do too much with his current position! Most weekdays I babysit my friend's 4 kids after work and about once a week I babysit another friend's girls. I also try to make time to fit in helping my previous customers, now friends with household chores. At 80years old, a little help is nice. I also like to help out at the kids school those rare days off without an already committed obligation. My late nights are filled with cuddles from our cats, Sampson and Phoenix. They also make good alarm clocks begging from breakfast the second they hear my alarm go off!
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| Phoenix and Sampson |
I hope you all have had a wonderful year and can see the positives of your past year more strongly than the negatives. You can look back on your year with some great memories and a few laughs. And you can Give thanks to the Lord and remember the reason for the season!
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| Cousins, my brother Mark, sister Missy, Dad and I in Virginia Beach |
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| Baking with our favorite adopted grandparents; Georgie and Mrs. Phyllis |
Love,
The Sykes Family
Marko, Beth, Anthony and Jayna
Sampson and Phoenix too!
Anthony's big feat for the year is broken arm via car while bike riding, of course at the beginning of summer to make summer a bit more complex and exciting! He did both cross country and soccer at school. He recently started basketball. His school just added basketball as a school sport and he is loving it! Luckily the car didn't scare him off his bike. He still loves to go bike riding, especially to Grandma's house a few miles away.
Jayna's yearly highlight is always her Christmas play at school. Last year she was a reporter, this year she is the Christmas Granny! She has more than a full schedule between soccer, gymnastics, cross country, she gets some extra help from a couple fabulous tutors and has quite the social schedule with her handful of close friends. This summer Jayna, Dad and I got to go on a huge zip lining course at the Creation Museum in Kentucky. That was exciting. Unfortunately they wouldn't let Anthony join with a cast. Mom also joined us on that trip and even met up with one of her good on-line friends at the Ark which was so neat!
I'm still at the hospital. I typically work 5-2pm so that I can do plenty with the kids after school and keep up with their schedules as clearly Marko can't do too much with his current position! Most weekdays I babysit my friend's 4 kids after work and about once a week I babysit another friend's girls. I also try to make time to fit in helping my previous customers, now friends with household chores. At 80years old, a little help is nice. I also like to help out at the kids school those rare days off without an already committed obligation. My late nights are filled with cuddles from our cats, Sampson and Phoenix. They also make good alarm clocks begging from breakfast the second they hear my alarm go off!
