The Sprouls: April 2015

I sent our Easter cards instead of Christmas cards this year. I love them. I get mine done from my lifelong friend Anne Marie Mercurio who is more like a sister to me. She lived across the street when we were growing up and all it took was one of us to open our door and sit on our porch for the other one to see and come out too and talk and play silly games for hours. So I love having her do our pictures. Great excuse for extra Ree time. So I thought I would write a little about 2014 as a summery and post a few pictures of us at out Easter shoot.

2014 was our first full year in our own place here in San Diego. I am not going to lie, we weren't sure if it would work out but it has been. Kevin has been working really hard at the public accounting firm he works at and I think he is feeling more and more comfortable everyday. Sometimes it is hard having him away during his two busy seasons but compared to some other people he has had it easy as he hasn't had to spend many nights away just longer hours.

Kaylee has had her challenges being a toddler but has done so much better since she started Preschool in September. She goes to El Cajon Rec Program and she loves her teacher and her class mates. I think one of the best parts is staying after school to play at the park with her friends. Kaylee enjoyed her first year in Primary being a sunbeam. She even had her first line in the Primary program!!

Kaylee: Prophets in the scriptures are examples for us to follow.

I almost cried. The beginning of 2014 Kaylee did Dance lessons and had her first recital which I did cry at. She is growing up so fast and we love Kaylee's energetic spirit and heart full of love.

Malcolm is our sweety pie. In 2014 Malcolm turned 2. He kind of has terrible 2s but since he is my second I know that the 2 aren't very terrible. It's the 3s I have to worry about. Luckily he still isn't that bad. He is mostly sweet. He gives hugs and kisses and still loves to cuddle his stuffed animal Pluto. He started being more interested in the potty late 2014. He has finally busted out the words and is talking like a mad man. Not literally. But I know exactly what he wants as long as he tells me. He used to be shy but now loves to say hi to people and introduce them, "Hi I Mal Mal. This is my mama. This is my Kay Kay. This is my Daddy. I have a hat. I have a Pluto." That is what talking to Malcolm is like when you first see him. Eventually he talks about other things. But it cracks me up that he has to makes sure people know who everyone is and whats important to him. He is a very stubborn kid. He will only do things if HE wants to do it. He will only dance when he wants to dance (Sometimes he says "Mama can you dance with me?" ), he only does his Malcolm Karate when he wants to, and goes potty on his own terms. Not when we ask him to. Occationally it happens but usually it has to come from within his own mind. Usually fine, but I really wish that he would go potty before we leave the house instead of on Kaylee's preschool classroom floor. He is a good kid though. When I am sad he cheers me up. When anyone is sad he asks why and then gives them a hug and says, "It's ok."

2014 was weird for me. I started off the year working as a piano teacher at Staump Produtions. Then on top of that I made the (bad) decision to start a business with NeriumAD selling anti aging cream. The cream was great but I made little to no money. Withing a matter of months I quit the piano teaching job due to the fact I didn't want to get my paychecks from my cousins ex husband (LONG story) and then I quit selling Nerium. It was a huge relief but also made for a very unsure future. Lets be honest neither one was a huge contribution to our household income. But I especially missed my students and teaching music. I also was diagnosed with carpel tunnel and fatty liver in the same appointment. Hearing the news of the fatty liver made me made because I had lost so much weight and it just didn't seem fair. Now the only thing I can do it loose more weight. It is mild so it's not like I'm dying. It is reversible and that is my goal everyday. It just seems harder now for some reason. I was loosing weight for me before and now I have to loose it for the disease too. I just don't want it to get worse.

It seems like 2014 was super negative for me but it wasn't all bad. For me, I see a year where no one was fired, we always knew we were getting a paycheck, we are all alive, we had a house, we had food, and we had friends and family. That is more than I can say about some past years of our life. I am SO grateful for all of my many blessing and turn to those blessings when I'm feeling blue. Thank you for being a light in my life always!

Now for some more family pics.