Wow, it has been a long time since I have written! We moved into our new house, hockey season started, and in the blink of an eye its march and i dont know where the last 5 months have gone.
Our first Christmas in our new house was amazing. The girls all got new bikes because for the first time ever they live somewhere where they can actually use them. Getting the tree itself was an adventure. We always cut our own tree and there are several places close by to go. Last year we had to search all over the place because we wanted a 13ft tall tree. This year we knew we had to be slightly more conservative since we had regular sized ceilings. So our solution was to have me stand next to each potential tree with my arm raised to see if it was the right height. Even with this extraordinary precaution, we still ended up with a tree that was over a foot to tall. We trimmed it and trimmed it, then settled for leaning the star against a high branch because it wouldnt fit on top.
Leahs hockey season has come and gone. It really is one of my favorite times of the year. We are lucky enough to be part of a really great organization and it is really fun to get to visit with such great people so often. Her team didnt do as well as they may have liked but the truth for me is that it really doesnt matter, because you should see my Leah skate! She really comes alive out on that ice and it is amazing to see. The best part is watching her do it with the signature Leah grin.
Another big thing this hockey season was getting to learn to play a little myself. I have been looking for a group to skate and learn with for several years, and this year the girls team let me skate with them once a week during practice. I have never had so much fun before! Oh my gosh, they all must have thought I was insane as I geared up in all my hockey equipment and bumbled my way out onto the ice. I was almost twice as old as the skater behind me, and easily twice as goofy as any one of them. But they were all so patient and nice. AND the bigger bonus was I actually got to skate with my Leah. I cant begin to describe how monumentally awesome it was to have her there cheering me on, to really see her skate from a point of view I have never had before, to have her be the one to show me how to do things, to feel her grab my arm when everyone was pairing up for drills and hear her say "come on mom, your with me". And i have to admit I have a new appreciation for her coaches now too because as extremely awesome as she is, man can that girl talk...even on the ice, in full gear, 45 minutes into practice! Its unbelievable!
Natalie has just recently started taking voice lessons. She is so funny to watch when we are there, because she turns into this super-quiet, shy little wisp of a thing in the room with her teacher. But the truth is that tiny little wisp of a thing has a beautiful voice and I am very anxiously awaiting the day I get to hear her let down her guard and sing. She is going take the world by storm, and she's going to do it with a song.
McKenzie and Alyvia are busy being...well, McKenzie and Alyvia. McKenzie has a divas attitude and a flair for the dramatic that has me seriously worried about my ability to survive through what appears at this point to be a 5 year olds version of angst filled teenage years. And Alyvia still likes to run around naked and pee in odd placed.
Over all, life is good and the Keeneys have found themselves in a pretty happy place.
