Sweet 16

Billy turned 16 on Thursday. And though I am not sure guys usde the 'sweet' 16 title as much as girls, it certainly applies to Billy. He is the most kind and caring big brother to his little siblings. He always asks them how their day went and what they id. He lves to wrestle with them and tease them and love them and just cuddle up on the couch with them. And it isn't just with his brothers and sistes that you see this. Many times people have told me how sweet he is--so pleasant, thoughtful and caring. We are so glad he is part of our family!
Happy Sweet 16, Billy!! We love you!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary has had a bit of an adventure lately. At volleyball practice, she broke her foot 9 i am not good with the details, but basically, the outside toe was broken, So, Thursday, she had to get minor surgery to place a pin in the side of her foot. It is about an inch long titanium pin. We got to see her today for a little while (not nearly long enough, but better than not at all) and her foot was still numb and healing well. She will be on crutches for 6 weeks, then back onto the court. Luckily it happened now and not during the season! And she is really doing well--although, now as the numbness wears off, she may not be doing so well :( She is a trooper and a strong young woman. She will heal well and be back on her feet in no time!

Tenacious Tanner

Tanner is a doll. He is cute and confident and crazy! He has no concept of danger. He constantly seeks out knives and scissors and i think he actually gets a kick out of my reaction when he comes to me with a knife in hand, 'Look, Mom, a knife!' He doesn't understand the fear he puts in my heart when he runs down the middle of the street, or when he escapes the backyard and gets half a block away before we realize he is gone. He is Houdini. One minute, he is beside you and the next, he is down the block. And when you run to get him, he thinks it is a game and laughs and keeps running. 'Mom, I run away!' he says with a smile, thinking it is cute and fun--and to him, it is. He doesn't seem to mean any harm. But man, oh man, he certainly puts himself in harm's way day after day. He must have a very busy guardian angel--probably a whole platoon of guardian angels who have kept him safe so far. I just keep praying that he stays safe and starts to realize very soon why we get so worried and upset when he runs or tries to play with knives (he thinks they are swords--but he has toy swords to play with, so it's not like he needs to seek one out). And Tanner is confident. Whenever we are out somewhere, to whomever we pass, he says, "Hi, I'm Tanner. Who are you?' And often he proceeds to introduce the rest of the family. When he wakes up in the morning, he comes downstairs and whenever I come into the house, whether I am returning from work or a meeting or a store, he runs up to me and announces, 'Mom, it's me, Tanner!' he is so fun and cute and crazy and we love him to death!

getting old

So with family responsibilities, lesson plans, grading and primary assignments, I have not had time to play/post online for much other than searching for IB documents or ideas for my French 4 students. So now that it is spring break, I thought I would take a few minutes to dust the cobwebs on our family blog. The little kids and I are in Calgary visiting my mom & brothers. The concept, however, of "Spring' break is lost on this trip as our first night here, it snowed and covered any signs of spring that were trying to pop out--if there were any. There was already a good blanket of snow pulled up over the ground. I've already been able to hang out & visit with my mom & all 3 brothers. It's so fun to get together! It does, however, remind me of how much time has passed and how old I am getting. I have not colored my hair for quite a while. With everything going on, it has been last on my list of priorities. So, I am showing my silver (sounds much better than gray!) more than ever. I figure I have certainly earned each silver hair--like the silver beaver in scouts, or a silver medal, I figure it is simply a sign of my efforts over the years. I will probably color my hair again soon, but that does not mean I am not very proud of every silver hair I have :)

State Wrestling

(The top pinkish colored mat--the ref is indicating that Billy just earned some points)




(Billy is in the black singlet with an orange arrow--Flathead Braves--and is on top in these last two pictures)

Billy loves wrestling. And despite how awful it is to watch him not eat as we think a growing teenage boy should, it has been so fun to watch him and cheer him on. Each year he keeps getting better and better. Last weekend we traveled to Helena as he competed in Divisionals, which also seeded him for state. He won three of five matches and came in 5th in his weight class of 119 (a much better placement for him than 112, where he wrestled much of the season). He did great and advanced to State this weekend in Great Falls. However, things did not go in favor of the defending State Champs. Billy tried hard but lost his first two matches. Then he had to watch as teammate after teammate lost out. Even those favored to win, who won State in their class couldn't repeat the performance again this year. It was someone else's turn to win. We are so pleased with Billy's progress this year and can't wait to watch him next year! Way to go, Bill! We sure love you!!!

Seriously LOVE the gospel

The church is amazing! I just talked to a Bishop's wife in Minnesota--far away-- whom I have never met but who is going to help me get a babysitter for Ethan while I sit at training next Saturday in their town. How blessed I feel to have a worldwide network at my fingertips! I can have confidence that they are good, trustworthy people and I can feel of their desire to help me even though they don't know me. It's because of our faith and beliefs that I know my baby will be fine and safe with whomever I find within their ward to help me out. For so many more reasons, I love the gospel and know it is the truth, but this is just one more blessing from membership in such an amazing nwtwork of brothers and sisters in the gospel!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Dear Family & Friends, December 2010
2010 has proven to be another exciting and fruitful year for the Allen clan. We love the beautiful Montana landscape that we have called home for three years now and look forward to many more years here.
Jim still has the BEST office of all as he patrols the Canadian border along the Glacier National Park outskirts. He is always telling us of the many on duty encounters he has with the locals—bears, moose, elk, deer, mountain lions, . . . Talk about exciting! Jim started doing double duty at the end of last year. He works a ten hour day, then comes home and watches our boys until school is out. He is an amazing husband and father!
Kara finished her first year at Flathead High School, enjoyed a summer off and taught a whole three weeks before taking a six week maternity break to have our last little baby boy. As if that wasn’t enough excitement, a week before school commenced, her schedule was changed. This year, she teaches Mythology, French II (which means Billy has no choice but to have her as his French teacher—actually, it’s a lot of fun!) and French IV IB. It has been awesome to speak so much French! And, finally, Kara has loved taking a break from the teenagers to work in the Primary Presidency.
Tiffany and her little family continue to grow as baby #2 will be here in February. Mckayli is one now and walking/running everywhere. We love talking to her on the phone.
Mary had a big year. She graduated from high school and only 6 weeks later headed to Pendleton, Oregon to play volleyball for Blue Mountain Community College. She played libero (back row specialist) all season and did a tremendous job! The highlight of the year came in November when we watched a nail biting Conference Title Match at the Championships in Portland, Oregon. After a long, hard fight, Mary and her team came up on top as Conference Champs! On top of all that, her freshman year at college has gotten off to a great start with amazing friends and excellent grades.
Billy is a sophomore now. He played football on the sophomore team and we enjoyed watching him on the field. He is now in the midst of what promises to be another very successful wrestling season. He has been wrestling 112 on the Varsity team, though this past weekend, he wrestled at a JV tournament and came home with a 3rd place medal. At church, he is the Teacher’s Quorum leader and sets a great example to all those around him.
Amelie is reading up a storm in her 1st grade class—with an amazing teacher who teaches only the smartest kids in the world. And Amelie reminds us of that, too, when she is showing off new academic skills. She also just joined the newly formed Daisy Scout troop for her school and LOVES it. She played basketball, ran cross-country and did track and field all this year. She loves all sports, but she really can’t wait until she is old enough to play volleyball like Mary!
Eric attends preschool three afternoons a week and loves learning—just ask him about gravity. He also got to play flag football this fall, which was a real hoot. He loves to play computer games and wrestle with Tanner. He and Amelie also play very well together in their imaginary worlds and re-enacting scenes from the favorite shows, with actual dialogue memorized!
Tanner is a whirlwind of energy. He is everywhere he should AND shouldn’t be. A common phrase in our home is ‘Tanner, where are you?’ and ‘ Tanner, what are you doing?’ He loves swords and EVERYTHING can be a sword in his hand. He talks to anyone and everyone, just like Eric. He is so smart, too. He loves to sing & help mom & dad. He loves Scooby-Doo, Mickey Mouse and Toy Story.
Ethan joined our family in September at a healthy 10lb 3 oz. He is the happiest, most smiley baby ever. We love playing with him already. He has already rolled over and scoots on his back on the floor. He is inundated with kisses and love from his siblings, mom and dad. We are so thankful for his healthy arrival and look forward to watching him grow and take many firsts this year.
We are so thankful for the role you play in our family’s life, big or small. What a blessing to celebrate the gift of our Savior. We hope that the true spirit of Christmas fills your home throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!