Our year has been FULL of excitement!
It all began with a surprise trip to Sanibel, Florida (a Christmas present from Joe) for just the two of us! It was a relaxing, energizing and inspiring trip!
In April, we had the amazing opportunity to witness the Men’s Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis where we cheered for Butler all the way to the last shot…what a game! Interestingly enough, we were at the game and I felt a little nauseous….MUCH to our surprise, we found out we were pregnant with fourth child (and nearly through the first trimester!)
As 20 weeks grew closer (when you do an ultrasound to check on how things are going), Megan felt very strongly that she did not want to know the gender this time (we’ve found out every other time). And so…it remained a surprise until Nov. 15th when Jackson Thomas was born – our sweet baby boy!
We are now definitely done having children and just plan to hold on tight for the rest of our lives as we raise 4 beautiful children!
We took a trip in July with the Williams side of the family to New York (on Lake Erie)for our 3rd Family Vacation. It’s so much fun to see everyone!
Some updates on each of us:
-Joe is active in the Circle City Sound Barbershop Chorus as well as the bass for his own quartet called Rip Chord. His chorus won the District, so they headed to Philly at the end of June for the International Competition! They placed 13th in the world! It was very exciting! Additionally, their chorus qualified again this Fall – so we will be heading to Kansas City this coming June to watch him compete with his chorus. This coming April, his quartet will compete to qualify for Internationals and we are very hopeful we will be there to watch both the chorus AND Rip Chord too!
He has been with Indiana Municipal Power Agency for 5 years and is doing very well. Ask him about Street Lights…he’s become and expert as he headed up a 5 million dollar government grant that his agency was awarded. A big highlight for Joe's career is that this spring, he passed his PE (Professional Engineer) exam. It required months of preparation and studying and then a grueling exam. We are very excited for this accomplishment.
He also spends a lot of time working on our home and rental properties – which seems like a never ending task!
-Megan has stayed busy chasing after 3 children (and as of November, 4!) as well as volunteering with an organization called LifeBridge. This past June, she headed up Indianapolis KidsGames 2010 once again. Nearly 1,000 kids and volunteered experienced KG throughout the city of Indianapolis. Most likely, this was her final KidsGames to be leading…her focus has now become balancing life with four children!
She also enjoys being on the Hospitality Team of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at Church at the Crossing (where Morgan attends Preschool).
-Joey (turns 6 in April) is doing very well. He is in Kindergarten at The Oaks Academy and loves it. This fall he played in his first soccer league with the OAKS at TAB, and Daddy is coaching his team in a basketball league at TAB this winter. School is his very favorite thing – he has great teachers, a great school and he is thriving.
-Morgan (turns 4 a few days after Christmas) is our “sweet pretty girl”. She has a way of making a mess or becoming a mess on a daily basis – especially if she’s dressed up! She now has her own pink polka dot room and LOVES playing house, playing with her stuffed animals and changing clothes constantly. She is in Pre School and doing very well. She is already starting to show signs of reading, just like her big brother did at this age…
-Jameson, now 22 months old, has given us quite a year…again…he didn’t start sleeping through the night until about a month before the baby came…although, that may be because we moved into our master bedroom at the other end of the house and just wasn’t awakened by him anymore…I must say, he has a smile that warms your heart and we are totally in love with this sweet little boy now. He’s still not talking much, which in comparison to his siblings, has been unusual. But we aren’t worried, he knows exactly what we are saying and follows directions very well. I have a feeling the Terrible Twos will be here very soon.
-On November 15th, Jackson was born. We are so thankful that he is a boy, as we aren’t sure Morgan could handle another girl in the house! He is adored by his siblings and thankfully, is a good sleeper!
We hope this letter finds you well! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Visit this blog or become “Friends” of Joe and I on Facebook!
http://www.theoaksacademy.org/
http://www.lifebridge-community.org/
http://www.circlecitysound.org/
http://www.kidsgamesindianapolis.com./
We also included Jackson's birth announcement.
Additionally, here's the photo my parents (Mo & Bubba) used for their Christmas Card - they gave the kids their PJ's:
Joe, Megan, Joey, Morgan, Jameson and Baby Jackson!
