Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Online Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas from the Schwake's!!


Cate (8), Clare (7), Michelle, Scott, and Cooper (4)
As many of you know, this has definitely been the year of change for the Schwake clan.  The year started off with a bang when Scott resigned from McCain and Associates to take a job in northern Minnesota with Minnesota Power.  He started working there in early February, commuting back and forth from Grand Rapids to Carver every weekend.  And I started working (hard) at getting our house in Carver ready to sell.  We wanted to give the kids a chance to finish out the school year rather than move them mid-year and I'm so happy we did it that way.  Our house went on the market in mid-March and sold within 2 days with multiple bids and $10,000 over our asking price!  Many thanks to our awesome realtor (and one of my best friends) Sharla Stafford (of Stafford Family Realtors - plug!).  We closed on our house in late May, finished out the school year, and moved up here, to Grand Rapids, the day school let out on June 7th.  If you want to follow that journey, just look deeper into this blog where I chronicled our adventures in moving.
 
Scott 

I got him this coat for Christmas last year.  At least he's
prepared for he cold winters!
Scott couldn't be happier.  He's living up in the north country where we hear loons flying over our yard in the summer, see eagles soaring in the sky, and deer crossing the street in front of our house.  We're only one hour away from our lake property where he can run his chainsaw, weild an industrial-sized weed wacker (borrowed from work) and generally do guy-type stuff.  He took some curling classes and subsequently joined a curling team where he gets to play every Tuesday evening.  (When I said he should start exercising more by playing sports, I really didn't have curling in mind...but at least he's moving.)  And he really likes his job and enjoys the people he's working with despite having approximately 99% more meetings per day than he was used to at McCain.  All in all, he's in his element.  He's trying to work on me for a move to Alaska someday, but I think he's realizing he'd rather have a happy wife!







 Michelle

Mom is always holding the camera, thus the only halfway decent picture
of me is when we were camping.  Sad.

I am doing well.  I decided at the outset of this year that I was going to have a good attitude and for the most part I've kept that pledge.  I have my days here and there where I get a bit grumpy at the situation but I'm quickly reminded of all my blessings.  I have a husband who loves me and I love him right back.  I have healthy, beautiful children.  My husband has a good paying, stable job that allows me to stay at home with our kids. We have enough food to eat, a roof over our heads, and clothes on our backs.  When I can keep this attitude I am so much more content.   I spend my days writing for work, cleaning and taking care of our home and family, driving kids all over the place, exercising, volunteering at school, cooking (which I actully enjoy) and reading.  I've done some sewing and was going to learn to knit, which I did but then promptly never picked it up again.  And I design my dream home over and over again.  I also spend some time trying to figure out what to do next and when exactly to do that.  I'm sure God has something for me so I'm pretty much just waiting to see what it is. Overall, life is good and I'm content.


Cate

Our beautiful Cate
Our Catie is doing great. She is at the end of 8 years old, is in 3rd grade at Forest Lake Elementary and is busy, busy, busy.  I can't believe all the things this girl wants to do!  She was in dance up here for a while (then realized that what she liked most about dance was socializing with her friends and since she didn't have any in that class she decided to drop it).  She also started doing gymnastics (2 times per week) and piano lessons.  She just signed up for basketball and wants to take up the violin, do some ice skating and probably volleyball when that comes up.  Basically, she wants to do whatever comes her way.  More power to her, I think.  And we'll let her do as many things as she (and our budget) can handle.  She's doing great in school, LOVES her new teacher, and has made many friends.  And in her spare time she writes on any piece of paper she can find (and leaves them all over the place), draws, does math (I know!), begs to do crafts and make something from a recipe, plays computer games, watches too much TV and has fun playing with her brother and sister (or fighting - depends on the day).  She's a super smart, fun, beautiful, curious, funny and loving kid.  We adore her.


Clare


Our beautiful Clare

Clarebear is awesome.  She's 7 years old and in 2nd grade at Forest Lake Elementary which is just 2 blocks from our house.  She is concentrating all her energy on gymnastics.  She loves it and works hard at it 2 times per week.  She is doing really well in school and is a social butterfly, having lots of friends.  But she loves weekends when our whole family can be together.  She also enjoys going to AWANA with her brother and sister on Wednesdays (mom and dad love having a free date night, too).  When she's not at school or gymnastics she mostly enjoys playing computer games, watching TV (we've never had 24/7 cartoon channels before), reading, playing with her brother and sister, playing barbies, playing in the snow, playing with trucks, pretending she's a kitten, and in general playing.  She's a playful kid.  She also LOVES making us coffee and pancakes on Saturday mornings (I know!).  And they're good, too!  She's a firecracker who's super helpful and loving, super smart, fun and funny and very loving.  We cherish her.




Cooper


Our happy, handsome Cooper

Super Coop is a ball.  He's at the end of 4 and in preschool, getting excited for Kindergarten next year.  Other than preschool, he pretty much hangs out with me. We go on errands together, and do housework.  I'm pretty sure he's bored a lot.  He was in gymnastics briefly but decided it wasn't for him.  We're going to sign him up for something (not sure what) in January.  All day long he waits for the moment the girls come home.  They are his idols and he loves them so much.  Then it's non-stop excitement for him.  He loves playing with his sisters, playing trucks, playing computer games, watching TV (hmmm, there's a theme going on here), drawing pictures, having books read to him and bouncing off of every surface.  He's a bundle of energy, super funny without meaning to be, a cuddler, super smart, very particular about what he wears and eats, and is an all around great kid.  We love him with all our hearts.



Attley

Attley enjoying a camping trip in the fall.

Our 3-legged old man is still hanging on and doing great.  He's 12 and half now and all white on his muzzle and eyebrows.  Makes him look distinguished.  He's having a hard time on all the wood floors and his hips are giving him some trouble.  But he loves being outside, especially in the snow.  He still has some spunk in him and loves to play tug with the girls and search for his ball in the snowbanks which he successfully finds by digging with his one front paw.  But mostly he lays around.  He's entitled.  We love him.



While we are thankful for our family, friends and for many blessings, we are most thankful that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour and that He came down from heaven, bringing Love and Hope.  We wish His love for you and many blessings, too. 

Merry Christmas!

ps.  Please comment and say "Hi"!  We also love visitors so come and see us sometime!!