2006 Update

Since I included our blogspot address in our Christmas card this year, I thought I'd write a quick little summary of 2006. Hope you like the above pic, it was taken while in the middle of trying to get the family Christmas card pic, which let me tell you, was not an easy task. That's why we had to settle for one w/Isaac's fingers in his mouth.

So 2006, Emma started 4th grade, Sarah started 2nd. They both swam on the base youth swim team this year again, and are taking a little break right now, since swim team is a year round never-ending sport. They also both played soccer this fall, and LOVED it. Especially Emma, she never finished a game or practice without her face being dark red and splotchy. And she even made a goal at the last game. Emma still loves animals, and the highlight of her year was getting a puppy last February. She's a black Doberman named Duchess, who goes nuts each day when Emma gets home from school. Emma's always up for a big project, her latest has been collecting goods for an orphanage in Hiroshima.

Sarah still loves to catch butterflies, read, do puzzles, jump rope, and play with her friends. She's not as fond of Duchess, but puts up w/her. Jacob follows Sarah all around the house each day saying "Rara, Rara". Out of desparation last summer I assigned each of the girls a "buddy brother", who they would help take care of, get ready for bed, hold hands crossing the street, etc. Anyway, Sarah's buddy is Jacob. She just informed me about a week ago that she really wants a new buddy, it just isn't working out for her. Alot of nights we'll race getting ready for bed, with "buddy teams", she says she's tired of losing. But she really is very compassionate and patient with her little brothers.

Isaac just turned 4, and started Yochien (Japanese preschool) this past fall. He has loved it. He loves cutting, glueing, folding, and playing in the mud making "mud balls", a favorite Japanese-childs' pastime. He has really suprised me lately with his Japanese. He doesn't practice a lot around the house, sings some japanese songs--but an older boy from Yochien was at our house last week and Isaac busted out with a bunch of Japanese, I was amazed.

Jacob is 2 1/2 and started Yochien this past fall as well. I wasn't planning on sending him, but when I took Isaac to register and get uniforms, the sensei's really wanted me to sign him up and brought out a bunch of tiny little uniforms, and with Luke being only about 2 weeks old, it didn't take a whole lot of convincing to talk me into it. He loves it as well, and we're not too sure if he's speaking much Japanese, because we can't really understand much of his english either. So, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt, he's fluent!

Luke, our bonus child, was born this past August. Since Japanese people don't normally have negative blood, and I am B-, I got to go to Yokosuka, a navy base near Tokyo, for 4 weeks to deliver. (If it's hadn't been for the blood issue I could have delivered at a Japanese hospital, but our base is small w/only a clinic.) So at 37 weeks the kids and I took the Shin (bullet train) to Yokosuka. Adam came a few weeks later. We ate a lot of fast food, did a lot of walking, shopping at the exchange, and playing at parks. Luke Thomas Workman was born on August 8, and has been a complete BLESSING ever since. He is the best baby, and we all enjoy him SO much!

Adam still stays very busy as the base prosecutor. He now serves as 2nd counselor in our branch presidency, which keeps him busy also. In any free time he finds, he enjoys hiking w/the family or riding his road bike w/friends.

As for me, I stay very busy w/5 kids, a large dog, and husband. I enjoy getting a babysitter Saturday nights for my date night out, and running in the mornings w/Luke and Duchess.

Our 3 years in Iwakuni is coming to an end, we leave this summer! Such mixed emotions, I have loved it here and will truly miss it! But am excited to be closer to family. We'll have a better feel for where we'll be going next in about a month.--so that means that you all have about 6 months left to book those flights and come visit Japan!!

We enjoyed getting Christmas cards and letters from so many of you. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year!! We miss you!