15, 9, and 12

      Naomi is 15.  Where did the years go? I know people say that kind of thing, it is a cliche, but it is so true that the years fly by and now our eldest is nearly grown up.  She can learn how to DRIVE this year.  What is Naomi like?  I think in many ways, she is like me.  She is a first born daughter, like me.  She is smart and organized, like me.  She is artistic -- ok, that is NOT like me. I think she is naturally stronger willed than I am.  She is great.  I love seeing how the children grow and develop.  People often say that they know their kids' personalities from infancy.  Maybe I'm just oblivious, but my kids have seemed fairly similar through age 3. They are adorable sweetlings as infants, cranky as all get out (in a great way) as toddlers, then their personalities diverge from one another.  I love being a parent.

Miriam is 9 now.  That also amazes me. I was pregnant with her when we moved into this house.  Miriam is even more like me than Naomi, I think.  She is more compliant than most of the other children.  She is very quick to learn things; as an example, she memorized the times tables through 12's at age 6.  In about 3 weeks.  That still amazes me.  She LOVES to play with Angela, her 7 year old sister.  Miriam is a treasure.

Isaac, our first son, is now 12.  If the 2 birthday girls are somewhat like me, Isaac takes more after Kevin in terms of temperament.  He is smart. He is strong willed.  He loves computer games above almost any other fun thing in life.  Isaac even says (at the tender age of 12) that he'd like to be an engineer like his dad.  I look forward to seeing what God's plan for Isaac is.  We are so glad that he is part of our family.