No Ordinary Family: Merry Christmas 2015

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

What a wonderful year we've had in 2015! As usual, we've managed to keep ourselves busy and as always, that includes traveling.

Spot the Sullivans in this family reunion picture...

Joseph went on a business trip to represent Active911 at a conference in Indianapolis in April, and then in May traveled for a week to northeastern Ukraine to learn more about the work of a charity that we're supporting called LifeSong. It would have been fun to go together and spend some time there, but we hadn't planned on an international trip this year and taking kids to the Ukraine didn't seem like the safest idea at the time. We also went on a family trip to Seaside, Oregon, where we visited the beautiful northern Oregon coast and Nichole lost sleep over mentally preparing for impending tsunamis. In August we went on a mini camping/road trip to California for a Cespedes Family Reunion where we visited many of Nichole's Guamanian relatives. We also traveled as a family to Washington, D.C. for another conference and to visit family friends, and to Illinois so Joseph could complete twin engine flight training to be able to fly our newest twin engine Cessna 340. That plane is currently housed in Ohio while awaiting repairs, so while we were in the area, we took a road trip in our rental car to Ohio to see the plane. Since we discovered in July that we'll be expecting yet another baby Sullivan (read more about that here), we are looking forward to a six seater aircraft with enough room for all of us. Until then, we've been having fun flying in the current four-seat Cessna 172.

This is what it looks like when
three kids pack into the family plane
for a camping trip!

This year we took family flying trips to Sunriver, Oregon and to the Alvord Desert in southeastern Oregon for an overnight camping trip.
Somehow in the middle of all of that, we managed to fit in adding a second bathroom (Hallelujah!) to the house, finishing the landscaping, making unspeakable quantities of jam, swim lessons for the kids, and Joseph (and Nichole!) playing softball. And since we're clearly outgrowing our wonderful but small house, we've been trying to make some headway on building a house on the Neabeack Hill property. There have been many setbacks, but we believe we might actually be able to break ground sometime within the next few months.

Our Family

Diana

Showing off a snake.

Life with a four year old Diana has been glorious and exciting. She was our resident outdoorswoman this year. She loved to run outside first thing in the morning to explore the yard and help with the garden. She kept a rotating menagerie of pets, from garter snakes to ladybugs, crickets, pillbugs, worms, snails, and basically anything she could catch. She graduated from nap time to quiet time and shocked us with her creativity. With an hour or two of unsupervised time and access to some basic crafting tools, she made books, costumes, "soups," intricate block cities, paintings, luxurious houses for bugs, and beautiful pictures. We've been reading through Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, which she loves. She enjoys science (which includes cooking), math, and writing. She's a natural leader who walks into any group of children and takes charge, and regardless of their age, they usually end up listening to her just because she's full of good ideas.

Liam

Liam is three years old with a heart of gold. He is fiercely loyal and protective of his family. He is loud, wild, silly, strong, single-minded, and in all other ways a three year old boy. His boundless energy led him to fall and fracture his elbow early in the year, but thankfully after a couple of weeks of trying to keep a splint/wrap on him, it healed up nicely. He started swim lessons and after a couple uncertain weeks, he warmed up to them and enjoys them. This year Liam has also discovered superheroes- his favorite is Superman. His current goal when he grows up is to become a mix of Superman, Daddy, Robin Hood, and a fireman. With his unlimited energy, strength, and heart, he just might be able to do it all!

Matthew

Matthew and Grandpa Cespedes

We've loved learning more about Matthew this year. He turned one in January, so he's hit lots of big milestones from walking (then running, jumping, and climbing) to talking. I love getting to know what's on a baby's mind when they start putting together words into sentences. He tells me about events that happened in the past, or what he wants to do, or what his siblings did when I was out of the room... He loves getting caught up playing with his siblings but is just as happy to play by himself when he's in the mood. He is very much an observant, focused engineer. He enjoys using his hands to figure out how to do and undo things like buckles, switches, latches, screw-top lids, etc. He will "do" and "undo" them repeatedly until he's mastered the skill. He also loves cleanliness and order, and if something is out of place and I take too long to fix it, he'll do it for me.

Joseph & Nichole

Enjoying our seventh anniversary
on Whidbey Island, WA.

Joseph is a man in perpetual motion. He is still involved in a handful of businesses to varying degrees, including Alyrica and Active911. He even oversaw the burning down of a house (as a training exercise!) to make a promotional video for Active911, which you can watch here. One of his exciting projects right now is working in robotics. He loves his work, which is one of the best things a man can ask for. He completed twin engine training and is working on his commercial pilot's license, which is another step on the way to getting certified as a flight instructor. When he's not busy working, playing softball, reading the works of Winston Churchill, studying for various flying exams, traveling, spending time with his family, or fixing up the house, Joseph can usually be found just flying around to stay proficient and trying some more complicated maneuvers to improve his skills as a pilot.

As for me, this was going to be my year to start experimenting with volunteering/civic work or taking classes of some kind (possibly some flight training), but a new baby intervened and so those plans have been put on hold for a bit longer. Early this year I discovered canning, and the bounty of the Willamette Valley led me to adventures making more strawberry, boysenberry, marionberry, peach, blueberry, and cherry jam than we could ever possibly use. It's like bottling up sunshine for the dark, wet winter! I played a bit on the Alyrica/Active911 co-ed softball team this summer, which was enjoyable, but I think my talent still lies in swimming, not hand-eye coordination. I managed to revive my rusty piano playing skills and learn a few new pieces this year between travels. I'm also trying to figure out homeschooling. The kids are so eager to learn and I'm still discovering how to teach to their individual learning styles.

We're so thankful for all the blessings (even the unexpected ones!) we've enjoyed this year. We look forward to a new year, a new baby, and new adventures in 2016!