Well, hello there!

If anybody is still out there...if anybody still checks in...YES, we are alive and well here at the Charlebois home! What's a couple months away between friends, right?

I'm not going to waste too much time with words when I know all you really want to see is pictures (Ahem, SARAH).

Like this one, my current favorite:

Oh my goodness, do I really have FOUR kids?

Here is a quick update on each child.

SILAS -- My tiny, little newborn is three months old today! And he is a COMPLETE JOY.

Silas is a very happy, smiley, content baby who loves the attention of his big sisters. He is a great eater and has been sleeping through the night for about a month now. He is very talkative and loves to experiment with new coos and gurgles every day. He will hang out on his play mat and play with the toys dangling down for very long stretches of time.

I've already cried twice putting away his little infant clothes. He weighed 15 lbs, 14 oz at his last checkup. I can't believe his already a quarter of the way through his first year. I love him so much.

ROSIE -- My happy, spunky, mischievous 2-year-old is keeping me on my toes!

Rosie on the balance beam at a gymnastics play time

Johnye Rose is a constant source of smiles and headaches around here. This little girls has so much personality, it's like her little body can't contain it all. She is very smart, even cunning, and very independent. At 2 years and 4 months, she is not only fully potty trained, but she does the whole process herself with no assistance. She can sing her ABC's and count to 20 (with some assistance), and she knows most of the shapes and color names.

Johnye Lynn & Johnye Rose on Christmas Eve

But Rosie is a stinker, constantly getting into anything within her reach EXCEPT her toys (what's a puzzle compared to the can opener?!). She wants to "help" with everything -- cooking, cleaning, laundry, splitting wood -- which isn't always as "helpful" as she may intend. I have to remind myself to stay patient with her every day and encourage the gifts I see blossoming in her little life.

RUBY -- My goofy, flighty 4-year old with the imagination akin to Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

Ruby cracks me up. She will sit by herself for hours and make up stories or games, perfectly content to play alone or involve one of her sisters if they desire. She collects the tiniest toys she can find and hoards them in a new purse every day. She tip-toes everywhere with her arms full of every sort of animal toy you can imagine, her blanket always in tow. We recently chopped off about 8 inches of her hair. It was sad to see her long strands go, but it was needed.

I am completely impressed with the progress Ruby has made since starting preschool at home this year. It's amazing what a difference a handful of hours of focused instruction has made for her. She will be more than ready to start kindergarten in the fall.

ISRAEL -- My smart and helpful almost 6-year-old is budding into a young lady.

It's hard to believe that Rae will be SIX in just a couple of weeks. When I look at her, I can barely see any traces of "little girl" left at all. She is very smart and mature for her age, and she stands taller than all of her older cousins. Her very favorite thing to do these days is read aloud with mom. She received the Felicity books for Christmas and gobbled them up in less than a week. Since then we've completed the Samantha books as well and are starting on Kit tomorrow.

Rae working on her math skills

Rae also loves playing outside and will go out for hours at a time, no matter the weather. We had to ban her from playing outside on the -20 degree days for her own safety! She recently lost her third tooth and is enjoying her AWANA Sparks program at church. She is excelling at Kindergarten, which truly is way too easy for her. She could be doing first grade work, but I didn't want to push our homeschool schedule with a newborn in the mix. She is reading well and surprises JP and me with the words she figures out on her own. Rae is also extremely helpful around the house. I have to make sure not to give her TOO MUCH responsibility and overwhelm her, because it's so easy to take advantage of her capabilities.

WHEW! That is more of an update than I even planned on writing. You are welcome. Enjoy it now...it may be another three months before you hear from me again!