Goodbye, 2015 - Hello 2016!

Another year has drawn to a close, and we say goodbye to 2015.  For the next few weeks, I'll be rewriting the date on paperwork and cheques, scribbling the "5" into a "6", and I'm thankful to have a year change-over where the numbers look similar enough that the figure can be corrected without having to be completely scratched out and redone.
This was our first full year, January through December, living in a new home, attending a new church, learning a new community.  Like most years and time in general it seems lately, it went by quickly and everyone has grown up a bit - some more than others, and everyone in different capacities.  I'm pretty sure I haven't taken enough pictures or videos in the last year, and I can't exactly give a reason for that.  Perhaps a New Years resolution to add to the list would be a return to more consistent documentation of family activities, on the regular days as well as the exceptional. 
Our older three boys are all in school now and for the most part enjoying their time there.  Peter is intrigued by the idea of having his own instrument to learn, the recorder, and if he would put some concentrated effort into practicing it when it isn't lost somewhere under his bed (or someone else's bed) I think the addition of disciplined musical ability into his mental repertoir would be a good thing for him.  I imagine it would be a good thing for us to look into some lessons for him and the other boys in some instrument or another - piano, violin, guitar - this takes initiative, discipline, hard work, and patience on both their side and ours as parents.  Perhaps the reason it hasn't happened yet besides the fact that I am not at all musically talented is my own fear of delving into something new. 
Aaron is turning into a bookworm, devouring books after his older brother finishes them and puts them down.  Although easily frustrated by his mistakes, he can be quite industrious and hard-working and if he can put "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" into practice, it would serve him very well.
Nate is growing and stretching as well with his introduction to the world of school.  He continues to be somewhat absent minded but that doesn't seem to be a problem when he's in the classroom.  He still is often found wearing shirts or pants or underwear or shoes backwards or inside out or switched around but he is usually cheerful enough to fix it himself when the problem is pointed out.
Stephen has changed the most over the last year, especially with the development of his communication abilities.  He is stringing together words into sentences and very happy to be able to talk with us about more complicated issues.  He is toilet-trained day and night, sleeping in a big-boy bed and no longer uses a soothie.  We took apart his crib over the Christmas holidays and tucked it up in the garage loft for the first grandchild sometime in the future.  For the first time in over 8 years, there is no one sleeping in a crib!  Time goes by so quickly.
We can probably expect time to go just as quickly in the year ahead.  We pray for continued physical, mental, emotional, spiritual growth for each member of our family as we step forward each day.  Happy new year to you all!