Merry Christmas from the Reinert crew!

Greetings from Indiana! As we rejoice and give thanks for another year, we find ourselves wondering, where has the time gone? Here is a little piece of what went on in our lives in 2011.

The kids are growing and changing right before our eyes. We have a double digit in the house as of this year. Cari turned 10 in May. She is having an exciting and busy 5^th grade year. She is especially enjoying band and choir. We are excited to see one of our kids tune in to music as Rob and I have been skipped over by the music gene. She recently got braces along with a new haircut which instantly made her look two years older. This is her last year of elementary school and moves on to middle school next year. I can't get over the fact that we really are that old and that our little girl is actually growing up. Cari has a gift of being able to stand for what she believes, but in a way that shows love and concern for others. She has a strength that I truly admire.

Noah is in 3^rd grade this year and will turn 9 in January. Noah is full of compassion. He is continually thinking of ways to help others or improve the way things are done. He often comes to me with an invention he has thought of to help reduce my work load around the house. During his hospital stay this summer, his care and concern for the other kids in the hospital was astounding. Simply said Noah has a heart of gold. He has had to learn to get along without his front tooth, which needless to say was an adjustment. Many of you know he had a bad bicycle accident this summer in which he was hospitalized for a couple of days. Unfortunately, he lost a front adult tooth. However, he quickly recognized his injuries could have been much worse and was praising God for watching over him (as were the rest of us!). Noah joined Lego club this year and has really enjoyed being part of a team working to solve a problem.

Nathaniel just turned 7 in November and is in 1^st grade. First grade is proving to be an exciting year for him. Nathaniel has an intensity that is hard to match. Once he focuses in on a goal, there is no stopping him. Right now his goal is to be the top reader in first grade. He is working very hard to earn points for the school reading program. One of my most favorite things to do this year is to read his writing. I absolutely love the imperfections and trying to figure out what in the world he is saying. If we ask him, we just get a look as if we are crazy not to understand the word in question. After all, it is spelled just how it sounds!! He is our no nonsense kid. He recently lost his first tooth and had no interest in playing along with the tooth fairy concept...that is until he realized no imagination equals no money. He pretended for one night, but after he had his hands on the money he quickly dismissed such a silly idea as a tooth fairy. Good thing he has to die for dimples. He melts you just by flashing that heartbreaking smile.

Luke, my baby, is now 4 going on 5. This is his last year at home before he ventures off to school. Luke is just like a cuddly teddy bear. He is incredibly affectionate and is in love with his mommy. He often tells me he is going to marry me. I am soaking up every moment of this because I know it will flee. Four year old’s are absolutely delightful to converse with as they have the most peculiar reasons to why things happen. Watching him mix reality with his imagination makes me wants to squeeze his cute little cheeks and shower him with kisses. Luke can often be found running around the house in full costume and character. If you make the dreadful mistake of saying, “Hi Luke”, he responds with, “I'm NOT Luke, I'm a Ninja (or whoever he's dressed as). He is also quite talented at mixing characters. My favorite has to be a policeman, spider-man mask, and cowboy hat...I have no idea!

Rob continues to enjoy his job and the challenges it brings. Working extraordinarily hard, with many hours of overtime, Rob has brought some new ideas to the table, which have proven to be successful. I am thankful beyond words for what he does for our family. As for me, I am happy being what I have always dreamed of...a wife and mother. A few years ago Rob found a picture I had drawn when I was about 5. A teacher had written, “What I want to be when I grow up...”. I had drawn a cute little stick figure and underneath the teacher had labeled it “Mother”. I thank the Lord for being able to fulfill my life dream. I'm honored to have such a calling in life. I hold raising a family close to my heart. I constantly remind myself to enjoy these years as crazy and stressful as they may be, once they're gone – they're gone.

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

“Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.” -Anonymous