2013 Update

It has been another fast flying year. I do think they go by faster every year. On November 30th we marked the anniversary of moving into our new house.  This past spring & summer was such a joy watching the back yard come to life.  When we moved in last year most of the plants were dormant so we didn't get to see the beauty of the landscaping until the spring.
We love our new neighborhood.  We have really enjoyed getting to know our neighbors.  The kids love making new friends and playing in the cul-de-sac.  We live close to the walking trails and we enjoy taking walks and family bike rides. It has been a great year to enjoy the great outdoors.

This past year has been filled with projects and unpacking.  The kids were so excited to finally get their rooms painted this fall.  Isabella now has a lovely purple room and Dominic again has Superman flying on beautiful blue walls.  We still have a lot to do in the new house but it is finally feeling like home.
Just a few short weeks ago I finally unpacked some of the last boxes we moved from our storage unit  and I am proud to say that we now have both cars in the garage...made it just before the big ice/snow storm!  We had said that we would be officially "moved in" when both cars made it into the garage. So now its official!

Isabella:
Our sweet little girl is growing up fast.  This fall she started the 5th grade. She was part of the track team again this year and enjoyed running on relays. She turned 10 over the summer and had an "art" themed party.  She is full of boundless creativity and is always drawing and creating.  She still loves to read and listen to music.
She participated in a theater camp this summer and got the part Zazu in the production of Lion King. She did an amazing job and decided to participate in the fall production of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Snow Queen." She got to play the part of the lady-in-waiting.  She loves being on stage.....I have a feeling this is just the beginning of her theater career. Isabella also got to participate in her first over-night camp at Dunrovin in Minnesota.  She had a wonderful experience on the lake and made lots of new friends. Over the summer she won the blue ribbon in the library art competition for her age group.  She has continued to grow in her artistic ability and still wants to be an artist when she grows up.

Dominic:
This was a big year for Dominic. He prepared for many months and was able to receive his first communion in April 2013. He also participated in track again this year and took 1st place in the 200M dash.  He is a speedy little guy.  Dominic is really loving our new house and all the trees that he can climb in the back yard.  He loves to ride his bike and play games with the neighbor kids.  Dominic is also quite the little artist, following in his sister's footsteps.  He took 1st place for his age group in the library art competition for the second year in a row!  In July he got to go to Bear Camp with his dad and had a blast with archery and BB gun shooting.
He started 2nd grade in the fall and turned 8 in November and had a penguin themed birthday party.  He developed a love of penguins after our trip to Omaha zoo this summer. He was in the Nativity play this December and had the part of the Angel Gabriel.  He did a great job with his lines.  Isabella is trying to convince him to try his luck on the big stage next year. Dominic continues to be a joyful, passionate little boy that loves to play with Legos, Super Heroes and Play Mobil in his free time.

Michael:
Michael has kept very busy over the past year working on house projects and helping to make our new house a home. He is a creative director at Salva O'Renick & 2014 marks the 10 year anniversary of his employment there.  Both Michael and Christina continue to coach the 6-10 year old track team in the spring.

Christina:
This has been a busy year for school. Teaching a 5th grader and a 2nd grader has been fun and challenging.  It has been a joy watching the kids learn and grow in talent.  In her free time she has been unpacking the house and trying to get things settled.  She and Michael teach Natural Family Planning to couples at St. Andrew's Parish once a month. It has been a blessing to meet so many amazing couples and share the message of NFP. 

As a family we were able to take a few mini-vacations: One to St. Louis in July where we got to go see Meremac Cave & the City Museum.  In September we got to go to Omaha zoo again.  The last time we had been Dominic was only a 1 1/2 years old.  It was great to be back after so many years.
This is our second year being a part of The Heart of the Redeemer Catholic Community. We had really grown in our faith and are so grateful to be getting to know so many people from around the KC area.  God has truly blessed us this past year.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.
--The Paoletti's