Christmas "Letter" 2012

As usual the Gibson family has had a busy year, here are the highlights-











Ty- Loves being a firefighter. His first year with his TRT specialty has been filled with mountain rescues and difficult training exercises, like scaling down the side of the Tempe APS building (The biggest building by Tempe Town Lake) and doing drills/climbing all over Hayden's ferry, to name a few.  They may be difficult but according to Ty they are a lot of fun too.  He also affectionately picked up the nick name "tunnel rat" after getting himself out of some pretty tricky drills that included  working his way through twisty, turney, completely dark tunnels.  I find comfort in the fact that if he were in a building collapse, he could "tunnel rat" his way out of almost anything-with is air tank still on! He has picked up several hobbies, including a garden that took off this summer.  He's not sure which ones will stick, but his love for cooking is definitely becoming a constant.  He does the majority of the cooking at home, and we all love it (especially me!). He is also busy with his calling in our church as cub master.  Planning pack meetings and going to 3 days of scout, although time consuming, has been fun for him too. Not sure how he managed to not have to work at a desk for his career or his calling, but it suits him.  He did however, have no such luck in going back to school to get his bachelors. He is taking online classes, and has to work at a computer for that, but even than he goes outside or at least by a window whenever he can. We are home schooling again this year and Ty really enjoys participating, he comes up with the more creative and active lessons for them.  He finds Joy in watching the kids learn & relishes the extra time too, since his job requires him to be away from home 1/3 of the time.

Megan- I think House Manager has become my official title. Although, CEO of Gibson Incorporated has a better ring to it.  I am homeschooling Cal & Lainey this year.  We have a lot of fun and I especially love our mornings together- eating breakfast and starting lessons in jammies is the best. I am adjusting to the role of "big kid mom" and all the challenges and joys that come along with these miniature people who now have opinions, and interests all their own. I get to spend extra time with Cloey as assistant Activity Day Girls leader (our church equivalent to girl scouts) and I get to spend extra time with my grandma too because I do respite care for her! In January, I reluctantly celebrated turning *gasp* 30. We had a mock Vegas party and went out with my girlfriends, it was a lot of fun, and I have got used to saying "I'm 30".  A good friend introduced me to Bikram Yoga right when I needed it most, and I love it! (If you don't what it is, it's basically 90 min of yoga in a 105 degree room with 40% humidity) Crazy I know, but the practice has done miracles for my poor broken back.  Not to mention stress, anxiety and overall emotional & mental health.  I completed a 60 day challenge (a class everyday for 60 days), and even got a medal! I eased back into my midwife apprenticeship in March, and am really enjoying it. I'm working on my AA degree to include classes that will meet requirements for my licence, and am also starting a midwifery certificate program after the new year.  I am loving taking care of "my mamas" not to mention all the sweet new baby snuggles I get as bonus pay ;) 

Cloey- She's done it again! In March Cloey was discharged from Hospice care. She doesn't need it anymore.  In June we went back to Mayo Clinic and they said "We don't know how or why but as of right now, Cloey has no degenerative conditions".  Well I know why, all the love and prayers for our little girl, I mean young lady :)  Who knows what this means for the future, but for now she is happy and healthy! We are all enjoying her new found freedom without a trach and other health issues slowing her down (read her story here) We were able to go to the Grand Canyon this summer and stay at my childhood cabin which would have been too difficult even one year ago. Cloey is also able to do so much more with us and on her own now that she feels better and doesn't have to have trach supplies and a trained adult everywhere she goes.  There isn't much free time with all the effort she puts into planning her wedding, but somehow she finds time for other things too.   She loves Activity Day Girls and School.  She is still at Brisas Elementary repeating the 4th grade with her same teacher and a long time friend in her class.  She LOVES Taylor swift and falls asleep every night listening to her on her iPad. I sure hope she gets tickets to her concert in May for Christmas ;) She also loves to read, right now she is reading all the Junie B Jones books and has even started the first Harry Potter.
She continues to brighten the day of everyone she comes across with a smile and hug.

Cal- has discovered Minecraft. A computer video game, that is border-lining an obsession. He is still wearing a fedora daily and has developed his own sense of style to go with it.  He likes *some* things about home school and is continuing tutoring for his dyslexia.  He has a great sense of humor about it,  one time referring to closed captioning on the TV as a "dyslexic's nightmare".  He is gaining skills with  his tutoring and it doesn't seem to be holding him back any on his dreams of being an inventor, making video games or doing voice overs when he grows up.  We introduced physics in home school this year and he really loved the experiments so I see more of that in the near future. He will be done with cub scouts in April and really loves participating in the program, especially since dad is a leader. His big finish was winning first place in the pinewood derby! He designed his Angry Birds car all by himself, so it was a great accomplishment.  He is an amazingly sweet and polite boy, who growing way too fast.  He is up to my shoulders now, and more devastatingly handsome everyday.


Lainey-
oh Lainey-bug! such a firecracker.  She is always busy and always talking! she will make up her own "school" when we are done or taking a day off.  She is interested in everything, cooking, working on the car, sewing.  Whatever we are doing she wants to be a part of it and know the how & why of it. One day as I was pumping gas, she wanted to know how it makes the car go. I told it just does, but that wasn't good enough.  Of course I had no idea, so she called dad at work and got a mini lesson on internal combustion.  She agreed to cutting her hair, only if we died the ends pink.  She wears whatever she wants, including pink boots and leggings with just about everything.  Her American doll, Lainie, is a favorite companion & she sleeps in an insand mountain of pillows and animals & never without her "frog eyes" She has recently joined a Daisy troop and really enjoys meeting with the other girls for projects and activities.  She really is a joy to be around.



Last but not least, Brutus & Sheldon (or Shelby, that has yet to be determined)-
Brutus is getting old at 3 years now.  He is a pain sometimes when he runs out the door and I get a call from someone who has my "sweet" dog that "just came right up to them. grrrrrr. or gets in the trash if he has been left alone for too many hours, but for the most part he is a buddy too everyone in the family.  Our newest member Sheldon (or Shelby  is an African Sulcata tortoise that was Cal's birthday present.  He doesn't do much.  He's a tortoise  But the kids love feeding him and watching him when he does move.  Cal can't wait till he is 100 pounds.

From all of us to you, have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!