Holiday letter

Ok so I am late on this & we have apparently disappeared but I promise I will post Christmas pics & a new post sometime this week!



Here is our letter- sorry if you didn't get it & sorry if you did & have to re-read it!

Hello again! Wow where has this year gone! I swear it was just 2007! Time flies when you are having fun! We have lived in the Phoenix area for a year & survived the summer, Phew! We moved into a new house in June, bigger & closer & more of what we wanted in a house. It is 2.5miles from Kevin’s work & that has been nice with only having one car!

Kevin reached his one year mark in the Air Force in May of this year & has decided that working around the jets is not as fun as it may seem. He has gone from being on day shift (anywhere from 6am-4pm) to working swing shift (anywhere from 1pm-3am) and loves the new schedule. He is the motorcycle safety rep from his AMU (aircraft maintenance unit). He spent a good part of the year working on his CDC’s which is a large training test. He had 5 booklets of between 200-500pages & he had one month to study each & memorize what was in them. At the end of each month he took a test so that he could get the next booklet. After he had all 5 he had another month to study ALL of them &take a larger test. He passed with flying colors in September and is now a “Level 3”. He can now get called to work on any aircraft. He has also taken back up his pastime of mountain biking. He doesn’t get to ride much but loves to have a hobby! This next year he is looking forward to Below the Zone & the possibility of sewing on a new rank!

Brok is still growing like a weed. We have had quite the year from him. In January at his 9month appointment, we were told he had autism though both of us knew he was too young to officially diagnose it. He was definitely slow to progress as far as sitting up and talking but we never imagined… That led to an evaluation in early February from a developmental specialist who ruled out autism and was diagnosed with a muscle issue called hypertonia. Basically his muscles have always been flexed since he was born so he was overly toned. He finally started early intervention therapy in June & started physical therapy & occupational therapy in August.. He has since progressed to the point where he is crawling like a pro & stands on any & everything. He has learned to cruise the furniture and climb the stairs so our goal for the next bit is to WALK! He loves to eat- anything & everything, total boy! He loves water & has learned that the bath is a fun place! He is a total ham & we love it!


On October 3, 2008 Lukas Eli Beal was born! He weighed in at a pound and a half smaller than Brok, 7lbs 3.5oz, and was an inch shorter, 20inches! He is a very happy baby who enjoys eating, sleeping & pooping as well as snuggling and crying. He is on a schedule… if you call it that. He will sleep for 2hr chunks only but at least it’s a start. He is our tiny guy, but has a personality that is something else! He hates being dirty whether it’s diapers, clothes or no baths!. We didn’t know how much love we could have! Brok adores him & seems to be concerned when he cries. He also wants to play with him already, steamrolling and wrestling with him. I can’t wait to see how they play once he is a bit bigger!

I spent the majority of this year pregnant from… January to October so I was extremely pregnant through the HOT, HOT summer here! I started the year still nanny-ing for a family of 3 boys but when I had “morning sickness” she decided to stay home & so did I! I was pretty bored being at home all day (most of the time stuck at home with no car out in the middle of nowhere) so I took up a hobby that quickly became a business… I am now the owner of BabyBug Creations LLC. I started with making custom nursery letters and have since branched out into the burp rags, tutus & crayon roll arenas! I can’t say it has been easy or very lucrative but it helps pay the bills & keeps me from going stir crazy! I attended my first boutique a few weeks ago & hosted my first as well. I have had time lately to read which has always been a favorite pastime for me! YAY for books! I am looking forward to possibly finishing my degree (hopefully) & to watching my boys grow this year!

As for the dogs, they are same as always, fat & lazy! The dogs spend their time hanging out upstairs with us or outside basking in the sun!
They LOVE the Phoenix heat!

Check out our family blog www.kevinandashley.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!Kevin, Ashley, Brok & Lukas (& Patches & Zumi too