MERRY CHRISTMAS!

the SCHARMAN FAMILY in 2018

HALEY JOHANNA (17)

Senior in high school.

Tried something new and made the high school dive team.

Driving all over.

Worked and worked at Chick Fil A this year.

Plays the piano daily.

Submitting college applications.

ABBY HOPE (15)

Rocking her sophomore year of high school.

Drawing on everything all the time.

Sings when she thinks no one is listening.

Just got her drivers permit.

Likes to dabble in new hobbies, everything from photography and crocheting, engineering and calligraphy.

Friend to all.

MIA LOVISA (13)

Changed to a new school for her 8th grade year.

Plays the flute and piano.

A permanent place on the honor roll at school.

Did a field hockey camp this summer.

Loves to draw and read and read and read.

HAZEL CHRISTINA(10)

Teaching herself new songs on the piano constantly.

Dreams about riding horses again.

Made student council, safety patrol and the morning news team at school.

Started the violin.

Played soccer for the first time this fall.

JONAH CLARK (6)

Doing awesome in 1st grade.

Reading like a champ.

Played soccer this fall.

Refuses to ride his bike and instead digs hole after hole in the backyard.

Has found a worthy opponent in his little brother finally.

Head trouble maker.

EZRA OSCARSON (3)

Turned 3 in November.

Talks like a teenager with a sense of humor to match.

Potty training slower than molasses in December.

Finally a worthy wrestling opponent for his brother, and everyone else. 

(Watch out for those teeth-he plays dirty.)

Minion trouble maker.

EMILY & CLARK 

(in their 40's and proud of it!)

Clark is busy as ever, bringing home the bacon, serving in the young men's program at church and trying to keep our grass green.  He manages it all well and we are both proud of him and grateful for all that he does for our family every day.  He not only brought home the bacon but several pounds of fish from his offshore fishing excursions earlier in the year.  Emily joined Clark in the great 40's this year and took a trip to Maine to celebrate.  She is still in the blessed trenches of motherhood, thinking about starring in a reality show called "Toddlers and Teenagers" and is working on launching a parenting help website early next year (only two of those things are true.)

We took a family trip to Utah this summer where we played and relaxed with family.  We are glad to be on the east coast near friends, history, ocean and plentiful things to do but we miss our many friends and family spread across the United States.  Life keeps us busy with all of the best things, mostly each other, learning new things and experiencing life in all its ups and downs.

We are grateful daily for the people in our lives and especially for the knowledge of a loving Father in Heaven and Savior that give us perspective, hope, comfort and peace.

Love to all,

The Scharmans

March 2017

Not to be confusing or anything, but I am still catching up on this whole 2017 thing.  It happens to be September of 2018, but who's keeping track?  I love a good walk down memory lane, except when I have no recollection of what happened and who was there or why.  In any case, I might just have to make some stuff up to make it more interesting.  Apparently we went to a Norfolk Admirals game.  I think thats the name of the team-I really am just guessing.  We went with our next door neighbors, the Kreutzbergs and Reeds who both had daughters singing the National Anthem with their school choir.  I think we stayed long enough for the kids to ask for every item of food found at the concessions, and just long enough for us to spend all of our cash on said food.

I love that all of our kids will come for cuddles.  Even the ones that are taller than me.  She just coils those long legs up and sits until I can't breathe anymore.  Haley coined the phrase "touchy time" at our house.  And while the name certainly makes me uncomfortable, I ache a little when I think about any of my kids being gone and not asking for it anymore.
Every once in a while I do something ingenious and fun...something that allows me to sit back and relax for 4.2 seconds without them getting into trouble or making a big mess.  These two boys, they amuse me and exhaust me all in the same afternoon.

On the ramp between church and home someone hit a small fox several weeks before.  Suddenly one day the fox was gone but his outline appeared to memorialize him.  It was funny and made me chuckle for several months until it faded away.  I mean, someone had to spray paint around a dead fox...

This cute face...even when he is sad.

And this picture simply because despite our family's efforts to do...whatever it was we were doing, the dog sat front and center as though he was running the meeting.  Poor Rocket, he often thinks we are including him when in reality, he is being ignored.

Trouble.

I'm guessing this picture has something to do with Clark not being there for dinner.  I remember a similar, frequent-ish scene on our table growing up.  Almost always this plate of cold dinner was waiting for a Dad that was at a church meeting or helping someone.  The tradition lives on.  It's not a bad tradition.

Church was hard for a long time when we first moved to Virginia.  You know that stage between about 6 and 18 months when a child hates church and hates you going to church and hates you sitting and listening and getting anything out of church?  For whatever reason I struggled in our ward here for several months after moving in.  I'm sure it was a combination of leaving a place we loved, starting something uncertain and new combined with a baby at that age when they need so much of my attention and energy but in any case I remember this Sunday.  Ezra was fussy, I was frustrated and a little sad.  So I put him in the car during church and just drove.  He fell asleep and it snowed and it eased my sadness just a little. 

I love the tradition and practice of attending the women's session with my girls.  It will always be special.

Haley won a debate in one of her classes at school over several days.  We were very proud of her and not surprised one bit that she won- a debate- where she essentially argues with other people about why she is right.

And Jonah.  He is just himself and I love him for it.

I haven't had cause or energy to get out my nice camera often but the girls like to take it around from time to time.  I find all sorts of adorable pictures of them with their neighbor friends - we are so grateful for sweet friends flanking us in this neighborhood.  We could not have asked for better.