6th Annual Shoemaker Family Newsletter

I saw this the other day and deeply related to it:
Dear 2011...I get it, you're the fastest year in history. But come on, at this rate I'm gone be 67 in what feels like a few more Christmases. 2012...you put that Red Bull down, I can already hear you lacing up your running shoes!
*snicker* I thought that was pretty cute.
It's been a crazy year.

I totally failed in writing this up before Christmas. But hey, better late than never!

Our Family: In May we started up a computer repair business. We're still in the beginning stages and running it out of our home, but it's been good so far. We have a Facebook page we use for our customers to get ahold of us. www.facebook.com/shoemakercomputerrepair
We adopted a cat named George. He belonged to Matt's Aunt Christina who passed away this year and we miss terribly. George is awesome and extremely patient with our David who loves to chase him around and lay on him because "he so soft Mommy!"


Matt: aside from fixing computers at home he is currently working at the Energizer factory. He is also pursuing his love for music as lead singer in a band called Destination Flashback. They've created a few songs and have played at open mic night at the local theater a couple of times. I honestly enjoy their music. They are hoping to finish an album here in the future.


Amber: I'm still loving being able to stay at home with my kiddos. Still taking pictures for friends and family. Still blogging. Still being awesome. What more is there to say?

Matthew: (age 11) We made the decision to homeschool Matthew this year. He says he enjoys it and seems to be doing well. He took some martial arts classes earlier in the year and had fun with it. He's an all around awesome kid who loves his family and is an awesome help around the house.
This year for Christmas he asked for Legos. His Nana and Pop-Pop bought him 2 lego sets. One was a helicopter and the other was a Star Wars ship (I don't remember what's called.) He put both together in 2 days. They were super complex and the helicopter even has moving parts and gears. We were all really impressed.
He's also started doing some stop-motion photography. He's made a couple of silly movies, usually involving lego men or stuffed animals.
He has an awesome sense of humor and is an amazing big brother.

David: (age 3) What can I say about my David...he's crazy and silly and very much 3 years old. He's smart as a whip. He knows the entire alphabet and is now working on learning how to write them. So far he can write P, I, T, and H. He can also recognize all his numbers, shapes and colors. He's also pretty much self taught. I haven't really sat down and taught him anything. He just picks stuff up pretty easily.
He's still my little shadow and I'm mostly ok with that. I know it won't always be that way. He loves to snuggle and give hugs. He's pretty darn adorable if I don't say so myself. Although he is also mighty mischevious.

This now concludes my newsletter. *phew!* I'm glad I finally finished it. It's been weighing on my mind for some time now.

Til next year...

I hope you all stay safe, happy, and healthy.

Matt

Amber

Matthew

David

Shoemaker

5th Annual Shoemaker Family Christmas Newsletter

It's December!! It ceases to surprise me when I realize it's time to write another newsletter. It seems like just yesterday I was doing this. Surely it can't be time to do it again!! But alas, here we are, just a few weeks away from Christmas.

Here are the many happenings of the Shoemaker family:


Matt: he has been going to school to finish his CCNA (computer networking) Certification. After this semester he will only have one more semester to go! This semester he was chosen to participate in an internship at the Maryville High School as part of the Tech Team. He has since completed it and really enjoyed the experience. He got a very good letter of recommendation for another internship we are hoping he gets next semester. This one also has the potential to turn into a full time job! He's currently busy preparing for finals, but is very happy to see that all his hard work is finally paying off. We couldn't be prouder of him.


Amber: I'm still a stay-at-home-momma/blogger/manager of all things Shoemaker. I've also started pursuing photography. I love it! I love taking pictures of people and hearing positive feedback. I'm looking to take some classes in the future, just so that I actually know what I'm doing.
Of course, when I'm not taking pictures of other people I am snapping away at my little family. They humor me (most of the time) when I have a sudden urge to go outside and take pictures.


Matthew: he is now the big 1-0 and is in the 3rd grade. He is tall and handsome and I'm not at all biased. He is always coming up with funny stories and has a fantastic imagination. He continues find different creative outlets. It can be a wide range of things: Legos (he made an ornament for the tree the other day.) Paper: drawing, paper airplanes, origami. The list goes on and on. He is always asking to do something together as a family. He truly loves being with us all. He's has a very sweet spirit and is always looking out for his little brother.


David: he is now 2 1/2 years old. We call him our "little rhino" for the way he will bulldoze his way through any and everything. When we go to the store we sometimes set him loose and if there is an open space he will lower his head like a bull and just take off. He loves to rough house but is still a very sweet boy. He loves to draw. (on everything, walls not excluded.) A few months ago we discovered by accident that he knows almost the entire alphabet! He can recognize them when written but has yet to master being able to sing the song. But he tries every day, singing "Now I know my E, F, G's!!" very loudly so we can all hear. He can recognize a few shapes and is just a little sponge ready to absorb any information I throw at him.


Here's the link to all things Shoemaker: www.thegooberfamily.blogspot.com


And my brand spankin new photography blog!: www.ambershoemakerphotography.blogspot.com


Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Stay safe, healthy and happy.

The Shoemakers

Matt

Amber

Matthew

David

4th Annual Shoemaker Family Christmas Newsletter

Another year has gone by and I can hardly believe it. Mostly because I'm seeing my babies grow up before my very eyes. I can't make it stop! It has been a good year for us. We are enjoying living in Parnell, where you can hear a donkey braying right on our front porch.

Here's what's been going on with us:

Matt and I: This past Spring, we put in the largest garden we've ever had. It was pretty fruitful too. We had onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, and cabbages. Matt also put in a strawberry patch, but since it was the first year, we didn't get very many berries. We also purchased 6 chickens in March. They've stopped laying due to the cold, but when they do lay we get 5 eggs a day. (We have one rooster.)
Matt took the year off of school but will be returning this next semester. He is looking forward to getting closer to completing his Certification.
I'm still a stay-at-home-mom, and have enjoyed being able to see my kids grow. I didn't do that when Matthew was little.
I have started blogging this year. I'm actually quite enjoying it. It's therapeutic and a creative release, plus it's the perfect place to brag and tell funny stories about the many happenings in Shoemakerville. I try to update it regularly, here's the website if you want to check it out: www.thegooberfamily.blogspot.com

Matthew: He's in the 2nd grade and is doing very well in school. It's so hard for me to believe he is 9! He has grown so much this past year. I find myself just looking at him and seeing a young man looking back at me.
He joined baseball this summer and played the whole season. His team placed 3rd in the tournament. He has expressed that he doesn't think baseball is his "thing" though. But we are proud that he finished. He's going to try golf next year. He really seems to enjoy that and loves it when his Dad and him go to the driving range.

David: He is 18 months (1 1/2 years) old and every bit the toddler.. He has become a regular source of entertainment at home. He is always ready with a smile and a laugh. He loves to play with his big brother, and Matthew is always willing. He doesn't talk yet, but he will blabber at you like he's saying something very serious and you better pay attention! The one word that he does say and use with purpose is "hot" but usually sounds like "ot"; but we know what he means. He is getting so big and it seems like yesterday he was a squishy little baby.

We hope everyone has a wonderful year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The Shoemakers

Matt

Amber

Matthew

David

3rd Annual Shoemaker Family Christmas Newsletter

I can't believe another year has flown by. Christmas really snuck up on me this year. I almost forgot to write the newsletter! Here's the rundown...

Our Family: On May 11, 2008 we welcomed David Bowen Shoemaker. He weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 15 ozs.! The joke was that if he hadn't pooped on the Dr., he would have weighed 9lbs even. We were so glad that Matt was able to be there for the delivery. He had arrived two days before David was born. It was a rough trip to Missouri from Arizona since we left when David was 2 weeks old, but we made it and are glad to be home.
We are back in good old Parnell, MO and enjoying our house. We've even knocked down the other house on our property. It was a sire sight to the community so we got a lot of thanks for getting rid of it.

Matt: He graduated with honors in A.I.T. and is very relieved that it is all done and he gets to be home. He is currently going to school to get his Cisco Certification in Networking. He took his finals the other day and passed! 1 semester down, 3 more to go. He's been very busy this semester so he is looking forward to next semester where he won't be going to classes all week. He also turned the big 3-0 this year.

Matthew: He is now 8 years old and I wish he would stop growing. He has made a new best friend with the neighbors little girl. They play outside everyday and he insists that they are just friends. He came home from her house one day and told me that her mom had asked him if he was her boyfriend and he told me "Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever heard!?"
So we're not worried...yet.
He's been the best big brother we could ever have imagined. He gets the baby when he cries and plays with him if I'm busy. One of the first things he does when he comes home from school is go over and say hi to David. He makes us very proud.

David: He is now 7 months old and I wish he would also stop growing. I can't believe it's already been 7 months. Time has flown by so quickly. He can roll over and that's usually his preferred mode of transportation. He smiles and giggles quite often and he usually has quite the captive audience when he does. His tongue is his indication of happiness, meaning he always has it out. It's really cute and always cracks us up. He's working on sitting up but still gets a little top heavy and falls over, much to his aggravation. At his last Dr. appointment he weighed exactly 18 lbs. this little boy loves to eat! I haven't had any problem getting him to try different things. He loves it all!

Amber: I've been staying home since the baby was born, so most of my day is filled with housework and David. But I'm not complaining. I'm actually getting used to being a stay at home momma. I've just been enjoying being back at home and having my family back together again.

Stay safe, happy and healthy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Shoemakers

Matt

Amber

Matthew

David

2nd Annual Shoemaker Family Newsletter

Our Family:
We finally bought a house! In July we purchased a house in Parnell, MO. It's beautiful and we can't wait to start fixing it up to make it our own.
As a whole, the last couple of months has been a little rough on us all. Matt has left for Basic Training and Matthew and I have moved temporarily to Arizona to stay with my family. About 2 weeks after Matt left, I discovered that I am pregnant. We have waited over 4 years for this so we are super thrilled to welcome the newest addition to our family sometime around mid-May 2008. Here's what we've all been up to this year in a nutshell.

Matt: The past couple of months he has been busy with the Army. He left in August for his Basic Training at Ft. Knox, KY. He graduated 9 weeks later in early November. He said it was one of the hardest things he has ever had to do, but he is glad that it is finally over. He is now at Ft. Gordon, GA to complete his A.I.T. He is looking forward to coming home for the holidays to visit us for 2 weeks. Then he will get back to school and finish sometime in early May.

Matthew: He is now 7 years old and getting taller by the minute. He is still adjusting to not having his daddy around, but enjoys being with his family. He loves playing with his cousins and being the silly little boy he always is. He is now in the 1st grade and enjoys going to his new school. He has been quite the lady-killer lately, coming home from school and telling us about his new "girlfriend", which to be honest, makes Matt and I a little nervous.

Amber: As of lately, I have been busy growing a baby!! It's still a shock to me that I am finally pregnant. Although we've been trying for over 4 years, we were completely blind-sided by it. On December 22nd we are finally going to find out what we are having. The timing of the ultrasound couldn't be any better since Matt flies in on the 20th. So although he will miss the entire pregnancy, at least he gets to be there for the ultrasound. I miss him terribly, but I am enjoying being able to spend time with my parents.

Well, that's all for now. We'll try to keep everyone in tough with the upcoming events.

Hope you all are safe, happy and healthy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The Shoemakers

Matt

Amber

Matthew

1st Annual Shoemaker Family Christmas Newsletter

I can’t believe how fast this year has gone by. We just wanted to let everyone know what we have been up to.


Matthew:
Along with turning 6, he has also stated Kindergarten. He loves it. We live just around the corner from his school so he enjoys walking to and from school with us. He has started learning how to write his Alphabet and Numbers. This year he got to write to Santa and tell him how good of a boy he was. It took him a while, but he was very dedicated in writing it. He loves playing with our new kitten “Skiddie”. They are pretty much attached to each other every waking moment. He has also become quite the artist, constantly drawing pictures for us. It’s usually one of the first things he does when he gets home from school.


Matt:
As you all may know, he decided to join the National Guard. He is anticipating when he gets to go to Basic Training. He doesn’t leave until August 27, 2007, so he has awhile. In the meantime he has been going to St. Joseph once a month for Drill. He comes back exhausted but happy to be able to do it. He will be going to Basic Training in Fort Knox, Kentucky and then to Georgia to train for his job which will be Computer Tech.
He is finishing up school this semester and is going to concentrate on work until August.


Amber:
I have been busy with work. I am currently working as a Nurse’s Aid. I love it but am looking for a job that will give me weekends off for when Matt leaves. I’ve also been learning how to play the piano, something that I’ve always wanted to do. I am starting to be able to read music and have been able to play some Christmas songs. I still have a couple months of lessons, but had to put them on hold until after the New Year on account of my Piano Teacher had her baby.


That pretty much wraps it up for us. We hope you all have a safe and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!