Merry Christmas From
the Nai Family!
2013 has come and gone. So much has happened and I
feel so busy. I also feel regretful. I am not the best at keeping in touch with
friends and family. Facebook makes it easy to say” HI”…and to check up on
people…but I miss the more personal feeling you get from a card or a phone
call. I am sorry I am bad at doing those things.
So, here is my attempt at keeping in touch better.
(Not that it is personal because I will be sending this out to all of you,
lol).
I will start with Anthony. He will shortly be in
his 5th year of serving as a Blackhawk County Deputy Sheriff. He is
still working in the Jail, babysitting the bad guys. He also works as security
for different venues, games, restaurants and the hospital. I think the most
enjoyable part of his job is training. He has moved up the ladder quite
quickly. He is the Defensive tactics trainer as well as the new recruit
trainer. (He thinks it is funny to practice his techniques and pressure points
on me. Sydney asks for it though…which she always regrets later). I think he
really enjoys the teaching part of the job. He is also on the S.W.A.T. team. He
looks pretty scary in all that gear, and my heart sinks every time he gets a
SWAT call. But so far, all has turned out well.
I also have to give him praise for one
more thing. Anyone who knows Anthony, will appreciate this. He is not the most
imaginative or romantic guy. Our anniversary comes and goes without much fuss. Partly
because it is 2 days before my birthday and it is the week of Thanksgiving. This
year was different though, He planned a fun night for me weeks in advance. He
planned a dinner with a great group of friends and then to go to see Catching
Fire opening night, which was my birthday. He even bought me a beautiful
birthstone ring and necklace set. I was so impressed! I love him so much…even
without all the fuss!
Well,
now for me. I turned 36 this year…and I am feeling old. I feel nostalgic and I
miss home! Home to me is the place where my memories are, where people and
places have made a mark on my heart. I miss my mountains, my Calgary, my
friends and my family. Not to say, I don’t have some of those things here in
Iowa. We have been blessed to be a part of one of the most wonderful wards I
have ever been in. I have been through a lot the last couple of years and it is
my Iowa friends who have stepped in for my family when they couldn’t be here.
Thank you all!
I kept busy this year. I Coached Sydney’s
basketball team as well as her major league softball team. I was scared to be a
coach. I love to play the sports, but there is so much that a coach does behind
the scenes that I never realized! It was wonderful though. I love coaching all
those wonderful girls and look forward to coaching again this year!
I also keep busy as Young Women president in our
ward. I teach and organize activities for the youth in our church, ages 12-18.
It is especially rewarding since Sydney is in YW.
I also babysit a little boy who helps to keep Teo
busy so I can find time to make jewelry, scrapbook, crotchet, or maybe even
clean my house ;)
Sydney (12) has been crazy busy this year. She has
learned from last year that she needs to manage her time better and not cram so
much into her schedule. Even though she cut back on some activities, she still
has little free time. She played volleyball for her school team and really
enjoyed it! She is currently playing basketball. She plays wing. She didn’t
like it at first. I always played her at post, but, she is no longer the
tallest on her team, and actually has become a much better overall player. She
is a big contributor to her team, so much so that she is often played the whole
game. She is on the Honor roll and Principles list. She works extremely hard in
all of her AP classes as well as in Chorus and Orchestra. She just sang in a
trio for their Christmas concert and she plays the Cello. She is such a big
help at home and she is fun to be around!
Haylie(10). Oh my Haylie. She is a wild one! You
know the song from “The Sound of Music” that says “How do you solve a problem
like Maria?” Well if you know the rest of the song, you will be singing about
Haylie. She is wonderful and exhausting all at the same time. She has such a
strong personality! She has had many opportunities this year to stand up for
what she knows is right. She puts herself out there and stands up for others,
and I am so proud of her! Her favorite subject in school is science! She is
also busy playing basketball and softball. She is a little more hesitant to
play, but still enjoys it. She didn’t want me to coach her (we are like water
and oil). But that is ok, she has had some great coaches. She finally got her
ears pierced for her birthday, and now thinks she is a total diva ;)
Tui(7) is my tenderhearted boy! He is usually at
the other end of the bullying, getting picked on for some reason or another. We
had a few incidents at his school that made the big bad mamma bear come out.
But regardless of what happens to him, he gets right back out there, trying to
be friends with everyone, always turning the other cheek. He played flag
football this year, even getting 2 touchdowns! He will be starting basketball
soon, and is looking forward to that. He loves sports. He also loves music. He
is a good little singer, if he thinks no one is listening :) One of his
favorite things to do is drill us on multiplication questions at the dinner
table. He really has a head for numbers!
Last is my baby. Teo(3). I guess he is not a baby
anymore. But if I say that, he tells me he will be my baby “FOREVER” (in the kid’s
voice from the Sandlot movie). I am trying to record as much of him talking as
possible so we will always remember how adorable he is. Some of our favorite
are “ slipily” for slippery, “Blue-tiful” for beautiful (which he tells me all
the time:) He is so cuddly, and always has his monkey pillow pet with him. He
is so smart, just like his siblings. He figures things out so quickly…which
makes me crazy sometimes. He loves to help me with the dishes and play with his
brother and sisters.
We have been so blessed this year! We have also
had some sad times. Grandpa Fioretti (Anthony’s grandpa) passed away, but we
were able to make a trip out to Pennsylvania to see him this summer before he
passed.
We know that your lives are all just as busy and
fulfilling as ours is, and we pray that you and your families will be blessed
and feel the love of our Heavenly Father in this New Year! We love you all!
Peace and Love,
The Nai Family
( Anthony, Krista, Sydney, Haylie, Tui, Teo)
p.s.
We can’t forget Apophiss. She is our pet snake.
She is a gorgeous orange corn snake. She is a year old now and is so fun and
gentle. We all love her (except for Anthony ;) We also have 2 hermit crabs.
They are ridiculous! I can’t believe they are still alive. But they are fun to
watch.
