Another year has gone by, and here we are, in the middle of the holiday season. I have decided that our annual update will be a New Year’s greeting, and that’s OK. We have actually had a fairly restful December, spending meaningful time celebrating advent as a family most evenings, doing just enough fun Christmas-related stuff, but not so much as to feel stressed, and completing most of our shopping online! Ultimately, for us, the most important thing is always to focus on celebrating the Reason for this season–the baby born to die to save the world, and I’m so happy that this year, our family was really able to do this. Things felt simpler, even with such a big, busy family. We pray that all of you have been able to enjoy special times this holiday season.

Now, it’s time for the update! So, sit back, relax and read on… (We always list the kids in the order in which they joined the family, which is why Eden, Daniel and Haddie are listed at the end :))

Abby is 22 and a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. She has been working night shift there for almost 1 1/2 years. Abby seems to be in a really good place in life now. She has settled into that crazy night shift schedule, and has made many friends there whom she really enjoys. She continues to be active in The Branch, which is a ministry for young adults in north Austin. She lives in Pflugerville, just north of Austin in a nice apartment with a fellow nurse she met in nursing school. It’s still hard for me to believe that our oldest child is now all grown up and on her own. Even though she lives kind of far (north Austin is *so* far from where we are in SW Austin :)), we still see her often. It warms my heart that Abby loves coming home whenever she can. She loves all of her younger brothers and sisters so much and wants to be with them. It is such a blessing to Todd and me to see our children enjoying one another so much. Abby has enjoyed some traveling in the last year, now that she has her own income. She went to Israel in May with a group led by our former pastor. Abby also got to travel to London with Todd, David, Todd’s brother, Jeff and his son, Jack. Abby organized a trip for the older 5 kids (plus David’s best friend, Braydon, who is officially our 14th child :)) to go to Nashville a couple of weeks ago. They had a blast. This beautiful young woman is a delight to us, and we are so proud and blessed to be her parents.

Datiya is 21 and will enter her final semester of classes at Texas State this spring. After that, she will have one semester of field work, graduating in December 2020! Datiya has excelled in her major at Texas State as an honors student, earning outstanding grades, and consistently making the Dean’s List. Datiya has impressed her professors with her work ethic, intellect, and confidence. One of my favorite stories about Datiya came from a professor who wrote her a recommendation for a scholarship (which she won!). The professor took a group to the Texas State Capitol to lobby for programs in their field (recreation therapy), and Datiya met the group there, even though she wasn’t part of the class. She then proceeded to get up and speak boldly and confidently for their cause in front of the legislators. The professor said that she has been taking groups to the capitol for years, and she has never had one student before, not even a graduate student, get up to speak. This past summer, she was able to travel to New Zealand and Australia to complete 2 classes for her major. Sounds like a great deal to me, even though from all her pictures it doesn’t look like she did much studying! Datiya is also active in a service sorority, works as an RA, and even joined the water ski team. She had the opportunity to travel to California with the team in October for Nationals! Datiya has many friends, and is a loyal and wonderful person. You definitely want Dot on your side if you ever need anything. Datiya also considers her sisters and brothers to be her best friends, and she will often bring friends home to meet our crazy crew. We are blessed to have this spunky, strong young lady in our family. Watch out, world, here she comes!!

David is 19 and still the “loudest, proudest member of the fighting Texas Aggies.” He has successfully brainwashed every younger brother to be a future Aggie. David works very hard, and gets excellent grades, but he balances this by staying very involved in other activities such as Cru, Breakaway (“Tuesday nights at 9pm, Reed Arena”), intramural soccer, and ping pong. He bought himself an electric keyboard so he could continue to play the piano–he can pick up new music easily by ear, and is very talented. I love having him home and hearing the piano music drift through the house. David made us very proud this fall by being selected through a very competitive process to be in the prestigious Zachry Leadership Program for engineering students. They only selected 32 out of several hundred applicants, so we wanted to brag on him a little bit. David traveled to London this past summer with Todd and Abby to see his favorite team, Arsenal, play. It was a very special time for them. David is just a wonderful young man, and we are so thankful our younger boys have a guy like him to look up to. He is so good and loving with all of the younger kids, and it is a blessing to see him interact with them. They all adore him so much. All of his sisters say they want to marry someone like David, which says a lot, I think. David is a blessing to have in our family, and I’m so happy that now he’s old enough to not mind hugs and kisses from mom so much anymore. 🙂

Nina became an official adult, turning 18 just a few days ago. We let her graduate in May (a year early), and she has been taking more classes at Austin Community College this fall as she applied to schools. She was accepted at Texas Tech and University of Texas at Austin among others, and has decided to attend Texas Tech. Nina was accepted into the honors program there, and she plans to major in kinesiology with an emphasis on pre-med. She plans to be a doctor, and as of now wants to be a trauma surgeon. Nina certainly has the drive and brains to get her there or wherever else life may take her. She is beautiful, funny, strong, and confident. Nina and I are very close, and often do things together or just hang out. I will really miss her when she’s at school. I’ve been a little spoiled as my oldest three kids all went to schools within 2 hours of home, and Lubbock is closer to 7 hours away. At least I will still be able to hop in the car and drive there when I want to see her. And there’s always FaceTime and SnapChat. Nina is a lively, helpful, capable, and fun young lady, and it is such a blessing to have her in our family. As much as we will miss her, I can’t wait to see her very bright future unfold.

Enoch is 16 and now a very cool driving dude. Still the most people-oriented person I’ve ever known in my life, this kid thrives on being with others. He started working at TCBY, and he does such a wonderful job there. Enoch’s friendly nature and strong work ethic has made him a valuable employee, and he often volunteers to help out even when he’s not scheduled. That is because Enoch really is thoughtful and wants to be helpful. Enoch is also very generous. He finds joy in doing things like bringing a favorite teacher at One Day Academy a Starbucks coffee every week. He will always share what he’s eating, even the sausage from the first deer he got while hunting this fall. Enoch plays select soccer, drums, and is working on getting his black belt in Kuk Sool Won. We are happy that he can now drive himself to these activities! He is also very willing to help drive when we need him to run an errand or take a sibling somewhere. Enoch is very fashion conscious, and he can usually be found looking pretty sharp (or “pretty dope” as he would say). Enoch and I have started watching a show together, and I really enjoy this time with him, as we don’t get as much time together in the car anymore. He is a sophomore, so I know the time will speed by, and soon it will be his turn to leave the nest. He is a kid who will go places in life, with his likeable personality, confidence, brains, and good looks, too! We’re so blessed to have Enoch’s big personality in our family.

Lillah is 14, and will be 15 in April. She is very eager to get her learner’s permit, but I don’t know if I’m ready! Lillah is still sweet, sweet, sweet. She is thoughtful and fair, always thinking of others and making sure everyone gets food or dessert or whatever treat (she saves some aside for whoever isn’t home). As sweet as she is, Lillah is also very confident and poised. She is a leader through and through. This year, she, along with Simeon and Enoch, is participating in a discipleship group/school every Wednesday, where they do history, Bible, government, and literature. She is the only girl in the program now. We thought about whether she should do it, being the only young lady, but after some thought and prayer, we went ahead and put her in the program. She said, truthfully, she is used to being surrounded by boys, so it really isn’t a big deal. Recently, Simeon invited the guys from the group to our house for a semester’s-end party/sleepover. Lillah stepped up to get those boys in line for pizza and activities. She would stand up, clap her hands, speak in a loud voice, and order everyone around. They pretty much did whatever she said! 🙂 There is a reason her Uncle Steve calls her “Captain.” Lillah is dancing again this year and played soccer in the fall. Her true passion, however, is horses and riding. She is very responsible, caring for our animals and also handling multiple pet-sitting jobs. She has a little calendar on which she keeps track of all her jobs. She has saved up quite a bit of money from pet-sitting and reffing. The highlight of Lillah’s year (as well as Simeon’s and Enoch’s) was going on a cruise with their discipleship group. The trip was amazing, and all expenses were covered by a donor, which made it possible for them to go! Lillah is a precious girl, and we love her sweet, strong spirit. She is stepping up as one of the older kids left at home, and we are so blessed to have this sweet daughter in our family.

Simeon is 12, and is a very sweet, sensitive boy. He excels in school, and has now officially entered the speech and debate competitive world as a senior competitor. He will be debating in Team Policy debate this upcoming season, as well as doing a Duo Interpretation with Lillah, impromptu, and informative speeches. Simeon plays select soccer, and is a dedicated and skilled player. He is extremely athletic, and continues to amaze us with his acrobatics. He can scale things like Spidey, back/front flip like a ninja warrior, and even walks on his hands. All of these amazing skills aside, Simeon has a heart of gold. He is constantly looking for ways to connect with and include Daniel. He asked for a study Bible for Christmas so that he could read and study his own Bible every day, and he is a boy who is committed to praying for people. A highlight for Simeon was going to the Matthew West concert in early December. After the show, as we were leaving, we happened to go out the back door to where our car was parked, and we saw Matthew West coming in another back door. Jed yelled his name and he came over, talked to us and even took a couple of pictures with the boys. Cool moment for Sim, especially, as he is a huge fan of Matthew West. Simeon has the most precious smile, newly donned with braces as of March. He is the adored leader of our little “son run” (a term I affectionately use to refer to our 4 youngest), and he is gentle and kind with all of them *most* of the time, even when it would be easy to lose his temper with them. Simeon was overjoyed to be able to go on the cruise with Enoch and Lillah with the discipleship group they attend. He now says he thinks he wants to live on a cruise ship. Simeon is always quick with a hug and kiss for each parent and sibling, and he says “I love you” to everyone before bed each night. I really can’t wait to see how God will use this young man as he grows and further matures. He’s pretty special. We are so blessed to call him our son.

Jedidiah (Jed) is our 10-year-old “wild man.” He is quick-witted and hilarious, and basically keeps me on my toes at all times. Jed is a great kid, full of energy and curiosity, which means if I turn my back on him during school time, I will generally turn back to find him gone. Thankfully, he is smart as a whip, and when I can catch him, excels at school, especially math, which he can do in his head with no problem (no pun intended). I have to make him write things down first so that as things get harder he is used to that. He really can do it all in his head at this point. Jed is reading really well, and is finally at the point where he can get lost in a book, which I always love to see any kid do. Jed is also a force to be dealt with on the soccer field. I mean, of course he is, with as much energy as he has. Last spring, he did a few vlog posts for our YouTube channel (which is currently on hold right now till we get a new video camera), which were some of my favorites that we posted, simply because he is a riot. If you haven’t watched Jed’s vlog posts, they are worth a looksee. 🙂 Jed’s personality is larger than life, vibrant, intelligent and witty. Whenever we can get him to slow down for a few minutes and hear what is going on in his head, we are amazed at what comes out of his mouth. One of my favorites from this last year: one day, I was running at the speed of life, as usual, and they boys were particularly rowdy as we were driving around town. Jed was riding near the front, and being relatively quiet (unusual for him). I looked at him and said, gesturing at the chaos in the back of the van, “Can you see why I might sometimes lose my cool?” Without skipping a beat, he looked up at me with his mischievous green eyes, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, very seriously, “Mom, sometimes at times like these, chocolate helps.” Haha, yes, son, very wise and true words. Jed could grow up to be anything from an engineer to a standup comedian, and it is fun being along for the ride. We are blessed to have this little spark plug as our son.

Hezekiah (Hezi) is now 8 and in 2nd grade! He still has sandy blond curls whenever he lets his hair grow long enough to see them. He has sweet, big brown eyes, dimples, and the cutest little smile. Besides his adorableness, he has a sweet and sensitive heart as well. He loves to snuggle up with us to read or watch a movie, and he wants to be tucked in at night. Hezi requested a real Bible with all the verses for his birthday, and he can be found reading it on his bed every morning before he comes down for breakfast and every evening before bed. Hezi also plays soccer, with his older brothers training him to be a goalie at home, so he actually is a pretty decent goalie. Hezi will play basketball this winter, and then he has decided to go back to baseball for the spring. He was so cute playing baseball a couple of seasons ago, and there was something relaxing about the games, so we’re all for it! Hezi is doing well in school, and is enjoying reading chapter books now that he is able to read more fluently. Math is also easy for him so far, although he doesn’t claim to like it much. His favorite subject is reading and vocabulary. Hezi loves playing with his brothers, but he can also often be found playing by himself with Legos or in the sandbox. Hezi is a very affectionate boy who is a blessing to our family.

Tovi is 5 and began Kindergarten this fall. He is adored by everyone in the family and also has the ability to charm anyone else for that matter. Tovi is very bright, and is already reading tons of words on his own. He is very easy to teach and extremely independent. Tovi played soccer again this fall, and he was definitely very into it, running his little heart out, sliding to score, and waiting eagerly on the sideline for his turn to go in. Tovi is a mama’s boy in that he really loves his mama, but he’s also super rough and tough. I really like the fact that he wants me to be there for him, to come upstairs and read to him every night and to snuggle for a few minutes. We have a special bond, and it’s really sweet. Tovi wanted to play basketball this winter, so it will be fun to get to watch his and Hezi’s games. I can’t believe our “baby” is so grown up and capable of so many things. Tovi definitely milks his position in the family for all it’s worth, getting his older siblings to let him play on their phones or tablets. They give him lots of treats, too. Tovi has everyone wrapped around his finger, and he knows it. He’s coordinated, skilled at many things, and if he isn’t skilled at it yet, he will be with a little practice and determination (which he has in endless supply). Tovi is an amazing little boy, and such a blessing to us all. This little dynamo brings so much fun and joy to our family.

Eden is 16 and is doing really well. She has really come into her own, pretty much fluent in English and comfortable and confident as a member of the family. Eden has a bold personality when it comes to people she is comfortable with. She doesn’t hesitate to tell people what to do or to give information about things. The only problem is that sometimes she just makes things up to tell people, like, “Dad said…” or “Mom said…” when we didn’t say. It’s kind of funny, but I think she likes to take charge, and that’s just one of the ways in which she does that. Eden is steadily working through her curriculum and progressing with math and reading, at about a 1st grade level. She is definitely learning to read, slowly and steadily. Academics don’t come super easily for her, but she works really hard and enjoys doing her school, which we have chosen to keep doing at home. I’m so excited that we found a Special Olympics team for her and Haddie to join, and they will be playing basketball this winter. They are so happy about it, and I’m glad that they will be in a place where they can grow and learn in a setting that is appropriate for them and in which they can be successful. Eden can’t wait for their practices to resume after the holidays. She still loves to be on the go, and will always say yes if you ask her if she wants to go somewhere. The life skills she and Haddie are learning at home as part of their school is preparing them for jobs they will be able to do in the future, and I’m beginning to look into options for them as they will both be turning 17 in the next few months. Eden is very sweet, and a helpful daughter who is a blessing to us.

Daniel is 12, which he now enjoys telling us several times a day. He also writes his name and age in his notebook all the time, “Daniel 12″ and points to it and says, ‘Daniel, 12.” I’m teaching him to say, “I’m twelve,” which he can say, but he still wants to say, “Daniel, 12” instead. Daniel knows a lot and is very crafty. Academics are not necessarily his thing, but he is very street smart. He has learned a lot in school and enjoys being there. He can write his first name, most of “Erdner,” and he loves to write numbers. The neurologist prescribed a medication for him that has been really helpful in helping him to be more successful at school and more manageable at home. He will still have mood swings often, but his impulsiveness is reduced when he’s on his medicine. It also helps him sleep better at night, which allows him to be happier during the day as well. Daniel has grown a LOT this last year. His appetite has improved, and he eats really well, which has helped him grow and look stronger. He is healthy and rarely gets sick. Daniel loves riding the bus to school, and even though he isn’t really verbal, he manages to tell the bus drivers lots of stories using a few words and lots of miming and facial expressions. For his birthday, his teachers gave him a t-shirt that says “Mayor of SSES (Sycamore Springs Elementary School),” because he is loved by all there. Every day, he walks around the school greeting everyone, smiling and waving “hi” to whomever he encounters. He certainly is charming, despite remaining quite challenging. It is a blessing to have Daniel as our son, watching him grow and thrive in our family.

Haddie will be 17 in a few days, and she is sweet and smiley. Learning continues to be a struggle for her, and we are just going along at the pace she needs. I looked back over last year’s letter and, taking that step back, I can see she has made progress. However, the day to day is very slow, and Haddie has to work really hard in school and with communicating. We received her communication device last spring, and she was so happy and proud of it. It definitely has opened up a lot of communication for her that we wouldn’t have without it She has learned to say many things on the device, and I do think it is helping her vocabulary to expand quite a bit, even though she still doesn’t initiate as much as I would like to see. We’re hoping that will change over time. Haddie’s counting has improved from last year, as now she can consistently count and write to 10 without help. I have to approach things with her in terms of what will be really practical for her life skill and navigating her world versus a typical academic course of study. She will most likely never learn to read, and math skills like adding and subtracting seem like an impossibility at this point for her, so we are adapting her education to give her the most potential to be as independent as possible. It has been extremely frustrating over the last few months, as I’ve been trying to find a neuropsychologist to evaluate her (IQ, memory, etc.), and no one seems to think they’ll be able to get accurate results given her limited ability to speak and communicate verbally. I have given up a couple of times, taken a break, and then tried again. So far, nothing. I think it would be helpful to get some idea of what exactly we are dealing with so we can better meet her needs and help her to learn as much as she can. Haddie is very helpful with sweeping and cleaning, and loves to be useful around the house. She adores babies and children, and they love her back. Tovi often plays with her and Eden, and he just loves them both. Haddie’s beautiful smile is enough for children, and no words are necessary. I think she will be able to work at a daycare or possibly be a mom’s helper someday. Haddie is a sweet daughter and a blessing to our family, and I’m so glad to see how happy she is to be part of our family as well.

It has now been over a year since Todd’s heart attack, and he is doing well. In the spring, we found out he will need to take medication to control the blood disease that he has, so he’s been on that for a few months now. Everything seems pretty stable, and he is feeling good, able to do everything he has always done. He remains super active, running, exercising, coaching kids, and being an elder at our church. His job at Intel has treated him well, and he enjoys the group he is in. Todd went on a business trip to New Zealand back in September, and I was able to join him for several days. It was a wonderful trip, and if it weren’t so far away, I would want to live there! What a beautiful country! This man is a wonderful and adored husband and father, and we are so thankful that God chose to spare him a year ago. He is wise, and the kids all seek out his advice often. The younger kids love playing with him and having tickle time, and Todd very diligently leads the family in devotions every morning. I attribute the little boys’ desire to have their own Bibles to learn from and read to the dedication Todd has had to teach them about the Lord and to disciple them. I admire him very much. Also, he is really patient with his little Cuban wife, and quick to forgive my many blunders. Not to mention, he spoils me a lot. For Christmas, he surprised me with an Alaskan Cruise with my favorite Christian artist, Steven Curtis Chapman! We will be sailing the week of my birthday this July 2020! I still can’t believe it. He’s too good to me.

As for me, I’m busy as ever, with adult children, college children, high school, middle school, elementary, and Kindergarten kids to teach, counsel, hang out with, etc. I’ve got little boys wanting tucking in and snuggles, teens wanting to talk at midnight, and adult kids who sometimes need me at any time of day or night as well, even if it’s just to chat and catch up. I love my busy life, so full of these amazing people who are my babies, growing up to be the best people I know! I am in the middle of it all, with many years behind me and many more years to come of raising this clan, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve discovered recently I can take a little time to explore my interests outside the family, now that we no longer have so many little ones. I have enjoyed teaching Les Mills Body Pump classes at the YMCA for over a year now, and as of this past April, I have my own classes Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:35am as well as every other Sunday at 4:15pm. (Come join me sometime if you’re local!) I love sharing my passion for health and fitness with other people. I run 3-4 mornings per week, and am training for my 5th half marathon coming in January. I think I may do one in February and one in April as well. Hopefully, I’m just a few months away from earning my Black Belt in Kuk Sool Won. It has been a long journey and tons or work, but I enjoy it a lot and have made many friends there.

It may sound crazy, but I have also been taking a few classes online to take care of some prerequisites to enroll in nursing school. I am working slowly through the classes, and I will hopefully be able to enroll in a mostly online program within a year or so. I do sleep occasionally.

Todd and I often reflect on all the blessings we have been given by God. We have sweet, loving children who are doing well. We have the blessing of a big, warm house to call home, with our little farm where the kids can run and ride horses and hug kitties and dogs. Todd has a great job that allows me to be home and do all the things that I do. We are so thankful. May your 2020 bring blessings, growth and encouragement to your lives, and if you’re ever in Texas, come on down to “Abundant Life Ranch” and hang out with us for a bit. Happy New Year!

Love,
Todd, Michelle, Abby, Datiya, David, Nina, Enoch, Lillah, Simeon, Jed, Hezi, Tovi, Eden, Daniel, and Haddie

Happy New Year! Happy Valentine’s Day!  Happy St. Patrick’s Day (yeah!)!!  We missed the Holiday Card rush, so now maybe you have time to read our yearly update since you are no longer inundated with Christmas Cards.  🙂

2015 was a great year for the Erdner family.  It seems like there is always something happening around here, and this year was full of changes and surprises.

The biggest change in 2015 was that Abby, who is now 18, graduated from high school!  We are so proud and excited!  We actually successfully educated a child from preK through high school!  It can be done!  Abby, being the oldest, has always been the “experiment.”  We now can answer questions about whether we will homeschool all the way through high school, “Yes!  And we even have an undamaged grown child to prove we have actually done it!”  Abby graduated with a whole year’s worth of college credit under her belt.  She entered Texas State as a sophomore, and is now applying to nursing schools around Texas. Her first choice is Texas State’s nursing school, which is located in Round Rock.  It is through St. David’s hospital and is an excellent program.  She is looking at a couple of other options as well.  Abby has enjoyed her first year of college so much, and is excited to see what is next.  She has been playing intramural soccer and is involved in CRU.  Wherever she goes, she will no longer be on campus at Texas State, as the nursing school is not on the main campus.  So, we are praying that God directs her to the right place, with all the details worked out.

Datiya is 17 and a junior in high school.  She is vibrant and fun and a favorite among her younger siblings, whom she spoils by bringing them frozen yogurt from work.  She got a job at TCBY last summer, and she is now a manager at the store in Dripping Springs.  Datiya continues to compete in speech and debate, and has qualified (at the first three tournaments) to Regionals (which will be in May) in 7 speech events and debate, placing 2nd in Biographical Narrative, 6th in Informative, 6th in Original Interpretation, and 4th in Persuasive at the last tournament, among other accomplishments.  She and her debate partner have done well so far.  Datiya is also really busy right now with work and school (home, One Day Academy and ACC), but she has found time to play on a soccer team this year.  She is really enjoying that.

David is 15, a sophomore, and just got his driver’s permit.  So, our trips to town are once again way more interesting.  So far, every time we make it to our destination, he says, “Well, at least I didn’t crash.”  David is an excellent student, never needing to be nagged about doing his work.  He does well in his classes.  David competes in speech and debate, and recently had a “huge” tournament, placing 1st with his informative, on which he worked very hard.  He made it to finals in Extemporaneous speaking, placing 8th.  He also qualified to Regionals in impromptu.  He and his Team Policy debate partner went to finals (one of two teams to do so) and placed 2nd overall!  It was pretty exciting.  He has developed into an excellent speaker, and it is so exciting to see him excelling in this area. Sometimes, if I can get away from the Timer Table and have an opportunity to hear him speak at a tournament, I can’t believe I’m listening to my David!  He’s so eloquent!  He is, of course, still playing soccer, and is on a Premier team, which means more practices far from our house and more out-of-town games.  It also means that David is getting some good opportunities to possibly get to play in college, which is what he would like to do.  Last summer, he had the opportunity to travel to Sweden with the US Revolution Soccer team (made up of players from all over the US).  David scored 5 out of 6 total goals for his team during the Gothia Cup tournament in Stockholm.   He has been invited to play again with the Revolution this summer.  They will be traveling to Spain to play in a tournament there.  David also continues to excel at piano, and I love hearing his music in our home.

Nina is now 14, but still going on 25.  This girl can’t wait to grow up.  She is constantly asking to take classes at ACC, which will happen eventually, but not while she is still in 8th grade.  She has, however, been taking World History and World Literature at One Day Academy, which are 12th grade classes.  And she is doing quite well in those classes.  Nina also competes in speech and debate, and is qualified to Regionals in Illustrated Oratory, Impromptu, Biographical Narrative, and Persuasive.  At a recent tournament, she placed 2nd in Illustrated Oratory (4th at a different tournament).  At another recent tournament, she placed 4th in Persuasive, 4th in Biographical Narrative, and 7th in impromptu.  She and Datiya partnered for Team Policy debate at the last tournament, and they made it to quarter finals and placed 7th! Nina participates in 4H and is still quite the little chef.  I can always depend on her if I need help in the kitchen.  She pretty much makes all the desserts now.  She  is playing soccer again this year, too.  Nina is a funny girl.  This year, she started saying that when she grows up, she wants to be a “trash guy.”  I’m pretty sure she’s kidding.  She keeps us and everyone around her laughing.

Enoch is 12 and in 6th grade.  When he turns 13 this summer, 5 out of our 10 children will be teenagers!  He still loves soccer, and is playing select again this year.  This boy is very social and always looking for opportunities to “hang out” with friends.  It is Enoch’s first year competing in speech and debate (as a Senior competitor), and everyone already knows who he is (did I mention that he is very social?).  The fun news about that is that he and Datiya placed 1st at the last tournament with their adorable duo on Peter Pan!  Pretty exciting.  Enoch also made it to finals with his Open Interpretation, and placed 6th!  Not bad for a young first-year competitor.  Enoch is a good student as well, and progressing in school. He began taking martial arts last May along with Simeon and Jed.  He is now a blue belt in Kuk Sool Won, working towards the next belt, which is red belt.

Lillah is 10 (11 in April), and HORSE CRAZY!!  She basically just draws horses, reads about horses, and thinks about horses all the time.  Lillah reads and reads and reads.  The librarians know her by name, and she insists our local library is going to run out of books she hasn’t read.  I often have to take away whatever book she is reading in order to get her to do her schoolwork.  I guess there could be worse problems.  She is playing basketball with Nina on the same Upward team, which seems crazy given their difference in age and height.  However, Lillah has proven herself to be one of the best scorers for the team!  Lillah has participated in 4H, and won a couple of blue ribbons for her cooking creations.  Lillah wrote two speeches all by herself for Junior competition in speech and debate.  As far as activity level, she keeps up with her brothers, but she is also girly and feminine at the same time.  Don’t let that fool you into thinking she isn’t tough.  With 6 brothers surrounding her, she is definitely tough.  Lillah is bright and sweet and a blessing to our family.

Simeon is 8 and in 3rd grade.  He always gets up and does his school without needing to be reminded.  He is sweet and loving, and always runs to give us hugs and kisses when we leave the house.  Simeon plays soccer and tears up the field with his speed.  He is also currently playing basketball.  He is also taking martial arts with Enoch and Jed and is working towards his red belt.  Simeon wrote an informative about dogs for Junior speech competition without any help from me.  He has been to every tournament so far this year so that he can time rounds and win timer prizes.  Simeon won top timer award at two tournaments and 2nd place at another.  This means he timed 11 or 12 rounds (12 is the maximum they can time) the first two days of the tournaments, which is hours and hours of timing.  It is so good for the kids to be in that activity.  So many great lessons, and it’s great to have the younger ones able to be involved because when they are old enough to compete at the Senior level, they will have some experience.  Simeon loves to encourage others and writes sweet notes to us all the time.  He is the most generous child, often giving all his money to a sibling, parent or grandparent for their birthday or other occasion.  Simeon used all his tickets from Timer Table at the last tournament to buy prizes to bring home to his siblings who didn’t go with us.  He is a delight.

Jed is our spunky little sweetheart at 6 years old.  I love his mischievous little face.  He is a joy and a challenge and gives us lots of great stories to tell. In fact, Jed has made it into many of the older kids’ speeches and original interpretation pieces for competition.  Because he is hilarious.  He tells great stories, too!   Jed is super busy all the time.  Running here, running there.  He hardly ever slows down.  I do get him to stop and do school with me, and he is very bright.  I’m so so thankful I can homeschool him so he can get the school time he needs with lots of play time and running, jumping on the trampoline, etc. that he needs as an active little boy.  Jed has a sweet and tender side to him that sometimes people miss because of his active personality.  He hugs and kisses and is really sweet with his younger brothers.  Jed plays soccer and basketball and he also takes martial arts, working on his yellow belt.

Hezekiah is 4 years old, and precious as can be.  He has enormous brown eyes that will melt anyone’s heart.  Hezi got a little teddy bear for his birthday, and he named him “Bear Walker.”  I’m not sure where that came from.  Maybe a Star Wars reference?  But he’s never seen Star Wars.  He says it’s because he walks.  I guess that makes sense.  Bear Walker often joins Hezi at meals, and he asks for milk sometimes.  He will sit with his nose in the top of the cup while Hezi eats.  I love this because none of my other children have had little stuffed animals that they have carried around like this.  Every morning, Hezi comes out into the kitchen and says, “I’m hung-a-ry.”  Most evenings, he can be heard asking Daddy for “tickle time.”  I love still having little ones around.  Hezi can play independently for hours with his cars, in the sand box, etc.  He also loves to play with his brothers.  Hezi is just starting to learn to write his name and show interest in doing a little bit of school.  He is a sweet, happy little boy and a blessing to our family.

Toviel (Tovi) is a delightful, sweet and happy toddler.  I always call him “the baby,” but, sadly, he really isn’t a baby anymore.  Tovi runs around all day, pushing cars and trucks, or kicking a ball.  He already has been indoctrinated by big bro David to KICK the ball, and not really touch it with his hands.  However, I think he may grow up to be a soccer goalie because when he does touch the ball, he drop kicks it.  This kid has killer drop kicking skills.  Tovi usually doesn’t slow down much during the day.  Now he can talk, too.  He says things like, “I outside…. I need the ball….I want the waffle….Tickle Time, Daddy!” He gets his point across.  He also runs around following various siblings saying, “_(insert name of given sibling)__, WAIT!”  We are all completely smitten with him, which basically means he may end up quite spoiled.  I’m trying hard to prevent this, but I can only do so much.

Todd is doing great as rancher/Intel engineer and manager/soccer and basketball coach/general contractor/best hubby.  I stay very busy, of course, managing the household and teaching the kids at home.  I ran my first half marathon in March 2015, and I loved it!  My goal was just to finish, and I came in 5th place overall, 3rd place overall female, and 1st place female for my age group.  Running is a great outlet for me.  I would love to train for another half marathon or even a full marathon sometime.  After sitting and watching the boys take martial arts classes for 4 months, I decided to join in on the fun.  It’s a neat way for me to bond with those boys, and I really enjoy it.  I have my yellow belt right now–blue is next.

Another big change for our family was moving my dad here from his home in Florida.  As many of you know, a couple of years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  We moved him into a very nice memory care community about 25 minutes from our home, in Bee Cave.  It’s a great community, and now seeing “Papi” is part of our weekly routine a couple of times per week.  It’s really nice to have him close to one of his daughters and many of his grandchildren.

The biggest news this year is that God has called us to adopt two children from China.  This past summer, we had the opportunity to meet a sweet little boy who was here being hosted by a family in Lubbock.  We knew he was meant to be our little boy.  A little ways into the process of adopting him, we were led to a young lady, who is 12.  We felt God nudge us that we were to adopt her as well.  We have been gathering all the documents for the last several months, and our dossier was just sent to China!  Timeline can vary, but we should travel to get our son and daughter sometime this summer.  We know there will be many challenges ahead, and we are prepared to walk through those with God.  He has called us to do this, and we will depend fully on Him to equip us and give us strength through it all.

If you are interested in helping support our adoption financially, there are a couple of ways to do so.  We have set up a YouCaring website where you can donate and all the money will go to support our adoption.  The link to our YouCaring fundraising site is: https://www.youcaring.com/my-fundraisers.aspx.  We also have put the t-shirts back online (we are wearing these in the photo above), and if you want a t-shirt, your purchase of one of these awesome t-shirts will donate over $10 per t-shirt to support our adoption.  This is a great way to support us, and if you have any friends who love adoption and want a cute adoption themed t-shirt, you can direct them to the website as well.  The t-shirts will be for sale through March 31st, so be sure to go to the website soon if you would like one.  https://www.bonfirefunds.com/erdner-family-adoption

We enjoyed reading all the updates we received from many of you, and we pray that your 2016 is off to a great start!

Blessings from all of the Erdners,

Todd, Michelle, Abby, Datiya, David, Nina, Enoch, Lillah, Simeon, Jed, Hezi, and Tovi