Our 2011 Christmas Letter

This year has been a great year for our family. When I asked everyone their highlight for the year it was unanimous, the Utah trip. Here’s what else we’ve been up to.

Troy is in his 3rd year of his contract at the children’s hospital here. He loves the challenge and growth he gets there, and the boys love getting to hear all of the stories from the operating room each night over dinner, not my favorite dinner conversation. He was recently called into the bishopric. In his spare time he enjoys planning hikes and fishing trips for our summer trips to Utah and has recently gotten into planted aquariums.

I am still serving in the young women. With all these boys, Heavenly Father knows I need a little girl time. My days are full, but when I look back on them, I can’t remember what I’ve done. A friend of mine put it best by saying that the day is spent feeding and cleaning. I spend my spare time putting together quilts and running.

Andrew turned 8 this year, and chose to be baptized when we took our annual summer trip to Utah so our families could be there. He also started 3rd grade this year, and loves it. To encourage the kids to read, his school has a program that you can earn points for the books you read. The goal for the first quarter was to have 8 points. Andrew finished up the quarter with well over 150 points. He loves to read so much that Parker will ask him, “Do you like reading or me better?” He was chosen as 1 of 4 people in his class to participate in a Shakespeare group that will be performing Macbeth at OSU in the spring.

Parker, who is now 6, started 1st grade, and loves it also. His reading has really clicked this year, and he has jumped to the highest reading group in his class. Both he and Andrew have taken karate this past year, and have both recently tested and received their light blue belts. As part of the testing, they both broke a board by kicking it. Parker has been quite pleased with this new found talent, and offers frequently to break various objects for me. “Hey Mom, you want me to break that baked potato? I can do it, you know. I broke a board- with my foot!”

Dylan is 3 and my little pal these days, as Andrew and Parker are in school. He is a little tender heart, and loves to snuggle. We spend our days cooking, reading together, playing toys, and doing puzzles. I love the 2 years before they start school, when they are my shadow and we pass the time talking the day away.

Last November, we added our fourth boy to the bunch. Weston has been a delight to have added to our fun. He has recently learned to walk, and is sporting a few bruises on his head from all the practicing he does. He loves to get into the middle of whatever playing is happening, and when he thinks that not enough is happening, he likes to stir up some fun.