2011 in Review

Instead of typing up and sending out a Christmas letter this year, I've decided to kill two birds with one stone and do it on my blog instead. That way I could save ink and paper, and more importantly update my poor, neglected blog. (I didn't think it had been THAT long since I'd posted, then I got on here and saw that it was fall. Fall of 2010. Yikes.) So here goes. I'm going to shake up the Christmas letter norm and go from youngest to oldest this time.

Breanna is 7. She is in second grade, and she loves that her teacher challenges the class and that they are learning some Spanish. She says she wants to be a teacher some day, and her dolls and stuffed animals can attest to the fact that she will be a great one! She loves to laugh, and she is very creative. She's an amazing author, and has written and illustrated tons of paper-and-staple "children's books". She has three countdowns going on right now- days until Christmas, days until her Birthday next week, and days until her baptism on January 7th.

Lindsey  is 10. She is in fourth grade, and she is a very good student. She is extremely creative and loves to make things like purses out of duct tape and flowers out of fabric scraps. She's our entrepreneur, and we think someday she'll own her own business and we'll be coming to her for loans. She has money she's saved from her very successful lemonade and cookie sales this summer, as well as what she's earned by selling her beautiful flower hair clips. She loves to play soccer, sing, and play the piano. She got her ears pierced for her 10th Birthday last month, so along with her countdown for Christmas is one for the next few weeks when she can finally take the studs out and wear her cute new earrings.

Ashlee   is 13. She is in the eighth grade and is loving middle school. She's doing well in her honors classes and is on the student council. She continues to share her amazing musical talents by singing in church and in the school talent show, playing 1st chair clarinet in the school band, and playing the piano. She's also written several of her own songs, and would like to pursue a career in music or acting some day. She plays basketball on a Jr. Jazz team. She likes to totally freak us out by counting down the few years until she'll be old enough to drive. (I think she's also secretly counting down until school starts again after Christmas break, though, 'cause she misses her friends.)

Taylor is 16. He's a sophomore and loves to be a Cedar High Redman. He enjoys school and his friends there. He loves participating in the Special Olympics and has a display of his medals hanging in his room. He also loves listening to music and has perfected "Dynamite" on the Just Dance 3 Wii game. He has informed us that when he is tall he will become a teacher, and has begun wearing his shirts tucked in with a belt like his dad does to prove it. We think that when it comes to happiness, forgiveness, and Christlike love, Taylor is already the best teacher we know.  He thoroughly enjoys getting presents, and has been writing lists of what he wants for Christmas. He posts these lists on the fridge, and gave one to Santa at our Ward Christmas party. The kid is covering all of his bases. So, as you imagine, he is absolutely counting down the days until Christmas, after which I'm sure the countdown until his Birthday next November will begin.

LeAnn is not feeling the need to tell you her age, though perhaps she should while she can still say she's in her 30's for the next six months. She is also not going to continue to refer to herself in third person, 'cause it's just weird. I'm currently a literacy aide at South Elementary where Lindsey and Breanna go to school. I work with Kindergartners, and teach Kindergarten and fourth-grade reading groups. This is my second year in this position and I love it. I've deciding it's time to begin teaching full-time, however, so I'm hoping to get a teaching position with the district next school year. I should be getting my renewed Utah teaching license in the mail any day now. I've also been taking ESL (teaching English as a Second Language) classes through the district, and have 3 more classes to go in order to get my ESL endorsement. I'm not counting down until anything. The kids are growing up and time is going by way, way too fast as it is.

Tim is in his 20's at heart. Or at least you'd think so the way he runs marathons every year and half marathons at least twice a year. He's been training hard and is hoping to beat his personal best time in a half marathon in St. George next month. Though I have a very hard time believing it, he insists this torture is actually fun. He's beginning to convince me, however, by running dressed as Barney Rubble in a Halloween Half Marathon last October, and by eating the required twinkie at each aide station in the Hostess Half Marathon a few weeks ago. (Runners are slightly crazy, but really fun people!) Tim continues to teach fourth grade at Iron Springs Elementary. This is his 15th year teaching. He also continues to write when he's not teaching or running. I'm not exactly sure what he's counting down for, but suspect it's his next race (or summer vacation).   

Our family feels very blessed to have amazing friends, neighbors, and family. We are grateful for the gospel, and especially grateful for our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We wish all of you and your families a wonderful, happy Christmas Season and a joyous New Year!