Well, it’s the beginning of a new year already and I can’t imagine how time could go any faster. It seems that these days all you have to do is blink and another week has gone by.
Some of you may have already seen this update with our Christmas card this year, and if you didn't please don't be offended - it was a light card year for us and we'll try to do better next year. Basically, this is always a good time to give a brief summery of what we've been up to.
So here goes...
Summer (the dog) has finally become the dog we all wanted. She has calmed down a lot and loves to lay down on your lap and just be around everyone. Her favorite thing to do is sit on her chair by the front window and bark at anything that happens to walk/fun/fly past.
Ammon turned eight this year and is pretty much your typical eight year old boy. He’s in third grade, is into soccer, video games and cub scouts. He recently discovered that even he couldn’t escape the bad-eye genes in the family and now has glasses. We all think he looks much smarter, and quite handsome with them.
Khalina turned eleven this year and is really growing up quick. Much too quick if you ask her dad. She’s almost as tall as her mom and her feet are even bigger – and now they are started to share clothes. How scary is that?! She’s in fifth grade this year and loves to draw, research various animals (foxes are the mammals of choice recently), and play with her friends. Khalina has been playing soccer this year as well and has gotten pretty good lately. She also is in the orf ensemble at school and is really enjoying that.
Chad is going on ten years at Microsoft and is still staying busy as ever. He works on one of the products in Office as a developer and still can’t believe they pay him for doing this kind of thing. During the couple of hours a day that don’t involve work or sleep, he stays busy between working with the young men in the ward, going to random family events, or working on his favorite hobby – taking pictures of Rosa.
Rosa has been selling Avon for the last couple of years and over the last year it has really grown. She loves doing it and spends quite a lot of her day in various Avon related activities. She enjoys scrapbooking, sewing, crocheting, and is still very much involved with the many Clay Aiken fan clubs. She is currently serving as 2nd councilor in the primary presidency and really loves working with the primary aged kids in the ward.
Over the summer we had another Japanese exchange student named Shiori Masaki and had a great time with her for the couple of weeks she was with us.
There have been many, many things that have kept us busy – from soccer games, to reunions, to camping trips, to just spending time with family and friends. There have been struggles for sure, but we have been blessed and have been able to make through them all. We have our health and family and the strength that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are very thankful for all the wonderful experiences of the past year and especially that we could experience them together as a family. We look forward to what 2008 will bring.
We wish you all a Happy New Year!
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