Sunday, December 25, 2016

Christmas Letter 2016

Here is the letter I sent out with my Christmas cards this year.

Another year has come and is almost gone. Time is speeding by so fast these days. It seems like just yesterday that Aaron was a baby and now he’s a full-grown teenager, taller than his dad. My annual update on our family:
Aaron(16) spent the majority of the year at the group home in Moroni, he grew a small box of herbs and enjoyed cooking when he could while he was there. He graduated from there the end of October and moved into a proctor home in Ephraim; he is a Junior at Manti High. He was home for a few days for Thanksgiving, and will be for a few days for Christmas.
Ammon(15) keeps getting asked why he’s not playing football, apparently he’s built like a football player. He’s a Freshmen at the high school this year. Favorite classes are Honor’s math, and German. He unwillingly got braces a few weeks after school started. He is currently serving as the First Counselor in the Teachers Quorum Presidency.
Annie(13) recently made the Jr. High school 8th Grade pentathlon team with the second highest score, then decided she couldn’t keep up with studying for it and homework. She has been serving as the Beehive President for the last year and has learned being in charge isn’t always easy. She continues to dance and will finally be ready for pointe shoes after Christmas. She volunteers for babysitting as often as she can as she has to pay half for her pointe shoes. She was excited to get her braces when Ammon got his.
Emily(12) finally turned 12 and advanced into Young Women’s. The last few weeks before were excruciatingly painful for her to wait. She moved up to the Junior High when she started 6th Grade this year. She was especially excited to find that her 5th Grade teacher moved up to the Jr. High with her. She got her braces along with Ammon and Annie, kind of hesitant about getting them. She is still dancing and moved up a class this year. She is also in the same choir class as Annie at school.
Erica(11) has been doing great at school, both her teachers (4th & 5th grade) said she is really good at helping the other kids in her class when she sees them struggling. She has really learned to love books this year. She got her braces the week after school got out, it was finally time, she’s had an expander since 1st grade. She is really progressing at dance; her & Annie will be doing a dance they choreographed for their winter dance show.
Ethan(8) was baptized in April. Aunt Julia has talked him into showing goats for 4H this year. He showed some of her goats at the county fair and had fun; even winning some prizes, and Julia let him keep the money. He is in 3rd grade and enjoys school, though he hates to do any homework; the force is strong with this one. The trend continues in the family, Ethan had to get glasses. I didn’t realize how bad his sight was until he put them on and was telling me everything he could see.
James(6) is in the afternoon Kindergarten class with Mrs. Betts. He enjoys going and gets antsy waiting for the time to pass in the mornings. He knows his alphabet-uppercase & lowercase, by sight and writing it. He can count to 100 by 1’s & 10’s.  He is doing his second year of tumbling and enjoys it. He is a strong-willed child, which can be a positive and negative trait.
Michael is still driving for Pilot Flying J-16 Months now. When asked what I should write about him he said ‘I’m still alive!’ Apparently, Michael’s life is boring because it’s about the same as it was last year. His calling is Stake Sign Language Coordinator, so most Sunday’s he is in Myton interpreting for a deaf couple there.
Kathryn keeps busy volunteering with the Basin Arts Council(Vice-Chair); Community Council at East Elementary(Chair); Community Council at Roosevelt Jr. High(Secretary); Participating in the Uintah Basin Orchestra and Chorus twice a year, we just performed our Christmas Concert under the direction of Anthony Maiello-Founder and Conductor of the American Festival Pops Orchestra in Washington DC; serving as the Young Women’s Second Counselor; Playing the organ again-YEAH! And still participating in a card swap. Since I was watching Loretta, my niece already, when school started and a friend needed someone to watch her daughter close to Loretta’s age I volunteered to watch her also; and they keep me hopping.