Way behind

I know, no one uses blogs anymore, we all just keep up with each others lives through Facebook. I decided I'm going to try and go back to my blog. See what I can update and what I can post about if anyone even reads it.

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.

New School Pictures

As I was updating the pictures I was amazed at how much change I see in all of my children in just 12 months.

Small children

This chair belongs to a kid in our ward, who brought it to pack meeting. An over-sized chair makes the kids look miniature.

Red Butte Gardens

Michael and I took Aaron to the Red Butte Gardens and I took tons of pictures of flowers. Even though it was nearing the end of summer there were still lots of flowers. I don't think there were as many vibrant bold colors as there are in Spring.

Beautiful Roses, I love this peach/orange color.

I almost missed this Praying Mantis hiding among this fuzzy white grass.

I can't recall a time that I've seen an albino one, if that's what this one is called.

These gigantic flowers are called Hibiscus flowers.

There are many different varieties throughout the garden,

including a variety of colors from white to deep red.

I managed to catch this bee on the top of this flower.

The bees were all over the garden, but they didn't bother us,

they were too busy pollinating.

This picture doesn't do the color of this flower/plant justice,

it was a gorgeous fuchsia.

Another giant hibiscus, deep red colored.

Using my zoom lens.

Pretty lavendar flowers.

There is a bee hiding down in there I was trying to capture

but he wasn't cooperating with me.

He's underneath the flower in the center of the picture, above the cement.

Ornamental shrub. I think it's supposed to be a deer.

This is the entrance to the Children's Garden.

The rattlesnake fountain.

Michael had to have a picture of him fighting the snake.

Since Michael was having a picture,

Aaron needed a picture of his own.

The bee on this flower blends in because they are the same color.

This poky little flower is covered in bees.

These are Giant Castor Beans with these huge leaves.

These leaves are larger then an adult head.

They have this big ball of pokey little balls along the stem.

A "Flower Bed".

I think this is a crocus of some sort.

This one looks so much like plastic it didn't look real.

A beautiful red flower.

Iguana's in the Children's Garden amphitheater.

A cute little fountain, also in the Children's Garden.

This beautiful purple flower was a variety of Lilac.

This statue in the pond with the waterfall behind it

are tucked away in the Children's Garden.

This tree is loosing it's bark, it looks like someone has been skinning it.

Michael found this bee in the flower covered in pollen.

It was flying back and forth in this bush of flowers pollinating.

I don't know how it flew so covered with the pollen.

Big beautiful white clouds of flowers in the Fragrance Garden.

Daphnia flower. These flowers will bloom all summer as long as they are watered.

Wild roses.

Phlox flower, this is also a big flowering bushy plant in the fragrance garden.

Delicate Day lilies.

More wild roses.

This tree was also peeling.

Several layers of the bark were peeling back.

The tree underneath was very smooth.

This waxy looking flower was in a container along the path.

Another hibiscus.

A rose bud.

A beautiful peach and yellow wild rose.

This rose is white with pink spots.

Faded yellow roses.

Wild red roses.

I think this is a climbing clematis.

A white rose.

A pink rose.

Wild pink roses.

Yellow rose.

This pink flower has over 1,000 petels in it.

A faded Pink rose.

An budding peach rose.

Pretty peach bud.

A Pink bud.

A wild rose bush.

Pink rose.

Pink rose.

Yellow rose.