2014 Overview

2014 has been a wonderful, hard, growing year for our family.  Time has gone by so fast.  We have been richly blessed.  Our hearts are filled with gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father.

Gaby after the Lyman Swim meet.

My dear sweet Gabrielle is growing into a lovely young lady.  She turned 12 and entered the Young Women's program with our church.  She attended Girl's Camp this summer and LOVED every second of it (which was a major feat considering she wanted to stay in Primary forever and it rained the entire time).  She started middle school and has taken to middle school life like a fish to water.  She is an excellent student, and works hard to learn.  Her favorite subjects are History, Philosophy, Science, and Sewing.  She aspires to be an Egyptologist and frequently reads books about Egypt.  She and her crazy siblings LOVE Studio C.  They are frequently found quoting, giggling, or reenacting a favorite episode.  She started USA swim this summer.  They started her in level one, even though we had done years of swim lessons at SUU; to pick up a few missing fundamentals.  She progressed quickly and joined the middle school swim team.  Her first few swim meets were tough, but she persevered.  We are in awe of her accomplishments.  She continues to make huge strides. We love Miss Gaby, and are so grateful for the good, sweet, helpful, hardworking, awesome person that she is!  

Miss Mori is my little ray of sunshine.  She's a 10 year old "awesome person". This girl is a hoot.  She loves to laugh and be our comedy relief.  She loves to frequently give me the low down on the days happenings.  She is so descriptive, a story of an event that happened for a minute takes her 30  minutes to tell.  She has more energy than a case of batteries, and I need some to keep up with her.  She's an excellent student, and very active in school and extracurricular activities.  She participates in student government, and choir.  She played Little League, Soccer, Jr Jazz, and  swims on the bronze USA competition team.  Recently she spent a Saturday swimming with and learning from two Olympic swimmers. She plays the piano and has a phenomenal teacher.  She would read 24/7 if she wasn't so busy keeping her mom hopping. We love the laughter and music she brings to our home, and are so grateful for this good, kind, helpful beauty.

Kira and Ben on their special day.

Kira is a dear.  This little sweetie turned 8, and was baptized the same weekend Ben was blessed.  This little girl is 93% sweetheart and 7% mean & ornery.  She is a little mother and loves to assist, care for, and mother her brothers (I sit back and enjoy the show).  Kira is a mathematician through and through.  She has worked hard to become a good reader.  She is sweetness personified (mostly).  She is constantly writing sweet notes, drawing pictures, and showing love to me.  She started swimming with USA this summer as well.  At her first swim meet she was out paddling with all of the big high school kids, determined and stubborn.   When it came to her turn she was going to swim against her friend Lucy which she adamantly refused to swim against a friend, and she didn't!  She is a speed demon and frequently laps the kids in her group.  This little brown eyed beauty brings joy and happiness to our home.  We are grateful for the determined, sweet, spiritual girl that she is.

Seth during Thanksgiving dinner.
(Mori's teeth photo bombing).

My dear Seth.  How we love this boy.  My big 5 year old is loving the world of Kindergarten.  I miss him.  He's a little ladies man, and delights on how many girls chase him at school.  Which does not settle well with his mother.  He is funny, and a deep thinker.  His personality have many endeared to him.  He's legendary around the neighborhood.  Oh, this boy is something else.  He is reading, and learning to write.  His illustrations are absolutely the best.  He is faster than lighting at sight words, and running.  Sometimes he makes me wonder. He is also swimming with USA,and really making good progress.  This boy makes our hearts happy.  He just said "Say this about me I love my mom and dad, sisters, and brother".  We are lucky to be loved by him.

Bennie being cute.
 (My teeth photo bombing)

Benjamin joined our family March 18th.  I can't imagine life without this awesome individual.  He makes my heart happy.  He has heart melting smiles, that can turn the ugliest day to the brightest.  He's almost 9 months and is an absolute joy.  What an honor it is to be his mother, and I know Greg feels the same way about being his dad.  He has won the heart of almost everyone he's come in contact with (especially is siblings).  This baby is a delight.  He is growing way to fast for his mother's liking.  We are so grateful for his place in our family.

While at home Mori found the
notorious bald man mask.

This year has been a wild one for Greg &I!  The birth of Ben was not the only big change.  We sold our home in Enoch, and spent Spring Break fixing it up and finalizing the sell (Ben turned a month old  and I turned 37 while we were there).  Suffice it to say it was hard, but a HUGE blessing.  We were lucky enough to sell it to an adorable family that will love it and take good care of it.  This summer was very busy; with Greg working long hours.  In August my visiting teacher sent an email of a job posting for the Technology Director for the school district.  She committed Greg to applying for the job.  He interviewed for and was offered the job.  It was a hard decision to leave a company he worked for for so many years.  We are so thankful for the temple, a place we can go in prayer and feel the direction of a loving Heavenly Father.  This job change has been hard.  I was overjoyed to think he would be home more; M-F 7:30-4:30 sounded awesome!  The very week he started the job he was called into the Stake President's office (the leader of our church in the area we live in).  The first words out of the Stake President's mouth were "Are you ready for a change in life?"  We both thought, "We've had plenty of change recently" (new town, new baby, new job).  He was called back in to the Bishopric ( he is a counselor to the leader of our church congregation).  There have been several weeks he has been gone with church responsibilities Sunday 10 am- 8:30pm, 3 nights a week, and all day Saturday.  I guess I am being schooled.  We are so blessed.  We love this cute little town we live in.  Our schools are phenomenal, and we are so grateful for the progress our kids have made.  We have been given far more than we fully comprehend.  Loving family and friends, a nice home, our very lives, we are truly blessed!  

We rejoice in the knowledge of a loving Savior.  We are grateful for the knowledge that a loving Father in Heaven sent His Son, Jesus Christ to atone for our sins, and show us the way.  We love this time of year as we reflect on His gift of the babe in a manger.  We also consider you a gift in our lives.  Much love to you and your this Holiday season and Always!