2009 Christmas Update (newsletter)

Wow! Another year down. Crazy how time flies by so quickly. This has been an interesting year for us. It has had its ups and downs. Which reminds us of how thankful we are for all the blessings we do receive.

Ally - Just turned 9 years old. She has had an exciting year. In January, she was baptized. She played on a soccer team. She is easily entertained. She is very excited for Christmas. She has already made her family presents, wrapped them and put them under the tree. She is kind and friendly to everyone.

Landon - He happily graduated elementary school, joined the Deacons Quorum, and moved on to Middle School. Landon has never enjoyed school all that much, but middle school seems to work for him. He is getting good grades and doesn't hate it, but to say he liked school would be going too far! He does enjoy earning merit badges in the Boy Scouts and hanging out with his friends. He is fun to have around.

Sam - She is still our Dancing Queen! She was Sleeping Beauty in her Spring dance production. She is an amazing ballerina. She is looking forward to turning 14 in a few short weeks. She also loves to babysit. She is a favorite amongst many of the children we live by. She loves to shop and hang out with her friends.

Keyan - This has been a big year for him. He played lots of soccer, futsal and indoor soccer. He earned his Eagle Scout Award. His project was massive. He put in a sidewalk. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but he did it through a city grant which meant he had to go to neighborhood meetings, city council meetings, and other city meetings for approval, not to mention all the other requirements, just for the grant (not even the actual project). He is a senior in high school. He turned 18. He is a great kid. We are very proud of him!

Christy - I've been busy with all my volunteer stuff. My kids keep telling me I need to learn to say no! I enjoy it though. Although I really do need to get a paying job. I need a reason to get out of the house and to earn some money too! I coached Ally's soccer team this Spring. I designed the entire elementary school yearbook in only a few short weeks. I do web design projects and other digital design. I still love to scrapbook, although I never seem to find any time at all for it. I am still the Young Women's president for my ward and I love it! Mostly, I just do whatever my kids need me to.

Chris - This year has brought some unexpected changes. He has been a finance manager for years. He was at a car dealership that happened to lose both of their franchises due to the current administrations dealings with the US car companies. No, we are not big Obama supporters around here! Due to his dealership being up in the air for so long, they lost nearly all their business. Although Chris had a job, he wasn't making anything. So he jumped ship and is now working for One Hour Heating and Air. So if you live in Utah and need anything furnace or air conditioning related, you should call that company. It's been a huge adjustment for all of us! He is still a youth Sunday School teacher which he very much enjoys.

So life has been crazy as always.
How could one expect anything less? :)
We are looking forward to the holidays and the new year.
We hope that you have a very
Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year I made a list of things I am thankful for. I think it all still applies :)

27 Things I'm Thankful For - 1 each day until Thanksgiving

• DVRs
• art
• chocolate
• music
• scissors
• my own bathroom
• digital cameras
• eclairs & cream puffs
• snow globes
• staplers & hole punchers
• fire opals
• tote bags
• metal lunch boxes
• my computer
• scriptures
• rainbows
• pictures
• my church calling
• tulips & sunflowers
• friends
• family (near & far)
• ally
• landon
• sammy
• keyan
• chris
• Jesus

{keYan'S EAGLE pRoJecT}

Keyan finally was able to do his Eagle Project and what the project it was! He applied for and received a City Neighborhood Grant to put in a sidewalk that would not only benefit the neighborhood but also the school. The school also funded a large portion of the project. It was just over 200 feet long and 6 feet wide. Keyan had over 400 service hours for all the volunteers (eagle projects only require 80 hours).

We have the best neighborhood! Keyan had so much help and support. People brought tools, food, donated supplies and so on. It really was incredible.

I'm so proud of Keyan. He did an amazing job!




Before & After:

{oQuiRrh MoUnTaiN teMpLe}

The youth in our ward and families took a trip to see the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. It's always a great experience to tour a temple.
My thoughts about this temple as compared to the Draper Temple which was newly dedicated and similar in size. The Draper Temple had the sego lily motif everywhere and the colors were more spring like. The Oquirrh Temple had a star motif and the colors were all shades of brown/tan, much more masculine.I'm glad that my whole family was able to go through.

Freedom Festival

Around the 4th of July Provo has their annual Freedom Festival. There are many events leading up to the 4th. This year Sam's dance company opted out of dancing at the Stadium of Fire and they just had a performance at the downtown stage.

Ally, Sam & I slept out on the parade route. At about 1:30 a.m. we had a major down pour. Luckily the people in front of us let us campout under their canopy, so we stayed dry.

In the morning, Chris & Landon ran the 5k and Keyan ran the 10k along with my siblings. We also got to watch the hot air balloons play fox and the hound.

Then we watched the parade.

Later, we napped and bbq and did fireworks and watched the fireworks from the BYU stadium. It was another great 4th of July!

Ragnar Relays - Wasatch Back

So I was on again and off again with running in this race. In the end, I didn't run, but my son and sister did. So being the eternal cheerleader I took Landon and Ally and we went to cheer them on.

This is a race where most teams have 12 runners (some had only 6) and each run 3 legs of the 189 mile race starting in Logan and ending in Park City.

We watched them race Friday afternoon/evening, then we camped out at North Summit High School in Coalville. Chris and Sam joined us then. At 2:a.m. we were up to watch them race their second legs. Keyan was a little nervous about running in the middle of the night so Chris rode his bike along side him. It's the only part of the race that someone is allowed to do that. Chris had to leave to go back to work when they were finished.

Next the kids and I drove the Ragnar hill that Keyan was going to have to run up in his last leg. We decided that we wouldn't make it to the finish on time if we stopped to watch Keyan run his last leg so we just headed off to the finish. By sheer luck we were able to park at the venue instead of up at Park City Mountain resort where we would then have to shuttle down to the finish. It rained, it poured. Keyan's last leg was an 8% upgrade in the pouring rain, but he rocked it. His last leg was the only individually timed leg (it was the hardest hill leg in the race). Keyan ran it in 40 minutes and 55 seconds, placing him as the 27th fastest runner up the hill of the 440 who ran it in the mixed category.[The above picture is what it would have looked like when Keyan was running his last leg but instead it was like the pic below - wet and muddy!]

Out of 334 teams in their open mixed category they came in 23rd overall. The pic below shows their official time and their place at the time of their finish. All the teams start at different times so the places kept changing.

Overall it was a great experience. I saw parts of Utah I had never seen before and because of all the rain we have had this year it was all green and beautiful! It was a great specator race for the most part. We were able to see my son and sister at multiple parts of their first two legs. If they would have been in van 1 we would have seen their last legs also, but my sister was the last runner so we wanted to make sure and be at the finish line!

Hanging out by the finish line before the rain came and soaked us through and through.
Keyan running to the finish line.

{sUmMeRfEsT}

We love Orem's Summerfest. However this year all we made it to was the parade. We did come back for the fireworks also. One of my young woman was marching in the parade, so it was fun to go see her. Right after she went by, it started pour rain. Go figure!!!

{keYaN's fiRsT mArAtoN}

Utah Valley Marathon (June 13, 2009) - about a week and a half before the marathon, Keyan's father asked him to run with him. Everyone at his work was doing it and of course Keyan said yes. They had this run then walk schedule worked out for it. Keyan went 18 miles the Saturday before the marathon. That is the farthest he had ever gone. He was excited for the marathon. The people he was with were planning on a 10.5 minute mile pace. About half way through Keyan left them and decided he was going to try for a 4 hour marathon (which in about a 9 min. mile pace). So he went from 10.5 minute miles to sub 9 minute miles to finish at 4:02:06. Crazy, huh?!!!

{HOA eLecTioNs & rAinBowS}

We have just completed our first year of having an HOA (home owners association). We had the worst builder ever, Brad Burnside. He set up the whole development as an HOA, but never did anything about it and then just dumped it on us. There were no dues being collected, therefore there was no money to pay to take care of the green space that Provo city required us to have. It was a mess at first, but I think it worked out ok considering what we were handed.

It was hard for some people because they had lived here for years and never had to pay. They had forgotten that they signed a paper at closing stating they would be required to pay HOA fees, or they were not the original owners and never signed a paper. Unfortunately for them it doesn't really matter if they signed a paper or not, it's documented with the city therefore they have to do it. That is my way of explaining it simply!
So last year I was elected as my streets rep. We had a president, secretary and 4 street reps. So we finally had our election to vote in new officiers. I'm glad I had the opportunity to serve, but I'm even more happy to pass it on to someone else!The night of our elections it started to down pour. We have had so much rain lately you would think that we lived in Washington state. However, this evening it produced the most brilliant rainbow I have seen in years. It was a full double rainbow. The main one was so vibrant. Pictures do not do it justice!

{hiKiNg thE Y}

I had the grand idea of hiking the Y today. It was a lot of fun. It's about a mile up, but it zig-zags the whole way there. I would highly recommend this to anyone. The views are spectacular! Ally had to stop and take breaks a few times on the way up. We did stop and take a bunch of pics along the way.On the way back down there was a guy running up who gave everyone a high five along the way. I wonder if he is the guy I read about in the newspaper a few years ago, who runs up everyday.

{faSt oFfeRinGs}

This was Landon's first time to do Fast Offerings. It's when a Priesthood holder gets the privilege to help out in the collecting of money that will be used to help those who are in need in our neighborhood. Every member fasts for 2 meals and generously gives the amount they would have spent on those two meals and then some. It's a truly inspired program. We do it on the first Sunday of every month.

Landon seemed to be unhappy or sick before we went to church that morning. When I asked him what was wrong, it turned out to be that he was just nervous about doing fast offerings. He didn't know what it was he was supposed to do.

After church he was all smiles. In priesthood he had it all explained to him and now he knew exactly what was expected and required of him. It is so neat to watch him embrace his new responsibilities and to enjoy it.

{owL}

After church our neighbor boy came and told us we have to come see something. We walk over to another neighbors house and he tells us there is an owl in the window. Sure enough. How odd! Another neighbor came over and said that it must be fake. He threw a wood chip at its feet and it didn't budge. I wondered why someone would put a fake owl in their window (scare mice away?), but hey what do I know? Turns out it was real. Ally saw it fly away a few hours later!

{cAmeRa shY}

My daughters are not camera shy! They loved to take my camera and take pics of themselves and their friends. Of course, they first have to get ready (make up & wardrobe). It's fun to find these random pics when I transfer them to my computer!

{UFOs}

Across the lake on the mountains there were these strange lights. I guess it's not so much that they were strange in appearance, but in that they would blink on and off all up and down the mountain. Upon first glance I thought it was a fire, but then I realized that was not the case. We never did find out what it was.