I can distinctly remember being in elementary school and thinking that December had to be the longest month of the year. Now I think it has become the shortest. I looked at the calender this morning and realized that it is already 1/2 gone. It's fun to watch my children as they wish the time away so that Christmas can be here. Taylor has told me multiple times that "it's just taking too long!" I sit here wishing that it would slow down just a little so that we can enjoy the memories a bit longer.
This year has been full of fun family times and growth for our family. It amazes me to see that in the last 6 months all of our kids have grown 1 1/2 to 2 inches! They have also grown by leaps and bounds at school. I wish I could just pause them sometimes and enjoy where they are in life- however, they all seem to be in a big hurry to grow up.
I figured I had better do our year in review before the month is completely gone and I realize that it isn't even 2010 anymore...
Ryan: continues to work for University Parking Enforcement. He was promoted to General Manager this year and runs the day to day operation of the company. This can be stressful at times but Ryan seems to handle it all very well. He also taught the 9-10 year olds at church this year. This has been a huge challenge for him but he has kept at it and I think he has learned a bit more patience.
Stephanie: I continue to work for the state as an RN taking care of mentally disabled patients. I love the patients that I care for- they are some of the most chosen spirits. I am hoping to move into the hospital this year and get into a schedule that allows me to be home more.
Kelsi: our oldest is 11 this year. She is currently measuring in at 5'4" and will be passing me at any moment! The other day she told me that it was time to get out my "tall shoes!" Kelsi loves school and reading. She is very smart and often spends time tutoring others in her class or doing extra credit. She just finished being in the school play as one of the lead characters. She is a true "drama queen" and loves that spotlight. Kelsi is also only 4 months away from going into YW at church. She is very excited for this- I am having a hard time realizing that my baby is getting to the point of liking boys and caring about her hair and clothes. Thankfully we have unlimited texting because she could write a large book with just one month's worth of outgoing texts! It is nice to finally have one old enough to babysit for short times while I go out by myself.
Jessica: Turned 9 a few days ago. She is our little social butterfly. It amazes me how much compassion she has for others. I have watched as she befriends everyone and goes out of her way to include everyone- even if they aren't that popular. She is a fashion diva- if given her way, she would wear knee high boots with leggings and a skirt daily! We have had to regulate this a bit to keep her from ruining clothes on the playground. She is currently on her 3rd pair of boots for the school year and I lost count of how many leggings! I just adore how precocious Jessica can be! It cracks me up to see how much time she spends trying to get out of doing something. At least we know she is great at solving problems-- or at least finding a way around them!
Taylor: turned 4 this year. Where did the time go? We finally put him into a professional daycare. It costs a bit more but the rewards have been well worth it. He is able to spell his name now and can recognize basic sight words. He is in a pre-kindergarten class and will start kindergarten in the fall. He will only be 4 so he will go to kindergarten for 2 years but I feel like this will be great for him. Tay loves going to school and seeing all his friends. He has also really understood Christmas this year. He keeps telling me that he wants his birthday to be on Christmas so that he can share it with Jesus. I think this may just be a ploy to gain an extra birthday but at least he gets the true meaning of Christmas.
We were lucky enough to go to Disneyland as a family last spring. This was especially fun because we met some of our best friends there and spent the week playing. We have also spent time going on mini weekend trips to Park City and St. George. I love that the kids are old enough to just pack and go. They love the adventures and wish that we would go every weekend! We introduced the kids to baseball games and they love that pastime. Tay is really good at cheering for the home team and singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
It's been a great year for our family. We are enjoying this time in our life and know that these memories need to be cherished. I think within the blink of an eye, our kids will be grown. I look forward to the New Year and the memories that we will be able to make.
As per my brother's request, I am posting pictures and thoughts from my Grandma Dot's funeral today. Above is the digital copy of the program. It was a beautiful program. My favorite part was when my Dad gave a life sketch- he said that he couldn't really do a life sketch for Grandma because her life was more of a mural that each of us have added to. He went on to describe different "brush strokes" that had occurred in Grandma's life. Elder Hafen talked about Grandma's conviction to the gospel. He talked about special talks they had in the last few days of her life. His comment was that he has never known someone more ready and more excited to meet our Heavenly Father. My Grandma's life was full of service to others. It was mentioned numerous times how she was able to make everyone around her feel welcome and loved. The spirit was strong and there is no doubt that Grandma is now with Grandpa Garn.
