Happy New Year

As with the beginning of each brand new year, January 2010 has given us cause to reflect on the past 12 months, which have been overflowing with unsolicited "adventure" for us.  We have seen Heaven's hand engaged in so many ways in our lives and many times those blessings have come through the prayers and kindness and service of others.......through you.  Thank you for your support and thoughtfulness and for your examples to our family.  We put off writing a letter in our Christmas cards, to ease the stress, but we wanted to send best wishes from our home to yours for a uplifting and happy New Year! 

What fun aticipations this year holds for everyone in our family.  Jordan's mission papers are filled out and he is just waiting for some outside sources to finish paperwork.  He should receive his mission call this month or early next if everything runs smoothly.  In the Fall, Mikayla will start her Senior year and Eden will enter High School.  Abe will start his last year in grade school and Lily and Sophie will start 1st grade.  Fred will finally have all of his base curriculum (if he can just hang in there until August) written, and I will start looking into returning to school.  We hope this year is not quite as "exciting" as last, for I don't know if my poor nerves could stand it, but we are so grateful that things have turned out as they have and are so grateful for the lessons that we have learned.  Because most of you have been, and continue to be, an influential part of our lives, we wanted to walk down memory lane together.  We hope you will continue to involve us in your lives as well.

Love from our family.

A PICTORIAL MEMORY LANE 2009

"The Year of Jordan"

JANUARY:
Jordan (and Mom--I can still weild a good shovel :) broke ground on his Eagle project to replace this sad city sign.  Jordan (and Dad) start the building process.

Jordan crashes while snowboarding, and lands on his face (and amazingly doesn't break anything except his good looks for a few weeks ;)

FEBRUARY:
Special Olympics comes to Middleton-our children get to be involved in their schools and our family gets to experience a fun community celebration because of the great Eagle Scout project efforts of others.

MARCH:
Lily and Sophie turn 5--still "double the pleasure, double the fun"... "double trouble" :)

Jordan gets accepted to BYU-I

Jordan turns 18.

Jordan (and Dad and a few friends) finish building the new city sign for his Eagle project.

April:
Jordan finishes the recquirements for his Duty To God award.
Jordan is ordained to the office of an Elder in our church.

Fred builds yet another fence that finally (after 3 years) makes our beloved dog, Olive a captive (mostly).

May:
Fred and I celebrate our 19th anniversary.

Jordan has the time of his life performing in FX Show Choir.

Jordan graduates

June:
"Freedom!"  Jordan leaves home for Spokane with his 'roomies'. 

Part of 'us' goes with him.

Fred and I take a belated Anniversary Get Away (the longest in 18 years -- 3 perfect days).

Mikayla, Eden and I spend a crazy week at Girls Camp.

The LDS temple opens "walk in" sessions for member youth to do baptisms.

Jordan and roomies start a band in Spokane "Almost Friday"

July:

Fred travels to Florida on business.

Children spend lots of time swimming/ playing in the sandbox/ and reading. Mikayla and I spend lots of time gardening and reading.

Mikayla turns sweet 16!

Abe turns 9.

August:
Jordan blacks out and drives over the side of a 700' hillside.......And miraculously walks away with cuts and bruises.

Mikayla gets her drivers license (after her parents, understandibly) hold it off as long as possible.

My last two children start school (only a few days a week).

Abe Harvests his cabbage that kept growing...and growing...and...

Jordan finally comes home...safe and sound....... and brings a chinchilla named Maunzy, but which we affectionately (when he's in trouble--which is often) call "the rat"..

September:
Mikayla's first Formal

Jordan Starts his first semester at BYU-I.

September:
My 40th birthday--Empowering--Bring it on!

October:
Jordan is involved in another car accident as a back seat passenger.  We ban him from any transporation other than his bike :)

Our Annual Harvest Celebration

November:
Sophie loses her first tooth (a very traumatic experience)!

Eden turns 14

Fred's 1 year anniversary at Stevens-Henager (He survived!)
He can look out the north windows and see the LDS Temple and the south windows and see "The Great and Spacious Building" (Edwards Cinema's ;)  He's not sure what that makes him.

Our family attends a fireside that changes my Christmas outlook.  We call it our "On the Tree" challenge:

December:
Fred travels to San Antonio on business.
Lily loses her first tooth (after Sophie broke the trail--a highly anticipated event)!

Our "On the Tree" challenge working miracles (Mom is still not stressed!)
Our 1977 Solid Steel Pickup's transmission slips while warming up and "drives" itself through the neighbors living room wall.  We finally meet our neighbors! (They are very kind.)

Jordan moves back home/ starts on missionary papers
We spend a fantastic New Year's Eve with extended family up at my parents mountain ranch.  We get snowed in with two other families and get to stay an extra day!