Christmas Newsletter

Hello Dear Friends and Family!
 

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We sure did.

We've been busy every day of Christmas break!
We had my two sisters who live sort of near us and their families
over for a party Sunday night, then drove to Cache Valley
to spend two days with Jeremy's family,
then came back home for Christmas Eve and Day,
then took a 4 hour drive south for a few days in Sunny Dixie.
Now we're back and I finally have a moment to send out cards
and write up a quick summery of 2013..

 

Wow, what an eventful year. I get tired just thinking about it!

 

We brought our 2nd little Russian sweetheart home
on Christmas Eve last year, so the first few months of this year
were some wonderful but CRAZY months
as we adjusted to having a 7th child in our family.

 

We count ourselves as very blessed to have her, though 

as she made it home just days before Russia put an end to all Americans

 adopting their children. What a miracle!



Photo taken a few days after Hazel joined us from Russia


 

Other highlights of 2013:

 

In June we:

 

took our 4 oldest on a trip to Washington DC, NYC and Upstate NY

 

 

 

 

 

had Hazel sealed to us in the Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple

 

 

then a few days later, had her tonsils and adenoids removed.

 

 

 

In July:

Landon and Sadie went on the Stake Pioneer Trek

and

Heather drove to Denver with 3 friends for the

National Down Syndrome Congress Conference

 (She never got the chance to blog about this trip. It was SO MUCH FUN!)

 

 

In August:

 

All the kids went back to school:

 

Landon-12th grade

Sadie- 9th grade

Max- 6th grade

Anya- 2nd grade

Bennett- 2nd grade

Eli and Hazel- Preschool

 

 

In September:

 

We celebrated  Hazel's "first" (5th) birthday

  

Jeremy and Heather went to Lake Powell with their college friends

(the day after placing an offer on a house.

They signed electronic documents on the houseboat

and they were officially under contract.)

 

 

Landon went to Homecoming with Lucia, his wonderful friend

whose  family was one of our neighbors. :)

 

 

In November:

 

We made the big move to our new home

 

Bennett turned 8 and got baptized by his big brother

 

 

and everyone except Landon started in new schools.

Now Landon drives 30 minutes to AF High 5 days a week

and Jeremy has a little bit of a commute. 

We don't love that. 

 

And that brings us to this month, December!

We are feeling a little more settled here in our new home and new town.

We still have a long way to go, but we'll get there. :)

 

This move has made us more grateful than ever for friends.

We have thought a lot about how people come into our lives and touch them

in their own unique ways, making us who we are.

 

When we move away, it feels like we're

leaving part of ourselves behind.

Our hearts break. :-(

 

But then, we make new friends

who start to slowly but surely fill in all those cracks and crevices

and the sadness is replaced with contentment....and gratitude.

 

Of course, we are grateful for our family, too.

They were there from day one

They know us the best

and love us anyway.

 

Most of all, we're grateful for the One

who is very most constant

always there

always true

anywhere we go

through hard times

and happy times.

 

Jesus Christ

Our Savior.

 

How grateful we are

for His sacrifice and perfect love.

 

Here's to a wonderful 2014!