Anders is 14 and in the 9th grade. He is a kind, thoughtful teenager who loves wrestling with his brothers, snacking til all hours of the night and watching the military channel. His newly straightened teeth are gleaming behind his handsome smile. Anders is close to getting his Eagle (perhaps having it in writing for all to see will encourage him to make the final push!) Anders and Bret are great buddies. They enjoy hanging out together as well as working hard together. Bret coached his football team for the last time this year. Although I’ll be grateful to have Bret back at the end of the summer and through fall, I know they will miss that oportunity to be together. Anders went on Trek this year (a 3 day pioneer experience with the youth at church). He was barely old enough to go and surprised his Trek family with his hard work, respect for others and general lack of laziness and selfcenteredness so often found with boys his age. We were so proud to hear he was up early asking what he could do to help and saw him help his Trek sisters when in need. We are so grateful for the respectful, outward looking young man he is turning out to be!
Anna is 12 and in the 6th grade. She is incredibly responsible and capable of pretty much anything. Sometimes it is difficult to remember she is only 12 and not ask, “could you please help me with...” all the time. She has a new love of fabric and sewing as does her mom and sister. She has gone into Young Womens at church, learning and enjoying activities with the other girls who are ages 12-18. She loves her leaders and the wonderful girls she spends time with at church. She has fabulous friends who help cultivate her creative and imaginative mind. What a lucky girl. She is wearing mascara and wanting to “hang out” with friends. We are on the threshold of teenage battles. She’s growing up.
Elli is 8 and in the 3rd grade. It was a special year for Elli. She was baptized by her dad this year a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She is a happy, independant, strong-willed girl whose smile is absolutely beautiful. She loves going to school and “playing” school. She spends every spare minute teaching her brothers, friends, cousins, dolls, stuffed animals, etc. Her little brothers have profited from this love of teaching. They are learning things that mom is unable to find time to teach.
Tait is 5 and in kindergarten. His first day of kindergarten was fun to observe. He was so confident. Another parent said his son looked like he was going to be sick but that Tait looked rarin to go! Tait is a dynamo, a child of incredible intensity. He loves life and loves his family. His happiness is infectious and when he is sad or frustrated, he is equally infectious. He is constantly peppering mom with questions that are much too thoughtful for a 5 year old boy. When he is not asking questions he is drawing pictures for friends and family. He gets so much joy out of making things for people. It is like he is giving a piece of his heart each time he hands a picture to you.
Finn is 4 and a little sweetheart. I can’t help but think of the line in the movie Napoleon Dynamite when Uncle Rico says, “he’s a tender little guy”. He is quiet and thoughtful. He analyzes every situation from a spectator point of view. He has a shy smile and a sweet laugh. He has learned to read with his two neighborhood friends and is so proud of himself. He loves to fish with dad and his brothers. He begs to go to the ranch and see grandma and grandpa and ride 4-wheelers. He loves to snuggle with mom and play with his trains.
Hans is 2 and FUN. He went through some crazy 2-year old crankiness for a short while but seems to have come through it with flying colors. Like Tait, he is a ball of energy. He rarely stops smiling. He will stand up to anyone and has very little fear. He loves to read books, play trains and cars and has an active imagination. He loves elephants and most other animals. He is incredbily observant and keeps everyone on their toes. I can’t imagine life without his wide-eyed, fun outlook on life.
Bret as a custom home builder has not been as busy as he would like to be. We are hoping 2010 allows for more opportunities. Bret is busy as the 12-13 year old advisor for the boys at church. They love him. How could they not? His 45-boy football team loved him as well. He has a wonderful way of showing love and concern for the boys, allows them to feel comfortable with him while also expecting respect and rule-following from them. I love watching boys from church or past teams come up to him and greet him with smile of friendship and admiration. I appreciate that he is the type of man those boys can look up to.
Meghan-I am busy with a crazy household. Time is spent just keeping things together. I have found a new love of fabric and sewing quilts that has provided a fun diversion. Bret has been supportive in this new hobby knowing how happy it makes me. I also love to read, spend time at my bookclub and going on dates with Bret.
Through a challenging couple of years, our family has been blessed with many opportunites to learn and grow. We are especially grateful for family, friendships, faith and freedom. We feel that lessons learned in the last two years will make our family stronger, happier and better able to serve others and enjoy the blessing that our Heavenly Father has so graciously given us. At this time of year, we think of our loving Savior and His humble birth. We pray that we can all feel the love of our Savior this time of year and know with certainty that He loves us and will comfort us and allow us to become more than we can ever imagine.
Merry Christmas,
Bret and Meghan
