Christmas Newsletter via Blog

I have decided to save ink and money and time and paper, to just blog my Christmas newsletter to anyone who wants to know what is going on in our lives.  That way, those who don't care, can just enjoy our picture we are sending out to friends and family.  Here it is, by the way. 

Aw!  Aren't we cute?  This picture was taken by one of my brothers at my other brothers' house.  Let's see, we will go from youngest to oldest.  Gregory (who is 3 and will tell you repeatedly), keeps us on our toes.  One day he is flirting with a woman in a hot tub and the next he is outside the church in his church clothes playing in the snow.  He has daily "Gregoryisms" that make me just laugh even though he is being completely serious.  He only has had croup three times this year and only two of those times did we have to give him steroid.  I think he is doing better.  When we went to Disneyland, he was barely tall enough to go on Splash Mountain, his favorite ride!  He is potty training, but has the same issue Patrick had with his number 2s.  He loves going to the school with me on Wednesday and thinks that school is just great!  His favorite things are anything to do with the military, pbskids.org, and frustrating mommy with his eating habits. This next year, he will be entering Primary as a Sunbeam!  Heaven help us!

Patrick just had his birthday this last week and his birthday party today.  He is now 7 years old.  He is learning to control his temper a lot better this year and has been really well behaved at church and school.  He still loves computer games, but now he also loves Wii games and playing Legos.  He also has consistently been asking us to make him a baby brother and soon.  He loves playing with his baby cousins.  He is almost as good of a mommy as Melanie!  He is very affectionate.  He can read really well, but is seeing a speech therapist.  I think it is because of his late start in talking.  He didn't start talking until he was three, but then it was full sentences, before that it was just mumbling.  I understand him, but sometimes teachers don't understand him all that well.  At least we got him to say "movie" instead of "nudie" before school started, that could have been embarrassing.

Melanie is eight years old and a big helper.  She is in 3rd grade, but reads at a sixth grade level.  She wants to take dance and swim lessons, but right now she is only doing piano lessons.  She loves to read!  She is usually up way way way past bedtime reading.  Sounds familiar (pointing at myself).  She also has been bugging us to have another baby, but she wants a girl names either Nicole or Chloe.  She loves teaching other kids to dance and choreographs dances with Gregory all the time.  They are planning on doing a number at the talent show at the end of the school year.  Melanie has her fighting moments with me, but usually she is very helpful.  Like today, she fed Patrick and Gregory lunch while I finished up the cakes for Patrick's party.  I am glad I had her first! 

Spencer, JJ's brother, is extremely busy.  He is a senior in high school and is going to be 19 in April.  He is in Madrigals, and this month they have 45 performances alone.  Tonight, as I am writing this, he is at one of three that he has to do today.  He gets tired, but I think he loves it.  He is also a Drama Geek!  He recently had the main role of Sid in "The Pajama Game" and he did a really good job.  His singing has really improved since I first met him.  He has a girlfriend right now named Morgan.  She is nice and Gregory calls her Princess and asks if she'll do sit-ups with him.  I am glad she keeps him in line too.  So far, in school, he has gotten nearly straight A's every semester.  Once in awhile he gets an A-, but I am not complaining.  He does his chores without complaining and he cooks dinner once a week, voluntarily. Sometimes it is weird having JJ's brother live with us, but most of the time I think it is a blessing.  I think living with small children has really changed him.  I do miss him when he is gone all the time.

JJ finally has a job.  He got back from deployment at the end of March, and had been searching for a job since then.  Finally found work at Teleperformance, but it won't be permanent.  In the meantime, he is going to school at University of Phoenix.  Might as well, the army pays for his schooling, so we should take advantage of that while we can.  I think the stress of working and doing school (especially taking a class right now that he doesn't like) is really stressing him out.  It will be hard, hopefully I can support him.  I sometimes try to treat it like he is still deployed and I don't bother him when he is doing schoolwork.  But, most often, I am happy he is home to help take care of the kids or chores and I do ask him to help out.  Unfortunately, he likes to procrastinate schoolwork, so he is usually happy to help.  I should say, fortunately for me, but unfortunately for him.  My love for him is strong, however, and I am trying to support him in school and work.  I do hope he finds  a job soon that he will like.  JJ has two callings, he is a primary teacher and he is the Cub Scout Master.

As for me, I am still teaching piano lessons and selling AVON.  I am still doing aerobics at the church three mornings a week.  I am still PTA secretary at Copper Hills Elementary School, and I am on the PTA board at Taylorsville High School, helping chair Teens Dating Violence Awareness.  New endeavors this year have been volunteering twice a week at Copper Hills to help in classes.  Once a week to teach PE and once a week to just help the teachers with whatever they need.  The other endeavor is doing Bountiful Baskets.  If you don't know what it is, just ask, I will let you know all about it.  I currently have three official callings and one unofficial calling.  I am the ward organist, the primary pianist, and the Webelos Den Leader.  Unofficially, I am the ward choir pianist (I say unofficial because the ward choir only really gets together around Christmastime).  Next month, I will turn 30.  I think JJ is freaking out about it more than I am, but I am a little saddened by the fact that I am not where I thought I would be by the time I was 30.  But, I think most people aren't where they thought they would be. 

We are trying to trust in the Lord in the decisions that we make every day.  Sometimes I forget how important it is to include the Lord in our decisions.  He knows what is best for us and what will help us learn and grow.  I am grateful for my family and the situations I have been through to make me the person I am today.  I love my family and especially my husband.  He has always supported me in every little project I ever wanted to do.  God bless you all and wishing you the merriest Christmas and the happiest New Year possible!