As each year nears its close, it's nice to reflect on some of the highlights of the year:
...Two DeBirk grandsons (Rob and Steven) were married to their beautiful sweethearts. What handsome brides and grooms they were!
...I now have 2 great-grandsons, the youngest born on Mother's Day. Unfortunately, my granddaughter, her husband and 2 little boys live in Philadelphia, so I don't get to see them often enough. We're looking forward to a visit from them during the holidays.
...My other two granddaughters are away at college, but will be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I miss them all!
...A significant event (for me) was attending the 60th Reunion of our graduating class at East High (guess that tells you how OLD I am!). It was great fun renewing old friendships.
...Best wishes to Nellie and Maurice Bowman on their calling to serve in the new temple in southern Mexico. They'll be marvelous examples to the people in that area.
...Thanks again to Dan and Dee for hosting the DeBirk family Christmas party. It's wonderful to keep this family tradition; Bill would be so happy to see us together, but we know he's with us in spirit. Happy Holidays to all of you.
It is good to be home again. There is no place like home! Another blessing we have is that we are still together. So many people our age are alone. We enjoy life together. We are lucky that we are both still healthy.
Paul is busy organizing all the genealogy we have. It is amazing how much information and data he finds on the IGI (International Genealogical Index) by visiting www.familysearch.org. He spends hours on the computer. I enjoy making quilts, afghans, baby booties, etc.
We spend Wednesday mornings in the Jordan River Temple with a sealing group and also do an endowment session. On Thursdays we spend the afternoon in the Stake Family History Center, for which we have been called by the Stake as workers there. We are just doing our best.
Good luck to everybody. Have a nice Sinterklaas Party and Beuk Family Reunion.
I am still staying home right now but I am planning to go to school as soon as I can and get an education so I can get a good job.Julian turned just one year old , she is doing real well and making good progress for a one year old.
The fun never seems to end at our home. We have had an exciting wonderful year.
Ernie and Anneke
Ernie and Anneke are still working hard at their business. Ernie has been doing some painting and working on a book. Genealogy is also his passion. He is the Executive Secretary to the Bishop of the ward and seems to always be busy somehow. Anneke has been kept busy working at the business and taking care of the home and family. She was made the Relief Society President during the summer and is now busier than she would like to be. What an opportunity and humbling experience to serve this way in the church. Her hair has grown back in curly, from the cancer treatments, but she doesnt mind, because it gives her hair some extra body. She hopes that the cancer is completely eradicated and that it will never return. Because of Marcs job at Skywest airlines Anneke and Ernie have enjoyed flying to several places in the west and enjoying some short vacations. Ernie and Anneke are going to go to Brazil on Thanksgiving Day to tour with Jared and bring him home on December 12
th , that will be some wonderful trip.Marc
Marc is still living at home, going to school and working for Skywest airlines part time. He is saving his money to buy a house in the future and get going with his life.
Emily
Emily is now a senior at Murray High school and enjoying her last year of learning. She is in the Choir and enjoys that. She is quite musical and plays the piano, guitar and just recently picked up playing the violin. She has performed a few times with a friend on the guitar and has written several songs for the guitar that she has performed.
Jared
Jared is still out in the mission field but will be home the 12
th of December. He is thoroughly enjoying his missionary experiences and loves the people down in Brazil.Ernie and Anneke will be missing the Sinterklaus Party and want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and Prosperous New Year.
Korrin and Spencer are enjoying their new home and doing a lot of landscaping. They put in a wonderful garden this year and everyone has enjoyed the fruits of their labors. They have also leveled the yard and had the lawn seeded, it is really growing nicely, but then WoodsCross City turns off the water for the lawn and so now they are trying to water it by hand. They put in a great sprinkling system but it only works with the turned off irrigation water. Spencer is still plugging away at school and hopes to get his masters in the near future.
Elizabeth and Ben are living in Draper and enjoying their fun cute home. Elizabeth works at Primary Childrens Hospital in the Rapid Treatment area and Ben works part time while finishing up his Chemical Engineer degree at the U of U, Ben should be graduating this coming Spring. They are really looking forward to being finished with school. They teach Primary for the 6-7 years olds and enjoy coming up with new ways to keep the childrens interest.
Well, another year down and everything is going great...We love living in St. George and look forward to retiring here. Sonny is still working for Walmart and Susan has decided that staying home alone all day isn't all it is cracked up to be and has started working part-time for Praxair again. The summers are hot but the winters are really nice, there's no snow to shovel!! We've learned that you hibernate in the summer and play in the winter. We also have some beautiful sunset here and get to view them from our family room. Susan has taken several pictures of the sunsets and the new lake that just opened last summer; she entered 2 of them in an amateur photo contest and took both first and second places. The sunset won first place and the lake won second place. We have had several houseguests since we moved to St. George including some wildlife, such as a tarantula and quite a few lizards. Susan's dad has been living with us since August while he waits for senior housing to open up. This has been quite the adjustment, but hopefully housing will open soon and he will be living on his own again. Well, that's about it for now, we're sorry that we won't be able to see everyone at the Sinter Claus party this year.
I'm living back in Salt Lake again and doing great. The kids are growing and learning a lot of new things. I wanted to thank everyone for their support during the death of my son Marshall. The support of the family really helped me keep it together. Nathan is now 3 and loves slaying dragons. He's very athletic and is getting ready to attend preschool. He also loves playing with his sister. Arienna is 2 and in the potty training stage. She is very smart and can recite her abcs. She loves dressing up and playing with her dolls.
Rodney was stationed in Iraq during the war and has some very interesting stories to tell of his experience there. He is planning on getting married when he gets out of the Army. He has saved all his vacation time so that he can get out in May instead of June. We are looking forward to seeing him again and are extremely grateful that he was unharmed while in Iraq.
This year has been an eventful year for us. We went to Sydney, Australia to pick up Jason from his mission. The flight was long but well worth it. Seeing Jason and the people that he worked with on his mission. Sydney is a very beautiful place. They drive on the wrong side of the road, (actually the right side), their round a bouts take some getting use to. Luckily we left the driving to Jason, he did an excellent job. He got us around Australia just fine. We saw the Opera House, Harbor Bridge, we went on a harbor cruise with was great seeing the sunset of a boat in the harbor, we saw and fed kangaroos, went to the Zoo, we to the 2000 Olympic Park which was very interesting, walked along many beaches one of them being Bondi Beach, we also went to the Royal Botanical Gardens which is a beautiful garden that you can stroll through, with plants, trees, flowers and even the bats were interesting, and we saw many beautiful sunsets, and wildlife. We became proud grandparents of a grandson in January. As a family we went to Yellowstone National Park, the first part of August. The thermal features and other nature features and wildlife were spectacular.
Jason is home from is mission and is still adjusting to the climate here. He is enjoying his new car, a 2000 Saturn, working part time at the University of Utah, going to school at the University of Utah, dating a cute girl Mary. In his spare time he sleeps, and on Sunday's he is a Primary Teacher, teaching the 7 year olds.
Scott has graduated from Hillcrest High School. Scott has enjoying playing Football and Soccer for Hillcrest. During the summer he enjoyed doing nothing but enjoying the summer. Scott and Doug both finally finished their kayaks, and tested them at Payson Lake. They both had a great time with about 6 other scouts and leaders. No sinking kayaks. Scott wanted a bigger fish tank, (a 35 gallon just wasn't big enough) so he now has a 55 gallon tank with a nice stand. Two Oscars and a Silver Dollar fish. It is nice to watch the fish swim around. I'm not to trilled watching the Oscars eating a feeder fish though. In September he started attending Salt Lake Community College. To pay for higher education he is working at Macey's as a stocker.
Rachel is now in the eight grade and is enjoying it. Rachel signed up for dance class and got in. She enjoys dance and it has become her favorite class. Rachel is also taking a quilting class with her Mom and Sister and is having fun learning to piece and quilt. She is still taking piano lessons and is trying to enjoy it. He Mom won't let her quit taking lessons (such a mean Mom). Rachel had a great time at camp it was her 2nd year. The night before they left for camp it snowed 3 inches. By the time they got up to their camp site the snow had melted and she seemed to have a great time.
We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and hopefully we will see you. Merry Christmas.
This year has been an eventful one. On January 16 at 5:23 p.m. Alexander Brian Haymore was born. He weighed 6 lbs 14 oz. He has been a wonderful blessing and joy to our home. We are so excited he is here and he amazes us every day with what he is learning and knows.
Shannon no longer is working, she is staying at home and taking care of Alex. She is teaching piano lessons and keeping very, very busy. She also is still playing the piano for Primary.
Brian is still working for the University of Utah. He is currently working on a 2 million dollar super computer. His current calling is as a Home Teacher.
The only other things that we have done this year is gone to Yellowstone, gone camping, planted trees and roses in our yard and just tryed to keep it all together. We hope you all have had a wonderful year and have a safe and Merry Christmas!!!
What can I say, running a business has its headaches. We have our ups and downs. With hardly any snow last year business was slow but we're still plugging along. Michael still works at Kennecott. It isn't any fun at all. Working without a contract and then getting one hasn't helped with the morale. If only he could quit and devote all his time with Power sports, would be great. Ellen keeps herself busy with sewing bags for Anneke. working at the business and running a home not a dull moment. She was called as camp director for the young women. That was a lot of fun. She is also the new Activity days leader in the primary. Let the blessings roll in.
Ben finally got his drivers license. please watch out for him and get out of the way. He fixed a 71 VW bug as his transportation now he's hardly ever home. He has one more year of school left and hopefully he'll graduate.
Erica also got her drivers license (Boy does the insurance go up). She's a junior this year and having a lot of fun with her classes and being on the yearbook staff for the second year in a row. Both her and Ben have had minor fender benders already. The only thing that hurts is the wallet.
Kristine is in the eighth grade and having a great time. She might never get her drivers license if her brother and sister keep having accidents.
For Christmas 2002 we got a new puppy. Mark and Jane's dog had a litter of chocolate labs and we got one. We decided to name him "Root beer" I must of been drunk or something when I said yes because puppies are a lot of work, cleaning the carpet and every two hours a trip out side. If I only knew. Now at almost a year 'Root beer' is a lot of fun.
Hope everybody has a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.
Mark & Jane have had a very busy year. In May, Mark had nose and tonsil surgery. Not only was it fun, but expensive as well! He now does not sound like he is taking off the wallpaper when he sleeps! I am very thankful for that. I think that we are both more rested now. Mark is still at the ATC and loving it. He continues to get student ready for the VICA contests, and the past 9 years has taken students to Kansas City to compete. For a family trip this past summer we went to Oceanside, CA. and stayed in our condos for the week. No one told us that they call June ,"June Gloom" so we didn't have the wonderful days on the beach watching the kids play in the sand and enjoying the sun like we had envisoned. Ten days before we left, Marijka broke both bones in her lower leg and had to go into surgery to get them set, so she was in a thigh high cast for the trip! We made do and had the best time we could have. We went to Sea World and that was the first time for me (jane). I think that we will vacation in the winter when we can and just enjoy the cabin in West Yellowstone during the summer from now on.
I started my own business this year cleaning two medical buildings. I take Zjani & Zach two days of the week and Coleton one day a week. It is a great job, and the kids are learning to work and save money.
Zjani is a senior this year, but is not attending her High School. She only needed Senior English and Release Time so she went to early college at Weber State University taking 14 credits this semester. Her English 1010 covers her senior English, and Institute covers her last year of seminary. She is also taking Cosmetology at the ATC two days a week. Needless to say, she is very busy. She is still bussing tables at a restaurant in Ogden on Saturday mornings, and then working with me three nights a week. (No time for boys, and no time to get into trouble!) She misses the social things at school, but is adjusting fine. She does still run cross country and will run track this year.
Zach is 14 and turning into a cowboy. The 3 oldest bought calves in August and are feeding them bottles 2 times a day. We are just starting to wean them and are down to just 1 bottle at night. Zach pretty much runs the show and Mark has gotten good at giving shots. We are past the scours we hope and we are ready for winter. Zach loves to fish and will beg anyone who can drive to take him! He also wants to sell his Holstein calf when he is a yearling and then buy a beef cow next year to raise and sell at the fair when it is ready. He is saving money for his mission and this is a good way to earn it. He is ready to work on his Eagle and will hopefully have it next spring.
Coleton is 11 and just starting scout stuff. He is working on several merit badges and I am pushing him whenever I can. He is also on a competitive soccer team and loves it. He is the fastest kid at his school in the mile and wants to hold that title. He, Zach & Zjani ran in a couple of 5k's this year and they all love it.
Marijka is 7 and in the 2nd grade, her reading is coming along well, and she loves the social part of school. Her leg is doing pretty good. She ended up spending 9 weeks of the summer in her cast, it was the pits. She is looking forward to us taking her swimming some time this winter.
Dawson is 1 now and the "King"! Whatever he wants, he gets! We love having him! He has been so much fun for all of us, and is a very mellow easy baby. He sleeps like crap, but at least he is happy most of the time.
We are all well and thankful for that. We hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season.
Time seems to go faster and faster as we get older. We keep busy with many different things, and we do get a bit slower, but we are healthy and hope to stay that way.
We still love to travel, and spend February in sunny California with our 5th wheel. During the summer we camp out close to Echo Reservoir, only 45 minutes' drive from home, so we can still take care of my mother, who is 98 years old now.
We have another cruise planned for November--this time to the Panama Canal. We'll spend a few days with Ralph and Tina and also with a cousin, Leo Henney and his wife Adri, before we board the ship. We are really looking forward to this trip.
I'm still very involved in volunteer work for the St. Joseph Villa and really enjoy it.
We wish all of you a pleasant Holiday Season and good health in the New Year!
The Rodgers have had a great year. Brenda sold her home, is still commuting to work from Sandy to Layton every day, (the new Nissan Maxima helps minimize the pain), spent a week in St Maarten (Dutch side) a few days in Cabo San Lucas and several days on the ski slopes. Each year, retirement gets a little closer and is looking better and better all the time.
We all wish you a peaceful and happy holiday season.
Brittany and Matt Carlson had their apartment burn down in the middle of the night... very scary; they moved to another apartment and then decided to buy Brenda's home. They have one child, Taz (a Rottweiler). Matt started his own business in construction and is doing very well. Brittany works in accounting for Brenda.
Tyson rents from Matt and Brittany and is still testing various jobs to see which one he likes best. So far... no winners. He too has a child, Mosey (a Chocolate Lab).
This year has been great for us. Our old Suzuki Sidekick was giving us trouble so for Christmas last year we bought a new Suzuki Aerio. It is different having a car but the gas mileage and comfort sure is nice. When we decided to get the Sidekick repaired for Danny to drive, they wanted too much money so we bought Danny a new Ford Ranger. It is nice to be a two car family again.
Since we bought the truck, we decided that we would get into camping again so we have pulled together all our camping gear and purchased a paddleski (an inflatable boat that is a little larger than a kayak with an electric motor). Now we are doing some beach camping and ocean kayaking and having a wonderful time. We really love living in San Diego and going to the beaches and parks here.
This spring we met up with Caleb and Jennifer and went to Zions for a few days. We had a wonderful time relaxing and hiking. What a beautiful place. It rained a lot while we were there so the waterfalls were incredible!
We drove up to Salt Lake in August because Dylan and Jaime got married. After the wedding we went to the Great Basin National Park to camp with Caleb and Jennifer. What a great campground.
Danny still works for Hunter Douglas in the Marketing Department. Linda Rose still works for SAIC in Engineering.
The October fires in San Diego gave us a bit of a scare here but they managed to burn around us. We were lucky since so many families have lost everything just a few miles from where we live.
From all of the Edwards' we hope that this holiday season brings health and prosperity to everyone and peace to the world.
Caleb and Jennifer have been busy this year with working on their home - remodeling the bathroom and the master bedroom, school - Caleb is almost graduated, working and playing hard.
Dylan and Jaime got married on August 23. It was a beautiful wedding. They had a nice honeymoon in Las Vegas. Now they are just working and playing and getting used to the married life.
Hello from Oaxaca, land of the Book of Mormon! What a special call we received from Pres. Hinckley to preside in this beautiful temple here. It's larger than the one in Colonia Juarez, and we surely have a lot more sessions here! The people are so warm and loving and so short in stature!! Both Maurice and I feel tall here!
Oaxaca is a very old city, with a church in the middle of town that was built in 1533. There is so much history here. It is also progressive, there is even a Sam's Club! We have been here two Sundays now, and we had to speak in 2 stake conferences. We have been welcomed so warmly and made as comfortable as possible.
We live in a condo that is painted bright yellow, green and orange, the favorite colors here in Oaxaca. I had to shade my eyes as we walked in the place and wondered if maybe we could repaint? We couldn't, so we are getting used to the colorful walls. They are planning to build a home for us, and also apartments for the missionaries. Hopefully we'll be able to move there in about a year. We have two wonderful missionary couples, they are a tremendous help.
We feel so far away from all our loved ones, hopefully we'll get a phone next week, and then we'll be able to hook up to the Internet. This is the land of ma
In the Bowman household, Maurice continues to amaze by voluntarily getting up at seven o'clock on the weekends. In an unusual reversal, Rosanne has reverted from vegetarianism to the Atkins diet, widely known to recommend the eating of raw meat. Amy has managed to go a year without having to call home at midnight because her car ran out of gas -- a feat celebrated by none so much as those who received those calls. Meanwhile, Matt has been abruptly plunged into the semi-real world, as the History Department of the University of Utah has unaccountably chosen to entrust a hundred freshmen a week into his hands for History 1700. Matt greets inquiries into this situation with a bemused grin and tolerant laughter. On a more depressing note, we struggled with unemployment for three months, which has some strange but acknowledged link to the fact that we were unable to produce much of a garden this summer. We also shaved our cat.
Dear Beuk Family clan,
We hope that this year has been absolutely the best ever for all of you, and that as we all prepare for the big gathering of Sinterklaas that we wont be hauled off to Spain in that dreadful itchy sack!!
We have had an excellent year and have learned and even grown (some of us more than others) and we are looking forward with great anticipation and excitement to Christmas Eve when our Elder Aaron will come home. He will walk off the plane at 10:30 AM and be a wonderful Christmas present to our family. He has served valiantly and has loved the people and helping so many of them come to a knowledge of the truth. That reason is why we are all here in this country because Oma and Opa and my mom, and all the family came to know that this is the restored Gospel. How grateful we are that we also know. Jack is serving in the Bishopric here, and Rachel is a ward Missionary is her ward in Logan where she is going to USU. Elena is teaching in the primary and going to start school soon, she graduated from Brighton High this year. Amber is a Sophomore there and Tessa is going to Churchill Jr. High, in 8th grade. Bo is in 6th grade and he was active in football again this year. His team did really well. We are all happy and well and we are glad (and a bit sad) that Grandma and Grandpa are serving as Temple Presidents in Oaxaca. We want to plan a big trip down to see them and since they will be there 3 years, at least, we have to. May you all have a wonderful season and remember the reason we celebrate. With love,
The Bybees
Terry and Jack, Aaron (Elder), Rachel, Elena, Amber, Natessa, and Michael Bo.
Contagious giggles ride the tropical breeze through the kitchen window. Mommy wonders. Meanwhile, a rowdy crew of pirates navigate their vessel as it is tossed about on the stormy South Pacific. Then Captain Michael (aged 5) orders his mates to drop the anchor as they sight land. Once ashore, the crew stealthily slink through the jungle on this uncharted tropical island. With his sword drawn, first mate Benjamin (aged 2) motions to the others to follow him. His sixth sense tells him that the valuable treasure they seek is near. A few more paces and (to their delight) they stumble upon a cargo of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Was this treasure abandoned or strategically placed by the island natives as a peace offering? More giggles, now muffled by mouths-full of cookie, but contagious nevertheless.
At the Steve Bowman house, life is as exciting as a pirate adventure or prince charming's daring rescue of his princess. And the land of Costa Rica is an exotic backdrop for these exploits. At each opportunity we discover more of this beautiful country.
Benjamin the Brave. "On guard!" With plastic sword in hand, Benji is crouched, balanced and at the ready. This little two-year old is a firecracker of energy and as smart as a whip. His favorite word is "
Hi from the Jon and Donna Bowman family! We hope that everyone had a great year and are looking forward to the upcoming holiday season with as much anticipation as our 4 year-old triplets! Now is the time of year when Ichabod starts peeking through the windows to make sure all the kids are being nice to each other.
It has been quite a year for us this year. We finally finished the Family Medicine residency in Waco, Texas and now are living in Kanab, Utah. It has been quite a change for us, both in the scenery and in the amount of time that Jon gets to spend with the family. Donna is smiling more since Jon works only 50-60 hours per week instead of 80-100. It is also very beautiful here and we are enjoying being able to see the vermilion cliffs on one side of our house and the far-off Kaibab forest on the other.
Johanna is now 10 years old and is adjusting to the new life here. She was quite worried about leaving her friends in Waco and starting all over (again!) here. She is doing very well in school and is so far in second place for advanced reading points for her whole school. She is doing very well on her piano lessons and likes to listen to classical music in her bedroom (with the door closed) when the rest of the kids are making too much ruckus. She is Mommy's big helper and is always willing to give a hand when she is needed.
Jennie (4) has really done well with her reading this year. She is now able to read all the simple books that we have in the house, and loves to find words whenever we go anywhere in the car. She also loves to sing, and sometimes will sing "the sun will come out tomorrow" so many times in a row that everybody else in the house begs her to think of another song. She is very sweet and loves to be a big helper around the house.
Jake (4) says to tell everybody that he is a big boy. He is mommy's best helper. He is doing very well with his reading also. He has a soft heart and is a peacemaker.
Davy (4) is always bringing excitement to our home. He is constantly battling pirates, Indians, "bad guys" or dinosaurs with his home made sword and his very vivid imagination. He is quick to give a smile and a hug to anyone and everyone.
Nellie (2) has just learned to maneuver the mouse and loves to play on the computer. She loves her pillow and takes it everywhere she goes. She will occasionally share it with Nathan, but no one else is allowed to touch it.
Nathan (5 months) is the most darling little baby you could ever imagine. (He looks just like Jonni did as a baby!) He is just learning to sit up and eat applesauce. He is a giggler!
Anyway, as you can see, Santa is going to be extra busy this year with so many good kids around! We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!
Here
Troy and Anne Bowman
Greetings from the Troy and Anne Bowman Family! We have had a good year and have had some eventful happenings. Mostly, we are keeping busy raising our little family. Here is the latest news from our home:
We welcomed another precious baby girl into our family this year. Our sweet happy Eden was born in April. She likes to eat a lot and is learning to play. She has been grabbing toys and everything else she can get to. She is working on crawling and is really wiggling around! Eden has a very big smile and seems to be happy with whoever is holding her. Of course, Mom is her favorite!
Lindsay is two and is a little sweetheart. She often tells her Mommy, "I love you so much." She loves to sing and even makes up her own songs. She likes to pretend with her Little People and her Noah's ark animals and is usually carrying a few of them with her. Lindsay is good at independent play but also loves to play with Rebekah. What would they do without each other? They have a lot of fun and get into a lot of mischief together.
Rebekah is three and is full of life. She is usually the first one up and dressed (always in a dress) in the morning . She enjoys milk, movies, music, and dressing up. She frequently talks about going to Primary in January. She is very excited about that. Rebekah loves to color and is very good at it. She draws too and is just starting to write some of her letters. It's fun to watch how she is growing.
Anne mostly hangs out with the children and tries to keep everyone fed and happy and the house in order. That is a big job! She is involved in a book group and has enjoyed reading several good books and making some new friends during the past few months.
Troy enjoys working at ArosNet and has been there for three and a half years. He works hard and puts in some long hours sometimes. He is always keeping up on the latest innovations and standards in technology and is usually found sitting at his computer(s), whether it be at work or at home. Troy fixed and flew his model helicopter several times this year and has spent a lot of time with his wife and children. He has also spent many hours designing our new home, which is currently being built in Woods Cross.
We are all happy and healthy and are so grateful for our blessings. We wish you all a wonderful holiday season!
Tina and Ralph Telford
What an exciting year 2003 was for us!
In January we left for a "mini-mission" to Kosrae in Micronesia. This was truly one of the most incredible experiences of our lifetime! It came about from a humanitarian effort put together by a group of dentists and ophthalmologists and the LDS Church. These highly professional people donated their time away from their busy practices and their families to serve the people in Kosrae, paying all their own expenses plus donating amazing amounts of medical equipment! What dedicated and remarkable individuals! It was a real eye-opener for us to see what good just a small group of people can accomplish. They had gathered well over $600.000 worth of supplies. The interesting was that it all began with a young man working on his eagle project and wondering what could be done with the old dental equipment when his father refurbished his dental office! What an incredible experience we had there! In the short time that we were on that small island we were able to assist the team in setting up a beautiful new dental clinic and serve about 600 peoples medical needs. It didnt take us long to develop a great love for the Polynesian people who live there and it was wonderful to strengthen the branches and support the missionaries. On the way back home we stopped in Hawaii and met Ansje and DeMoyne there and spent a few pleasant days sightseeing. What a surprise when we ran into Rosanne and Maurice at the Hawaiian Temple Visitors center! A great experience for every one. It was wonderful to get back home again just before Easter and having Kens family come to spend spring break with us.
We have traveled a lot this year. We had a fun vacation with Ken and Jen at beautiful Lake Anna in Virginia. We went to SLC in May to visit Art and his family and have a "Kosrae reunion" with all the doctors and their families. Then went to Canada with Ravonne and Ian and did sightseeing in Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston for 10 days. It was a first time visit for Ralph and I to Canada and we really enjoyed that. In September Fran and I went to Utah and spent two weeks there to visit family and friends while Ralph enjoyed his "solitude" and football games at home. We just returned from a quick trip to Colorado to be at Ralphs oldest granddaughters wedding. That was a special treat for us to be able to spend some time with his family. Its been tough for us to stick to our weekly temple schedule with all these interruptions but some how or other we have managed to stick to our assignment there fairly well.
Season is beginning here in Florida and Jack and Oeke along with John Kolman and two other friends will start the season by spending a week with us before they go on their cruise. Its time for you to get your reservations in place for our guestroom. Its booking up fast!
We will be home for Christmas!!! We are excited about that and look forward to spending it with Ravonne and Ian and decorating our home for the holidays while enjoying the wonderful weather.
We feel abundantly blessed as we reflect upon this year. The Lord has been so good to us! We are enjoying excellent health and stand in awe that we are in our 70th year and are able to do as much as we are doing.
We wish every one a wonderful Christmas and the best for 2004!
Ken and Jennifer Brothers
Greetings from the woods of Virginia! This year's number is 40: We had over 40 inches of snow in February, over 40 inches of rain this spring, well over 40 hours without power due to Hurricane Isabel, and Jennifer and Ken are both 40 years old. Our kids stare in wonder as we tell them about long-ago times when there were no color TV's, telephones had cords but no push buttons, computers were only in universities, and you actually had to buy music at stores.
Garrett, our youngest, will be 6 in January, and is a full-fledged kindergartner who took the classroom by storm. He still loves taking things apart and trying to put them back together, but does better just taking them apart. Despite his nickname of Destructo Boy, Garrett is affectionate and sweet, which has saved his life more than once.
Kirsten will be 9 in February, and she's in third grade at the brand new local elementary school. Kirsten is still as inquisitive and gregarious as ever. She just learned that her artwork will be reproduced on the entire back cover of the school's first yearbook. Kirsten still takes piano lessons, but recently gave up soccer (much to the joy of designated driver Jennifer).
Spencer, who will be 13 in January, is a rabid sports fan who creates and manages his own fantasy sports teams. Watching football and basketball and playing soccer rank right up there with breathing and eating. Spencer continues to play the trumpet, and is now in 7th grade in middle school, where he's managing to competently juggle the demands of all those teachers who keep distracting him from his sports pursuits.
Chelsea, at 15 ½, is a true teenager -- music and sleep rein! When she's not lobbying her parents for an electric guitar, she continues to soak up knowledge as a sophomore at the regional high school for science and technology. Chelsea is the team captain of her high school JV volleyball and soccer teams. She goes to seminary each morning at 6 a.m. and usually has hours of homework each night, so she's too exhausted to chase boys (although she'll deny it!) She regularly tells her parents how they don't know anything. Ken's glad he was never like that . . .
Even though Jennifer hit 40 (or it hit her), she says she still feels great. We also celebrated our 20th anniversary this year (we still can't believe we got married so young!) Jennifer's putting a lot of energy into creating a volunteer-run supplemental art program for the new elementary school, although Ken wonders if some of that energy will ever channel itself into the ironing pile. Jennifer continues as the 1st Counselor in the Church Primary children's organization, but she spends most of her life in the car running mom's taxi service.
Ken is still alive in the legal lions den, where he works as an IP attorney doing patent, trademark and copyright litigation for a D.C. law firm. He's been working out at the gym this year to offset his discovery of mint cr to enjoy driving his Mustang convertible, but has been considering something a little more "grown up" lately -- perhaps an all-wheel-drive convertible that can handle the last unplowed mile to our house.
We had no notable travels this year, with the exception of our spring break getaway to Florida family and friends. Also this spring, we bought a used boat and spent as much of our free time as possible on local lakes, teaching the kids how to water ski, wakeboard and kneeboard. We've enjoyed the company of several extended family members this year, and hope to see more of you in 2004. We wish you a serene holiday season and a peaceful, prosperous New Year!
Ravonne and Ian Ross
We are doing well here in Florida. We have dodged another Hurricane season, and hope that everyone else has avoided any natural disasters.
We are still enjoying living in Florida and do not miss the winters.
In our quest to fully enjoy this area, we obtained a small boat and are spending our weekends on the water. It is fun to see the Manatee and the Dolphins swimming around the boat. At low tide, there is a huge sandbar that everyone goes to to visit, play touch football and just generally have a great time. One day we may venture out into the ocean but we will wait for a VERY calm day. We hope to learn to fish and capture the elusive Snook (a great fish to eat).
We are moving a short distance up the road, about 8 miles away from where we are now. We are moving to a 2 story town home. It will be nice to have no yard to think about. Everything that can grow here grows really, really fast! We are in the process of remodeling the town home and hope it will be done late December. We would love to be in by Christmas but that may be too optimistic, we shall see. We will be a little farther from Tina and Ralph but we will still be getting together often.
Ian was honored by the Canadian Society of Perfusion for his pioneering work in the field of Perfusion. The Society flew us up to Toronto, and spent the week meeting many Physicians and Colleagues that Ian used to work with. It truly was an honor for Ian and a thrill for me to meet those people he influenced and worked with.
Ravonne has moved to a quieter job at a small outpatient surgical center that has allowed her to scale back her work hours and enjoy weekends with her husband.
Happy holidays to all of you!
Ian and Ravonne Ross
Ansje and DeMoyne Oliver
Happy Holidays to All! We have had a fun and exciting year. We had the opportunity to Hawaii and meet Ralph and Tina has they were coming home from their mini-mission. It was great to see them and wonderful to be able to enjoy the beauties of Hawaii and of nature itself. We stayed on Oahu right close to Waikiki Beach. We took a trip all the way around the Island to see all of the sights. We also went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and were able to enjoy the performance that was put on in the evening. I hope each of you have an opportunity to go to Hawaii and see the beauty of it.
Ansje started a new job in June. I am working at Nellson Neutraceutical Powder Division. The manufacture powder products for Weight Watchers, EAS, Naturade and companies that carry this kind of product. The product is blended from raw materials and recipes at our facility and then shipped out to the warehouse of the company we represent for them to distribute to the consumer. It is a good job, but I will be glad to be able to 'retire' and stay home!
DeMoyne has been involved in a lot of 'old' and 'young' bird pigeon races this year. His birds have done really well. He had one bird that flew 3 races and won the grand slam for the season. These races are anywhere from 150 to 600 miles. They have about 24-30 people in their club and at the beginning of the season as many as 1000 birds race each weekend. Of course, there are losses with each race and so by the end of the season only those birds that are the best and the strongest survive. Right now he is building a new breeding loft for his young birds. This is so that he can start breeding earlier in the season and have his birds be able to compete after they have gone through the 'molt' rather than during the time that this change is taking place.
We have a property and a cabin up Parley's Canyon at Mt. Aire. This summer we have had the opportunity to put a railing on the deck and have been working on it as much as possible. We hope to be able to have it finished enough for us to enjoy it during the winter next year. We have had several barbecues with family up at the cabin and it has really been fun to enjoy the canyon. We had a great big bull moose come and explain to us that we were invading his privacy the last time that we had a family gathering up there. The kids thought that was pretty neat to see such a big animal.
We want to wish each of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!!
Mike and Jennifer Blanchard
At the beginning of 2003 Mike changed jobs and worked for Team Ford in Las Vegas. He stayed with them until June at which time Royce Industries asked him to come back and work with them again. He has left Team Ford and is now working for Royce. But, if you ever decide that you want to buy a car, just call him first and he will tell you what to do and what NOT to do!!
Jennifer has been selling Hooked on Phonics on Ebay and has had a lot of people buy the program from her. She has also done a "Garage Sale" type thing on Ebay and was very successful. We are going to be new parents in February and it is another girl. They will have two boys and two girls!
Aaron is our oldest son, he is 7 and is in first grade this year. He has been named the class clown! He likes school and is doing well. He plays soccer and is learning how to play the game and is getting better at it all the time. He loves to play games on his Nintendo and plays against his dad all the time and wins! He likes to go with his dad whenever he fixes the car washes.
Samantha will be 5 in January and is taking dance classes. She loves dance and is fascinated by all of the different things that her teacher is teaching the class. She loves her little brother Shawn and loves to help her Mom, whether she wants help or not! She is very smart and learns very quickly. She will start in kindergarten next September.
Shawn is almost 2. He will be 2 in March. He is my climber and climbs on everything. He doesn't want to miss a thing and hates to go to sleep for fear that something will happen that he will not be able to be involved in. Before he learned to walk, instead of crawling he would scoot across the floor with one leg tucked underneath him. He watches very carefully everything that is going on around him and picks up on things very quickly.
We would like to wish all of you a Great Holiday Season.
Matt and Natalie Blanchard
Matt got his Master Electrician License this year. He has started his own Electrical business. He has named it "Titlest Electric" and is doing very well and has already hired an employee to work with him. It was a big step to quit working for someone else and to start working and being responsible for everything yourself. He has found that he loves being his own boss and wishes now that he had done it long ago. He bought a Harley this last summer and he and Natalie love to go for long rides on it. This summer they went to Jackson Hole and Jayden rode on the back of his Harley all the way there. Natalie is working at Carino's as a waitress and tending kids. Along with that she is very busy raising her family and helping Matt as he gets his business started.
Jayden is 7 and is in first grade this year. He loves school and is an excellent speller and reader. He plays soccer, and his dad is his coach. He loves to play video games and gets very involved in the game while playing it. He is a deep thinker and asks all kinds of questions.
Brooklyn is 5 and is in Kindergarten this year. She has made many new little friends and just loves to go to school. She is taking dance and will be having her first dance recital soon. She loves her little brother and is her mom's good helper at home. Her favorite thing to do is to play with her dolls.
Brendan is 3 years old. He always has a great big smile on his face and is very affectionate. He has a wonderful imagination and can make up all kinds of stories as he plays with his toys. He loves to go with his Dad and spend time with him. He is Mom's good helper. We wish you a great Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
Kim and Jeremiah Bailey
We bought Mom's home on Dee Park Drive this year and so now we are proud "home owners". We also bought a new car from Mike while he was working at the Team Ford dealership. It helps to have a brother that sells cars, then you get a good deal and you know that you are not being taken advantage of!! Jeremiah has had knee surgery this summer and had to stay off work for about 2 months. He was very glad when he was able to go back to work. He is still attending school, but should be finished by January. He is the soccer coach for Braxton's competition team and has had a really hard time with his surgery, because he couldn't go out and actually play. Kim is still tending kids and is pregnant and due in February. We are having a GIRL and are so excited! Along with tending kids she is a room mother, taxi driver, cook, cleaning lady and soccer Mom!
Braxton is 9 and is in the 4th grade. His first love is SOCCER! He plays forward and is a really good player. School is second to soccer, we are trying to change his mind about that! His favorite subject in school is 'recess'. He does well in school, even though he would rather be playing soccer. He has lots of friends and is his mom's good helper. He loves his little brother Colton and is excited that we are having a new baby.
Jordan is 9 and is also in the 4th grade. In fact he and Braxton have the same teacher. Jordan plays soccer on the same team with Braxton and Jeremy coaches both of them. Jordan is a very good goalie, which is a really hard position and very important if you want to win the game. Jordan is very good at working with his hands and putting things together. He is very analytical.
Colton is 5 and is in Kindergarten (finally!) this year!! He has looked forward to going to the 'big' school with Braxton for a long time and now it is finally here. He loves school. He also plays soccer and Matthew is his coach. He plays on the same team with Jayden. He is getting better and better at handling the ball with his feet and making goals. He is mom's shadow and has a great imagination. He has lots of little friends and is excited about having a new sister coming soon.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
Ben and Jill Blanchard
We are still both working and looking for a home. We hope to be able to find something that we can afford and then both of us want to go to school. Right now Ben is working at Arizona Tile and is looking at going to school and becoming an EMT and fireman. Jill is working at a Mortgage Company and is planning to attend school also.
Ben loves golf and is working hard on his golf game and one day hopes to be able to play professionally.
We want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday!
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