We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. For our family, the past couple of years have been very memorable ones. We have so much to be grateful for and we'd like to share some of the major highlights with you.
In July 2008, Emalie was baptized in the Susquehana River, see July 2008 post for some beautiful pictures of that very special day. Steve's brother, Jim, and his family were able to be here for it, which made it even better!
In August 2008 we were able to return to Utah for Becky's, Steve's sister's, wedding. It was a special experience and wonderful to be back home to see all our family and friends that we love so much.
In December 2008, we enjoyed the spirit of the season while visiting New York City. What a magical place to be during the holidays. One of our favorite things to do was to walk around and watch the talents of the different street venders. Some venders were selling food...we do recommend trying the mixed nuts! Emalie was able to visit the American Girl store and Joey found a kiosk that was right up his alley!
February 2009: both kids end up getting casts--thankfully not due to injuries but because Steve's students were practicing casting and needed some additional appendages! They wore the casts to school the next day and thought it was all kinds of fun. Joey's reading competition team from school brought home a first place trophy at regionals.
April 2009 brought another trip out to see family and friends. We enjoyed trips to Southern Utah which included taking in some of Goblin Valley and canyoneering with both of our families in the Little Wild Horse and neighboring slot canyons--so fun!!
In May we took a trip to beautiful Niagara Falls, taking advantage of the last day when passports were not required to cross the border into Canada.
June 2009 brought a trip to Maine to visit Janette's brother, Jeff, and to see her niece sealed in marriage in the Boston, Massachusetts temple (which added another temple to Janette's goal of having a family picture in front of each temple in the United States!) En route were saw the beautiful Nubble Lighthouse and Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond.
July was busy with a family vacation/work trip to Rhode Island and Connecticut were we ate seafood in a local ma and pa restaurant/fish market where they sell live lobsters and crabs. Recognizing that we weren't locals, an employee pulled out a very large 12.5 lb lobster for us to look at. The claws were capable of crushing bone! While there we also discovered that Mr. Potato Head was born in Rhode Island!
As a family, we read "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and then visited the Submarine Museum in Groton, CT. Here you can actually walk inside the Nautilus, the first US nuclear submarine named for Julles Vernes Nautilus in the book.
The next week Janette spent at Girls Camp, which was full of fun. July was also a very hard month due to the unexpected death of our niece, Annie. At times like these we realize how priceless the gospel and its teachings are to us. We are so thankful for our Savior and his life given through his love for each of us.
Both kids competed on the Summer Swim team and really enjoyed it. In regional competition, Emalie finished ninth and Joey 6th.
August 2009: A trip to the Baltimore Aquarium continued our sea faring summer.
September brough another quick sandcastle building and work trip to Ocean City, Maryland were we were able to stay a couple of nights at the beach, hold a real jellyfish that had washed up on shore, hold a live horseshoe crab and dig a hole nearly halfay to China! We also visited Assateague Island and saw the ponies from the book Misty of Chincoteague.
October brings Fall pumpkins and Halloween. This year, Joey and Emalie were a Ninja and Hippie....respectively!
November reminded us of all the things we have to be thankful for...and our famliy and friends are at the top of the list. We spent Thanksgiving with two other families that are without any other family out here. Family and good friends are a great blessing! Thank you for the part that you have played in our lives. Have a wonderful Holiday season and may the blessings of the gospel be abundantly present in your lives in the year of 2010.
Love, Steve Janette Joey and Emalie
