Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas 2011

Clay deployed to Iraq in January, just days after his interview for DO school.  We received his acceptance letter to LMU-DCOM while he was en route.  We were able to defer his enrollment for a year due to the deployment.  Before returning in August, he received the Combat Medic Badge.  He is now serving as the adult Sunday School Teacher.  He has been busy trying to get all of the paperwork ready to go before the military scholarship board in January.

Markell had a busy year, spending most of it as a single mom and was very grateful when Daddy returned home.  She was even brave enough to take a road trip (over 4500 miles in a month) with all of the kids to visit many of our friends and family out west.  She is currently serving with the Young Women in church and enjoys having that time with Christina.  She keeps busy serving as the bus driver for the kid’s activities, Christina’s early morning seminary run, and after school bus.  Occasionally she is able to get a little sewing in.

Christina (14) is a freshman at Copperas Cove H. S.  She graduated from 8^th grade in June receiving the Presidential Academic Award for straight As throughout middle school.  She’s enjoying early morning seminary (her siblings might say it’s TOO early), participating in TAFE (Texas Association of Future Educators), as well as 1^st Counselor in Mia Maids.  Christina recently earned the Microsoft International Certification (1 of only 10 that received it). She has also survived her first year of having braces (and oral surgery) and can’t wait to get them off hopefully in about a year!

Daniel (10) is in 5^th grade and is also doing very well in school.  He loves science, math, and playing with Legos.  Daniel has also been participating in Sports Club at school and earned his Bear in Cub Scouts this year and making great progress towards his Webelos award.  He was excited to participate and win 2^nd place in the Pinewood Derby earlier this year.

Amanda (7) is in 2^nd grade and is extremely excited that her baptism is only a few months away.  Amanda has developed a love of reading lately and loves animals (she’s always offering to pet sit for our neighbors).  She is adored by her little sister and we’re grateful they get along so well.  Amanda loves to design things and we can often find her drawing her designs for dresses and she keeps begging her mom for a sewing machine.

Jonathan (5) is in Kindergarten and has been accepted into the talented and gifted program.  He’s our little scientist and is constantly asking questions to learn about how everything works.  We’re grateful we seem to have found the trigger for his migraines and he is doing absolutely wonderful at avoiding chocolate.

Samantha (3) still is full of smiles and LOVES when her siblings come home from school.  We’re hoping that her speech continues to improve.  She loves playing with Barbies, baby dolls, and helping with her little brother. She is still always helping out with everything possible including helping with laundry, watching out for Ethan constantly, etc.

Ethan (1) has grown a lot this year.  We’re grateful that his grandma was able to come and help for a few days when he had surgery in April.  He’s such a wonderful blessing to our family and we’re very grateful he is so easy going.  Ethan loves having Daddy back home and gets so excited every day when Dad comes through the door.

We feel very blessed this year to be together for the holidays again and grateful for the knowledge we have of eternal families.  We’re very excited about moving to Harrogate, Tennessee this next year and moving on to the next phase of our lives.  We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season and a very Happy New Year!