Christmas Newsletter 2013

This year has been a fun, exciting and busy one at our house!  My, how the time flies as we get older and as our kids get older!  Here is it, Christmas again!

Marshyl is still at Ariix during the day, running his department and watching over his 10 employees.  But his heart is truly in his “other job” with Send Out Cards.  We took a small hiatus from the business but are back on track and growing strong!  He has also been able to do many mentoring classes with life coach and mentor, Kirk Duncan this year that he really loves.

Kaiden turned 17 this year!  Yikes!  He finished up his 4 years of seminary and graduated in May.  But decided that he doesn't want to really be done with school yet, so he is at Layton High School taking their show choir class.  He is having a great time singing and dancing and performing.  He is on the very last stretch to his Eagle Scout award and did his project this fall collecting eye glasses to be sent and given away in Africa.  He stays busy hanging out with his friends, working at Ace Hardware and chauffeuring kids around to give mom a break.

Nic (15) stays busy with his homeschool and co-op assignments  and hanging out with friends.  He started ballroom dancing classes this year and loves it.  He also loves Boy Scouts.  He loves high adventure activities, staffing the National Youth Leadership Training camps and being in the Order of the Arrow.

Luke (13) stays busy playing with his friends and working on school.  He loves football and constantly has one in his hands, tossing it around.  The three boys took up long boarding this year and love it.  We did have a close call this summer when Nic wiped out and got a pretty major concussion after hitting his head on the ground.  After that it was helmets for everyone and they've all been safe while they've had fun.

Afton (10),  Makensi (7) and Garrett (5) get to hang out with me at home while the older boys are off to all of their activities.  They love to play with her friends and learn.  They are all old enough now to enjoy board games and we've had many an exciting game of Candyland and Sorry.  We also discovered the game Blokus this year and they love to play it, too.  They've discovered a love this year for BYU sports thanks to your neighbor who's brainwashed them thoroughly!  They won't wear any color but blue each day until they're sure Clyde won't be coming over to see them.  And don't ask them to wear red, that's the worst!  (Boo, Utes!)

All of the kids love acting and Kaiden, Nic & Luke were in Shakespeare's “ Comedy of Errors” in the spring and were able to go to Shakespeare Showdown and preform their play for other Shakespeare groups from all over the state.   Kaiden and Nic were in  “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: the Musical” this fall; Luke and Afton just finished up with “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” and Kensi made her acting debut in “The Elf that cried 'Polar Bear'”.  They all love being on stage and can't get enough of it.

I feel busier than ever this year!  I mentor a class once a month for our co-op on Leadership and Government, I was called to be the Young Women's president in the ward in June and I will be assistant directing the spring Shakespeare play, “Love's Labours Lost” as well as general homeschooling and keeping up on the house.  Life is good and we are having fun and are so grateful for all the blessings we've been blessed with this  year.

We hope this card finds you healthy and happy and enjoying the season of the celebration of the Savior's birth.  We love you all!

Merry Christmas!