Holiday Letter

Isak
I am 7. I am in 1st grade. My favorite subject is math. I was born on Tuesday, November 11, 2004 (no, it wasn’t actually a Tuesday, it was a Thursday). I do taekwondo. I am a blue belt. I go to Guion Creek Elementary. My teacher’s name is Mrs. Carol Crider. I do choir in room 113 (this is the room his choir meets in at a local university. He and Becca are both in the Indianapolis Children’s Choir). In school I am in room 1. My favorite thing to do is read. My favorite food is spaghetti.

Becca
I turned 8 in January. I’ve met lots of new friends, like Hannah (I have no idea who Hannah is, but apparently she is important enough to mention in the holiday letter). When I turned 8 I got baptized at my church. After that I went home and got gifts, cake and play time. (Since Becca didn’t share much about herself, I’ll add just a bit. She is in 3rd grade this year and loves her teacher and classmates. She is still taking dance lessons and this year is participating in her dance studio’s production of The Nutcracker. Between school work, choir, dance, church activities, and a couple of extra-curricular clubs at school – scrabble and quilting – she is a busy girl. We frequently talk about cutting back, but she is just like her mama and wants to do EVERYTHING!)

Tricia
I continue to stay busy keeping the family on track. I am amazed at how much more time I have with both of the kids in school all day. I enjoy the flexibility in my schedule and the uninterrupted time to get things done, but I’m always happy when 3:30 rolls around and the kids walk through the door. I have thought frequently over the past few months that my life has the perfect balance of calm and crazy.
I have been serving at church as the Primary president, which I thoroughly enjoy. I have been teaching a scripture study class for women for the past year and a half, and it has been such a blessing to me. I love preparing the lessons and I enjoy the discussions we have in class.
I have become more active in the PTO at the kids’ school, serving this year as treasurer and also assigned to a couple of special projects. Volunteering at the school is so rewarding! It is an honor to work with the children and to get to know the adults who have such an impact on the lives of my kids.

Jeremy
This has been a fun and busy year. Most notably, I have been accepted into the AEGD (Advanced Education in General Dentistry) of the US Air Force and report to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in August. It adds a year commitment to what I already owe the Air Force, but it will be great from a practice standpoint, because it will introduce me to many specialties and allow me to become a more independent dentist. I am working hard to complete the graduation requirements of Dental school and anticipate gradating in May. I am constantly amazed at how awesome my wife and children are. (If you have time, I have many stories I can share.) We are hoping to have an addition to our family soon, but the waiting process for adopting within the US is very long and slow. We’ve been approved for adoption, but have yet to be selected.

We have received many blessings throughout the year and count ourselves lucky to have you in our lives. We wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!