2009 Christmas Letter

I am posting our Christmas card letter since it gives a good history on what we have been up to this past year. Some of it may be a repeat of previous postings, but I think most of it is new.

Dear Family and Friends,

We feel grateful for all of the many blessings we've received this year, the greatest being the true "reason for the season"! Of course, we are also fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends who we love! :) Thank you all for being so caring and fun! As all of our years together have been, this year has also been an eventful one.

We were somewhat landlocked for the early part of the year, but in March we visited Keith's grandma (91 years old) so she could meet Riley. We spend Memorial Day weekend with Jo's family visiting cemeteries.

In June we had John and Reagan's allergies tested. We learned that John is allergic to just about everything, including dairy, which could explain a great number of health issues he had in his early years. Regardless of the findings, he still insists on consuming all forms of dairy because he loves it so. Reagan wasn't allergic to anything, which was a relief. It might have been that she was too young. We were unable to get Riley tested, but we are very aware of his infant milk intolerance or "allergy". Hopefully, he'll soon outgrow it. Also in June, Keith and Jo took a much needed vacation in Las Vegas. We took in everything that was "G" rated, including the Shark Reef Aquarium, the Tournament of Kings Dinner Show and the Donnie and Marie Show. We also got to have a nice lunch with Jo's brother and his girlfriend at the Rainforest Cafe. It was a lot of fun!

Keith had LASIK surgery on his eyes in early July. It was expensive, but worth every penny. He loves being able to see without glasses and doesn't miss all of the times when he would misplace them! Later that month, we helped put on the Youth Conference for our ward by serving on the Youth Conference Committee. We had a game show, dinner, fireside, picture treasure hunt, boat regatta and testimony meeting. The kids were rambunctious, but the Spirit was strong! It was a great experience!

John was baptized on August 1st. It was a terrific day and we appreciated all who were able to share it with us. For his birthday, he spent a week with his grandparents. He always has a great time and looks forward to it every year. Also in August, we attended Jo's extended family reunion near where her grandma grew up. We really enjoyed seeing the sights of her childhood.

Labor Day weekend brought another family reunion with Jo's family, which was held at her aunt's lodge. We toured a local history museum, visited family history sites and did some hiking. Also in September, Jo spent her birthday with her sister and two of her nieces at her aunt's house. They did some more hiking and had a fantastic time!

Keith has had a busy semester. He is currently serving as the program chair with one faculty member on sabbatical for the year and another one recently let go due to cutbacks. The remaining few have had to absorb the excess work. It has been stressful with the state shortfalls in revenue in the face of increasing enrollment. Keith no longer teaches any extra classes except for an online course due to cutbacks. It's nice to have him around every evening and to have him free in the summer, but we do miss the extra income. Keith has really appreciated the elliptical machine we purchased this year and uses it to work out all of his stress and to prepare for the occasional run.

Jo is enjoying her job. Fortunately, her organization operates independently and is not reliant on state funds and seems to be doing well with the federal contracts that they receive. Jo has also restarted a workout regime this year on the elliptical machine. She enjoys watching her favorite show while staying in shape!

John (8) is now in cub scouts and he thoroughly enjoys every aspect of it. He earned his Bobcat badge in a week and is well on his way to earning his Wolf badge. We have always known of John's musical talent. With the purchase of Keith's parents' piano, John was able to begin taking lessons from Jo. He's a quick study. John is also an avid reader and just finished the third Harry Potter book. Reagan (3) practices her mommy skills on her dolls, her little brother and anyone else she thinks needs them. We just love her sweetness. Riley's (14 mos.) favorite place is on Jo's hip, although he is walking everywhere now. He talks a lot, like all of our kids, and even knows some words too! :)

We miss you all dearly and truly wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Keith, Jo, John, Reagan and Riley