It’s hard to believe that 2013 is drawing to a close. This year has been an interesting year. Full of uncertainties but alas, it has been a good year because we have each other and we have good health. Our Father in Heaven is so mindful of us and continues to bless us richly despite our weaknesses.
Michael is doing well. He celebrated 19 years of employment with Republic Services, in August. It is hard for us to believe that his 20th anniversary with the company is just months away. Time flies. He is a Sunday school teacher for the 17 year olds. He enjoys the group of teenagers very much. As usual, he is happy to be constantly busy with work life and with home life. Having such a large piece of property has its challenges that he enjoys conquering. I think the riding mower may be his favorite thing, ever.
I am busy, busy, busy, just as any other mother and wife out there. I am still working primarily from home for Olympus Clinic. It is a great job and I am so blessed to be employed. I co-teach with Michael in Sunday school. We love our calling in church and we especially love “our” teens. Besides work, home life has kept me plenty busy this year. Our kids are growing up so fast which means their needs have become a bit more demanding than just cheerios and juice. J I am having a hard time accepting the fact that our lives are changing as we enter into a new chapter of parenting with Jordan becoming an adult.
Jordan is 18 as of today. This is a hard pill for me to swallow. He will be graduating from high school in June. He is planning to serve a full time mission for the LDS church with hope of a leave date sometime in the early Fall. He is considering enlisting in the military upon his arrival home from his mission. He has a desire to serve our country and also be trained in mechanics. Time will only tell. He is an amazing kid. We are so blessed to be his parents. His humility and love that he has for every person he meets is inspiring. I am not sure how I am going to handle having him gone from home. He adds so much to our family.
Justin is just as adorable as ever. He is in his last year of elementary education. We made the decision to move our kids from their charter school into public school. Justin has blossomed and progressed tenfold at Bluffdale Elementary. He has had excellent success with his school studies and has made a great group of friends. He is still obsessed with Legos and also enjoys his video gaming time. 2014 will bring big changes for Justin as he enters pre-teen status and enters middle school. Heaven help us all. Justin brings good balance in our home. He thrives on structure and refuses to procrastinate any task at hand. This is so good for us as he keeps us all on task.
Audriana is so smart and so beautiful. She turned 8 in March. She was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in April. She was thrilled to have her dad perform her baptism. Just about any task is easy for her. She continues to do so well in her school studies. She has also made new friends at Bluffdale Elementary. She is taking piano lessons, although our attendance has been a bit sporadic lately. She is so sweet and is so mindful of others feelings. She has the cutest sense of humor and is a constant source of light and happiness in our family.
We hope that we find you well. We think of you often. May we all remember that, all we have and all we do, is by the loving grace of our Father in Heaven and that Jesus Christ, our Savior, has made it possible for each of us to continually repent of our shortcomings so that we may someday live in the presence of our Father. We love you! May 2014 be full of happiness and prosperity and much less drama than what 2013 had to offer.
