Merry Christmas 2012 Happy New Year 2013

So, I have had a fabulous year!  At 38 years, I finally got married.  James and I feel very fortunate to have found each other.  It was fun to plan festivities for the wedding, but it’s been even better transitioning into married life.  We were married June 16 in the Mount Timpanogos temple in Utah.  We were happy to have so much family with us.  We honeymooned in Prince Edward Island, Canada and enjoyed “Anne of Green Gables country”, with its red dirt, potato fields, seafood, lupins, and of course lighthouses.  June 30 we had a wedding reception in Virginia.  James’ five children were there, other family, and many friends.  We were happy to celebrate as planned, despite the widespread power outages caused by the Deracho.

James moved to Alexandria in April, and was called right away to be a counselor in the Elders Quorum.  James is diligent in his assignment, and has impressed me with how quickly he has gotten to know the names of people we go to church with.  He spends a fair bit of time coordinating home teaching assignments and helping out as needed.  I am still building scheduler, and also the Relief Society Fellowshipping Committee Chair.  We have fun trying to welcome the new sisters who move in, and have started spotlighting a variety of sisters to get to know them better.  I also filled in temporarily with the weekly Sunday bulletin.   I am so grateful to have the priesthood in my home, and appreciate the strength of James’ testimony.  Attending the temple regularly together has also been a big blessing for us. 

We spend time with the children every other Saturday.  Joseph turned 13 this year.  He is growing quickly and is as tall as his father.  Jonas (11) is active in scouting and recently received his arrow of light.  Hyrum (7) got glasses this year and quite enjoys sports.  Jenna (6) loves playing house and is very generous in sharing her affection and appreciation of others.  Joy will be 4 soon, and is full of energy and very independent.  It’s been a pleasure for me to get to know them and have them be part of our lives.
James and I love spending time with friends and family, playing board games, attending plays and musicals, and traveling.  This year we saw lighthouses in North Carolina, Cape Code, and Prince Edward Island.

We are grateful for your friendship, and wish you a very Merry Christmas.