Another year has come and gone. We want to wish all our friends and family a Merry Christmas! We wish we could be closer to do so in person. Here is a quick update on our doings over the past year...Chris continues to serve in the US Air Force. We left Hawaii in April to move to Wright Patterson Air Force Base which is near Dayton, OH. It was a big change for us. We missed the great tropical beauty of Hawaii and the many wonderful friends we made when we were there. Those memories will be with us always.
We bought a house in Beavercreek, OH, about 11 minutes from Chris's work. He now works with Acquisitions/Test Pilot Program. He recently finished a two month deployment to Dover Delaware where they were running some Flight Tests on the C-5. He ran his first marathon this year - the Air Force Marathon here in Dayton. (You can see some pics on one of our older posts). He loves playing with his boys and loves BYU football (Go Cougs!). He also loves his wife:) and is currently finishing two of the rooms in the basement. He sure is a wonderful husband and father.
Rachael started teaching aerobics again after a 3 1/2 year hiatus in Hawaii. She loves to teach and to spread the love of fitness. She is also busy raising these four rambunctious and wonderful boys. In January she plans on going back to school to work on some pre-reqs for a Master's Program once Ben enters first grade.
Joseph turned 11 this past summer. He is in 6th grade and really enjoys the adventure of Middle School. He loves going to a different classroom for each class and enjoys the social scene of meeting lots of new people. He played his first year of tackle football. He loves to read and has read all the Twilight Books, Harry Potter series, Hunger Games, Tennis Shoes among the Nephites, and also the Rick Riordan Olympian series. He is always joking and brings a lot of "fun" into our family. And did I mention he is now babysitting for us! Hallelujah!
Jacob turned 8 years old in October and is in the 2nd grade. It was wonderful to see him get baptized this year. Search through the old posts if you want to see the pictures.He played basketball at the beginning of the year when we lived in Hawaii, and also played tackle football. He loved it and would often tell me he was excited to go "crash some skulls" on the way to practice. He was diagnosed with dyslexia this year, which explained some of his reading struggles but he works very hard to overcome that and is improving a lot. His favorite subjects are art, math, and science. He is a very hard worker and the first to get his chores done!
Samuel turned 6 in October and is in the 1st grade. He is a great little piano player and very smart student. He comes home from school and practices the piano and does his reading without even being asked. He has an amazing mind and picks things up very easily. He is our little Einstein. He is a wonderful helper to Mom. He helped me make 30 bottles of minestrone soup to pass out at Christmas. He is a sweet boy!
Ben is our little 3 1/2 year old. He may be the youngest, but he is not afraid to hold his own with his older brothers. He is so much fun. He loves to give mom and dad great big hugs and kisses. He started preschool this year and really enjoys that. He loves having his friend Howie come over and play. Mom is teaching him how to read and he is doing really well. He loves sports and will often tell Dad or Joseph to play football with him. This is interpreted as, "chase after me and tackle me". He is a joy in our home!
We wish you all a wonderful holiday season. I am always grateful this time of year to reflect on the birth of our Savior. He came to the world in humble circumstances and learned line upon line, grace by grace. I am grateful for his example of love and for his atonement that allows me to repent and become clean again. That is the best gift he could give.
Love, Chris, Rachael, Joseph, Jacob, Samuel and Ben
