June 2011

Family Letter- June, 2011

The Fourth of July party will commence at around 6:00 on July 2nd (a Saturday).  If there are children who would like to come play in the water (this assumes that it actually gets warm enough to get the water out) you may come at 5:30.

Food Assignments are:

Brenda’s  and Wayne’s families:  Dessert
Kent’s and Lynn’s families: Salads
Diana’s family: potatoes and beans

Heads of families:  I want to have enough food, without spending our money foolishly.  Will you please call me with a count of how many people who will actually eat  a serving (so like, I’m going to count all 5 of my four year olds as 2 people).  I need this count by June 30th.

Third Generation:  Decide if the party is on your agenda and call your parents, please, so they can report to me how many people.   Make it easy for them.  They love you, but just because you all got married doesn’t mean they are not still very busy!


Sybil and Dean Bateman: I turned 88 years old this year and I am still muddling along.  I struggle with my balance and arthritis but other than that I am pretty healthy.  I am still attending church and I am serving as a visiting teaching supervisor. Dean has been dead for 8 years last January.  I sold both of my cars this year and Brenda has become my transportation expert.  She takes me places and helps me shop.  I really appreciate all she does for me.  Paul and Elisa are doing my gardens this summer and Brenda helped them plant flowers.  Wayne helps me on Mondays.  I think it is good for both of us.  I like to attend as many of the great-grandchildren’s activities as I can.  Alison and Curtis’s family has made me a great-great-grandmother.  My family is everything to me and I love you so very much.  I love when you come to visit me.  I added up my posterity, and counting all the in-laws there are 166 of us of whom we have lost 4.

__________________________
Kent and Sharon Bateman: We are both still working in West Jordan and Sandy.  Our health is holding out so far.  We will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary this year with a reunion at our home in Levan.  The last of our overlapping missionaries (Joshua Dean-Brian & Cheryl's youngest son) will be home and we hope to be able to get a current family picture.  It will never be complete without Brian but we are hoping for everyone who possibly can to be there to be there for the picture.  We are excited!
We are teaching a marriage class in Sunday school together, learning a lot about how to be married for 50 years.  Perhaps it is a little late.   We work one evening a month at the Manti temple and it’s an enjoyable experience.  We are old and tired of trying to keep the weeds out of the yard, an impossible task since we live in the middle of a field.  The deer eat everything except the weeds. Living in Levan is enjoyable except for the deer, woodpeckers (who have nearly destroyed our stucco pecking holes into it), squirrels (who live under our driveway and watch us through our patio doors) and the mice (who make complicated freeways in our grass underneath the snow in the winter). All is well!
Alison and Curtis Sandall: It's been a VERY crazy 2 years at our house as I am sure most all of you are already aware.... dating, Wedding, "oh how cute.. dating, waiting for missionary.... OH by the way your going to be a grandma... "WHAT"? babies, dating... Wedding.. WHAT? (oh my gosh will somebody come get us out of jail when THIS wedding is over they are going to get us for check fraud." dating, Oh Mommy! whats wrong, get up off the floor, it's okay I'm only getting married.... "WHAT???" (fainting). Dad and mom your going to be grandparents again.....  HOLY COW!!!! WAIT! THATS NOT ALL, MOM! WE ARE GETTING MARRIED TOO, Did you save the chair covers??? Hey mom and dad your going to be a grandma and grandpa again......  Needless to say In less than 2 years we have had 5 people added to our family and two on the way.. "INCREDIBLE" I can look back and say what a blessing now, but, I wondered sometimes if I would ever make it through it all.

     So, Jared and Zarah Sandall have a little girl on the way, They are trying to find a new place right now Jared is getting certified in mold restoration (nobody does that I guess).  Zarah is a very talented photographer, you can see some of her stuff on facebook.  Ben, Kaylee and Tenley Sandall.... They just bought their first home and have been fixing it up. Rredoing floors and bathrooms. Kaleb, one of our sons-in-law is a plumber and he did all of Ben's plumbing. Trevor and Ben know how to do all the flooring and Ben’s father-in-law helped him frame and drywall, he didn't even have to hire out. Trevor and Katie Valenzuela have a little girl on the way..they are trying to sell one their vehicles right now and they just moved into a nice two bedroom apt that Kaleb and Megan found for them in their ward. It's a pretty nice place and they live right next door, too. Katie is due August 9th.  Kaleb and Megan Hatch  are in the process of redecorating their place; painting and such. It looks really nice. Megan just got a raise and Kaleb is trying to get his plumbers license so he can go out on his own. Everything happened so fast! But the best thing in the world is family and I think most of you will agree. There is nothing better than your children. You can't deny it.

 Curtis and I are living here in the little po-dunk town of Cornville, Arizona. I like it, though it's off the beaten path and Paul can tell you that I'm not lying. He's been to see me. I changed my job this year (kinda).  I was working for the Cottonwood Oak Creek School District as an Attendance Secretary, and the district is so messed up and losing money ( I think the Superintendant is.....) anyway, I was offered a job for $3.00 more an hour at another school as an Administrative Assistant. I really like it. Curtis is doing well. Kids all moved to Flagstaff so we are empty nesters  (oh yay).  It's a good thing I like my husband. I do think he is awfully cute ;)

Loves and Kisses to all...... Curtis, Alison Sandall and the GANG


(Brian Bateman) Cheryl and Richard Church: Greetings from Panguitch!  This has been a great year for our family.  Breanne played on the State Championship Volleyball Team. They set a new state win record 69-1, she was named to the All-State Volley-ball Team, Basketball Team and Golf Team and took 1st place in Region & State Golf.  She graduated on May 25 and will be attending SUU this fall.  Josh returned from his mission yesterday, June 2, he absolutely loved being a missionary and serving in Ohio, he will return to SUU this fall.  Kyle has been attending SUU on an academic scholarship and has been maintaining straight A's.  He has also been working as a mentor for troubled youth.  Justin graduated this spring from SUU with a degree in Parks, Recreation & Tourism and plans to return to SUU in the fall to get his Master's Degree in Public Administration. He works part-time at the golf course in Cedar City.  Richard continues to stay busy as the coach of the men's and women's golf team at SUU and Cheryl continues to stay busy as Director of Panguitch Main Street and as Drama Coach at Panguitch High School.  She was recently appointed to the Garfield County Travel Council and is the 1st counselor in the Young Women's.  All of us work at the family business - Blue Pine Motel, which is a great way to spend time together and stay close to each other.  I am so happy after 5 years to have all my children together again!



Brent and Terri Bateman. Brent is delighted to report that he is still married to Terri, who surprises and intrigues him every day. Brent is also delighted to report that he is still father to four kids, who confuse and enrage him every day. Brent is still employed by the State of Utah, but don’t bother to ask what he does -- it is boring and hard to pronounce.
Terri is mighty good-lookin’ and utterly devoted to the following hobbies: reading, book club attending, card making, cooking, exercising, stamping, jewelry making, puzzle assembling, chauffeuring, cub scout leadering, teaching at BYU, and making googly-eyes at Brent.  Terri had the cable/satellite disconnected from the house a couple of years ago, but Brent outsmarted her and got Netflix so no one noticed.
Zoe has just finished making several major decisions: (1) to not drop out of high school (that was a tough one); (2) to attend BYU next fall (not as tough); (3) to major in Chemical Engineering (huh??); (4) to never never never go camping again (saw that comin’ for a while now).
Sam made just one decision, and thereby learned much about the law of consequences. He decided to play rugby. This resulted in a broken collarbone. This resulted in no baseball, marching band, wrestling, exercising, trampoline, writing, piano, or sleep for two months. Sam is now 16. He also learned that 16 is not all it is cracked up to be once he discovered that it takes money to drive a car and to date girls.
Daisy just turned 11, which if you know Daisy you know that is actually 17 in “Daisy years.” She spends hours on the phone with her friends, has several admirers/stalkers, never finishes her dinner, kisses her daddy about 362 times a day, and just will not stop talking.
Jeffrey on the other hand doesn’t say much at all (how could he?). If he has a message to send, he prefers to let Karate do his talking for him. He has written and illustrated several comic books starring himself and Sam as superheroes named “Stud and Bud.” We are so proud.



Heath and Kathy Bateman
The Book Of Heath
 
Taken from the large head of Heath. An account of Heath and his wife Kathy and his daughter Lindsey.
 
1. I Heath, having been born of farmerly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my Father and the discipline of my Grandfather; which included violently swinging a large piece of wood called a  willow across my nether regions; and also knowing that a willow was really flimsy and weak wood but not the sticks he swung at me, and having seen the difficulty in farming and seeing that Steve was in charge of the cows and knowing that only Doug has the ability to be a 5 day a week farmer, therefore I knowing farming included working more than twenty hours a week and knowing that farming was not for me because of working over twenty hours a week, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my last year.
 
2. And it came to pass that my family, which consists of my wife Kathy and my daughter Lindsey, departed from the annual 4th of July Party with my bowels filled with food, a greater appreciation for family members‘ freedom of expression’& long stringy flying and screaming balloons. I traveled in a southerly direction finally arriving at my home, finding all well there.
 
3. Summer continued and great were the experiences thereof. Thus we see that those that like fishing and outdoors are greatly blessed by the mountains, lakes and streams in the nearby mountains and valleys and those that choose to run marathons and work out are likened unto the foolish man who needs to be punched in the back of the head.
 
4. Soon it was time for Lindsey, she being the oldest daughter, to return back to school for her 6th grade school year. Recognizing the opportunity to be the oldest grade in elementary school and to rule the school as well as the pending changes of Jr. High School the year after, she was determined in body and spirit to make this year the best year yet.
 
5. Alas, her excitement lasted about as long as it takes to make cup of soup. School is difficult for young women. Yea, it is difficult for all those that attend. Including young men, middle aged men and women, old people, trolls, butterflies, and ferrets. But behold, she did hold fast on the faith that she soon would be out of school completely and would never have to stand in line for runny mashed potatoes, a Jell-O brick, roll, and cardboard container of warm milk with a strange picture of a lost child on it again. Never the less, she did forbear.
 
6. It came to pass that in the 4th month after the 4th of July Party, my family being great with boredom and having a desire to gather in a far off land, and to justify the purchase of expensive, rusting and unused trailers, decided to travel a great distance and camp by the shores of the Flaming Gorge. Finding the parking lot full of other family members and knowing much room was required for the coming members staying location, I decided to inhabit the upper parking lot called in the English tongue, upper parking lot.

7. Great was the time spent during that week. Never the less, the rulers of this land try our patience and our faith. For it came to pass that the rulers came to the camp and spoke with others first party stating that camping there was forbidden by law and great would be the punishment thereof. This brought about a great desire to go to war with the rulers of this land over providing this people with adequate camping locations during the autumn months. It came to pass that our leader spoke with others and stated that it was his desire to contact the leaders of this land to get a pardon to stay there. However, his statement was in vain because there was someone in the group that denied the ability of our leader and cast dispersions on him in an attempt to weaken his faith and increase his rage. Nevertheless we did believe in him and knew he would accomplish his task.
 
8. And it came to pass that the times of holiday celebration were soon upon us and many family comings and goings were held and great was the attendance thereof. A great Christmas Party was held in the, “CHILDREN DO NOT CROSS THE CAUTION TAPE & TOUCH ANYTHING THAT IS RED AND LOOKS FUN” building. Great was the soreness of Paul’s voice yelling for Zachary to, “GET BACK HERE”.  Nevertheless, it made a great and lasting impression on all who attended, especially those that decided not to hold it anymore.
 
9. Kathy, she being the keeper of the money, was able to provide a nice Christmas for us with many gifts given and received. There was much Joy in the season. The day of Lindsey’s age change was soon upon us and her time spent on this earth was lengthened by one year. In her 12th year she was able to join the Young Women’s organization and in her words, “Finally stop singing those stupid songs in Mother’s and Father’s Day worship service meetings.” She being a full 2 feet taller than the sunbeams singing with her. Upon Joining the Young Women’s, Lindsey’s joy was full.
 
10. And Heath slept
 
11. And it came to pass that in the7th month, after the 4th of July Party, I grew in age, wisdom, and girth and shrunk in height. Kathy and I enjoyed our 42 year birthdays and great was the anguish thereof. Yea, great was the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth at the thought that I am my father’s age when I got back from my mission. Yea, great disappointment and anger came on account that the millennium hasn’t come to release the captive old people from bondage and renew their souls with vigor and low cholesterol and blood pressure. Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. For verily, verily I say unto you, have you not heard the great blessings of those that turn 43? Yea, great is their patience and their faith. For verily, verily, that brings them one step closer to Medicare and Medicade as well as retirement job opportunities. Yea, as I labor to support my family, in my failing years I will hear the constant cry from the children as I clean carts and ask the immortal question, “Welcome to Walmart, would you like a sticker?”
 
12. And again it came to pass that early in the spring I was wondering about whethersoever I would for the safety from being called to more church callings when I was called into the Stake President’s office. Therefore, through an interview with the Stake Presidency I was called to be on the High Council of my Stake. Once again, the Lord tryeth our patience and our faith. Nevertheless and not withstanding my weaknesses, I will stand idly by and not say anything in meetings thereby not adding to my confusion and workload. Yea, I will stand in the shadows and wait until beckoned by the Stake President to go and do a task. Then I will return from the task and report, only to hide in the shadows thereafter. Yea, preparations will be made to stay hidden and quiet.
 
13. And it came to pass that in the 11the month from the 4th of July party, I was instructed from above to apply for a new job in the City of Lindon. And it came to pass, I was able to disguise my weaknesses and convince them that I would be a good member of their team. Therefore, I now work in happy valley. Where people don’t seem that much happier but drive much crazier. Perhaps that is because those in Salt Lake County are so unhappy. It must be relative to our position.



Andrea and Jarom Echols. Last August we welcomed # 5, our first boy, Levi Jarom.  He is a wonderful baby and as you can imagine, spoiled rotten by his 4 older sisters.  He is starting to crawl and has been known to pull himself up to things.  Lily turned 3 and has finally started talking this last year.  Not always understandably, but at least she is putting words together.  Hannah just turned 5 and can’t wait to go to school.  She is Levi’s second mother.  Rachel just finished the 1st grade and received the “Eagle Award” this year for being a good student and friend to others.  Emma is done with the 4th grade and will be riding a different bus than her sisters next year, same school, just different bus.  It’s weird.  This year she took 2nd place, beating out a sixth grader, in the school spelling bee.  I love being at home with the kids trying to make them do their chores and not hurt each other… too badly.  I love having the time to help out at school.  This last year I was in charge of the school book fair and next year I’ll get to be over box tops.  It’s good to be involved while my kids still like me!  At the beginning of the year Jarom got a second job to expedite the payoff of the loan for the Money Pit (aka our house).  In May he was one of hundreds who lost their job working for Novell.  The Lord was mindful of us and 4 days later he was learning the ropes at his new job.  After 5 years he was released from YM/Scouts and put in as the Elders Quorum Secretary.  It’ll be nice having him home more. We still love our new home and still love Levan.  Life doesn’t get much better.

Kirt Bateman and Jerry Rapier celebrated 15 years together this year. Kirt has been spending his fourth year as Executive Director of the Davis Arts Council in Layton and Jerry his 11th season as Producing Director of Plan-B Theatre Company. They live downtown in Salt Lake with two cats (Laverne and Shirley) and two dogs (Stanley and Stella). This year, Kirt won the Salt Lake City Weekly Arty Award for "Best Theatre Performance" for his performance in Plan-B Theatre Company's production of Amerigo (a debate between Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci on who actually discovered America -- Kirt played the moderator of the proceedings, Nicolo Machiavelli). Jerry's company (Plan-B Theatre) was awarded the "Organization of the Year" award from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as well as the "Best Theatre Company" award for the 7th year in a row by Q Salt Lake.  Both Kirt and Jerry spent a great deal of time creating a fundraising performance event--organizing over 100 artists and 40 partnering companies and non-profits--all coming together to build awareness and raise money for anti-bullying efforts in schools.  This was done in reaction to the many stories of teenage kids being literally bullied to death. The evening was called "Different=Amazing" and it was an emotional and powerful evening that both Kirt and Jerry are extremely proud of.  The website www.differentisamazing.com tells a bit more about the event. Kirt randomly saw Mark Parker on a flight home from New York City this year and was reminded that it's not so much a small world as it is a BIG Bateman family…which he loves.
 ________________________
Wayne (and RaNae)Bateman:  Wayne is happy. Everything in his life just keeps on much the same as it has in years past. He is surrounded by his children, and their children. There is rarely a moment that there is not at least one child in his home.  If he thinks about it, he realizes it is much the same as it was when his kids were young. Chaos rules here, and he would not have it any other way. He still thinks of Ranae regularly, and misses her terribly. However, having the kids close makes it easy to be patient for the day they will be together again. He does wish sometimes that he could stop time and keep all the kids from getting any older. It seems they are growing faster than he can even blink. He enjoys teasing the kids and telling them he is going to put rocks on their heads to keep them from getting any taller. We know it won’t work though just by looking at Cody who is now a 17 year old young man.  As far as his health is concerned, things are much the same, but when he has a bad day his children always remind him it could be worse. For the most part, he is very blessed, and lucky to have so many people that love him. Whether he is the on the phone with them, running errands with them, or just sitting down to talk, it seems everyone who loves him is never far away, and he would not change a thing.



Amy and Frank Rasmussen  are now in Salt Lake, and their family is doing okay. The boys are getting too big too fast. Cody is now 17 and is going through all the trials that accompany being a teenager. He is having a hard go but the whole family has faith that he will come out ahead. Zachery is 12 now and was just ordained a deacon. He loves scouts, and is doing great. He will now be moving up into the seventh grade, and does pretty good in school. Wyatt is now two, and loves to eat. He isn’t picky and that is great. He is playful and fun. Most of all he is curious about everything. His world revolves around cars, drawing, and Sesame Street. Amy has had problems with seizures, but her medicine is now starting to stabilize her condition.  Both Amy and Frank have been struggling to conquer their health problems, but they are strong and determined. On the good side of things they are getting the chance to have a lot of family time. They try to remain positive about life.


Julie and Jeff Robinson: Julie and Jeff are doing good and are pleased to say life has not thrown them off too much this year. Really there are no complaints for us, and we are excited to see everybody again.   They still remain at Wayne’s to assist him as needed. Julie still works for Joe’s Crab Shack, and Olive Garden in Sandy. This leaves Jeff to play chauffer for Wayne, in between his classes at the University of Utah (lucky him). Really though, it seems to work well for them both. Jeff also has become quite the cook, he loves to try new recipes, and some are even successful (lol).  Both Julie and Jeff have decided to take the summer off from school to have some quality family time, and then start again in the fall.
The kids are progressing right along as well. Brittney has just finished her sophomore year in high school, and all the fun that went with it. For the summer she has decided to work two jobs to save some money. She works at Vanity, and at Custom Events, and is a very busy girl. Sydney is moving along too, she is now 10 and finished 4th grade. In the beginning she had to really struggle hard, but by the end of the year she received an award for most improved reading. We are so proud that she has put in so much effort; she is such a hard worker. We have all learned a lesson from her determination. Tommy is as spunky as ever, snakes and snails and puppy dog tails really apply here. He is our rough and tumble boy, he finished his first season in t-ball, and loved every minute of it. He has just finished kindergarten and loves school, although his world really revolves around Transformers, and video games.  


Josh Bateman: We still don’t know much about Josh. Unfortunately he is still not in contact with any of us. We love him and miss him and understand he is somewhere in Northern Utah. We all pray that he will overcome this negativity so that we can be a whole family again.  Tough love can be the hardest love to give. We did find some pictures of his girls online at his sister-in-laws website, and it seems they are growing into beautiful young ladies.


Melissa and Robert Christensen: We are doing better than ever!
    Robert is just one class away from his associates degree and about a year away from his bachelors. He has been able to keep his grades up and has been on the Dean’s list. We are all so proud of him. He is working at SanSeagal Sportswear now and is happy with his job. He works so hard to make sure I get to stay at home and take care of the kids. He goes out fishing every chance he can get and is working on teaching Grayson how to fish with him. He is the best Dad and Husband, and we are so lucky to have him.    I (Melissa) am still totally wrapped up in my cute kiddos. I am still the PTA president for Grayson's school which will be my 4th year. I love it, it is a great way for me to be able to be really involved in the school and take an active role in Grayson's education. I feel like with all the school has done for Grayson and our family it is the least I can do. I am also the Parent partner at the kids’ pediatrician office (Aunt Sharon's work as well). This gives me the opportunity to help families that are just getting the Autism diagnosis. I like that I can be there to help them navigate through the Autism world. I also just started a business selling all of the cute girly things Alyia has inspired me to learn to make. So if anyone needs anything girly you know where to find it.
   Grayson just turned 8 and is a cub scout now. I am not sure where all the time went. He is so excited to go to his first day camp next weekend. We do have to hire a respite care worker to go with him just to make sure he has the help he needs. Scouts, so far, has been great for him and they are always understanding when he can't really stay on track. He is going into the 3rd grade and will be going to the
Pingree Center once again. He has been doing so well and keeps making huge strides every day. We are always so proud of him! He has been such a great big brother and is always doting on his baby sister. His goal now seems to be finding as many ways as possible to make Alyia laugh.
   Alyia is our little princess and she just turned 1. She is a ball of energy and very high maintenance and always so fun. She is walking, and talking, and gets into everything. She is such a cute petite little girl. We are so glad she decided to be in our family. We are all head over heels in love with her.  
   You can keep up with our family on my blog http://mbc715.blogspot.com/ or find me on facebook Melissa Christensen

Camille and Dustin Haight: We are doing great. We are still happily enjoying the Southern Utah weather, and have met some really great people. Dustin still works for Wal-mart in Cedar City, and is fairly happy. He is still in the process of obtaining his associates degree with University of Phoenix, and will be complete in January. Camille will finish this August then move on to earn a BA in communications. Camille no longer watches children from home, but does photography on the side as a hobby, and a little extra money. Dustin still is the ward financial clerk while Camille has moved to be the primary secretary.
The Kids are great too. Kalie just finished the fifth grade and is moving on to the intermediate school, where she can’t wait to try the violin. She is moving right along with the piano, and says she loves music. Cassidy is now eight and was baptized in March. She is all about sports these days, and was recruited for the Southern Utah girls soccer tournament league.  She loves to watch the Jazz and was very sad at the latest loss of Darrin Williams.  Emily is five and will start kindergarten this fall. She is very excited and can’t wait to meet new friends. She lives to make new friends. She spends her days outside, and has to be coerced to come inside. Aspen is 18 months and learning to talk finally after getting tubes in her ears. She is fun and spunky and climbs on everything. She loves to follow her sisters anywhere, and is winding down from her violent stage where she would hit everybody, for no real reason, ha,ha.  All in all we are happy.
 



Chad Bateman has had his shares of ups and downs, but it looks like he is landing on his feet again. Unfortunately, this last year Chad and Venus have decided to get divorced. Chad currently has custody of the boys. He is doing a good job as a single parent. He now lives in Sandy, across the street from Wayne, and relies on Wayne and the family to help him with the kids. He lives with his new girlfriend who is wonderful and supportive. Angie is also a single parent who understands the trials that come with it. She is a tremendous help to him in many ways. She is fun and energetic and is able to keep up with the three boys and her daughter and keep them all in line.
 Chad works for Clayco in Salt Lake. They build and expand movie theaters all over so he travels quite a bit in the westerns States. His boys are growing fast. Corbin will be in 3rd grade next year, he loves to read and write, and has very neat writing. He is an awesome kid who takes good care of his brothers. Carson will be going into Kindergarten this fall, he is smart and mischievous, and loves candy as all boys do, which makes it a good thing that Grandpa keeps a stash around. Then there is Connor who is almost 3, he is 100% bona-fide boy. Rough and ragged, and always climbing something. He keeps everyone on their toes, but is so much fun to have around.
 Corbin, Carson, And Connor




Nathan  Bateman and his girlfriend Malisa are still engaged, they live Riverton, and love to spend their time riding and caring for her horses. They are gooey in love, and can’t wait to get married. They actually hope to have a wedding this year in August or September. Nate works at Home Depot, and Malisa is working at Kohls.  Nate is working to move up at Home Depot, and hopes to do so soon.


Natalie and Brett Loveland and their family have had a bit of a roller coaster this year. We had the new addition of baby Quinn to our family in January, which was wonderful. Though, she has given us a few scares. After a few ER trips and several doctor visits we found out she has kidney reflux, which is under control now with the help of antibiotics. Thank heaven for modern medicine. Then just after we get all this figured out, poor little Byrnlee started having seizures. Hopefully both girls will grow out of these ailments. For the most part though we are lucky, we just remind ourselves things could always be much worse.
We live in a cute little apartment in West Jordan. Quinn is starting to sit up and is five months old, and Brynlee is moving on with ease into being a toddler. She talks like crazy, and loves her sister, well most of the time anyway.  Brett got on with Waste Management in the recycling center this year, which is wonderful because we no longer have to put up with construction layoffs.  Natalie stays home with the girls and loves taking care of them. Natalie and Brett are excited with their little life and have even started going back to church with a goal in mind to go to the temple when we are ready.




_________________________

Brenda and Gary Jeppson: Our lives are just like our ward:  older, quieter, pretty much eventless.  No births, marriages, missions or other things to announce. The first half of the first year of retirement for me (B) was not so good.  A knee replacement with a glitch or two, healing, physical therapy, alone-ness (I did not say lonliness). Two kittens helped ease the stretch of days.  I started subbing in December and that was really good; only at my own school, knew the kids, two or fewer days a week, easy to do, a little bit of money. Gary and I are both on Medicare, if you can wrap your brains around that!

Gary is still working hard, sometimes long days on projects that need site overseeing.  He finished his beautiful wood shop last fall, and we had just enough time to put lots of tools and wood stuff in it before snowfall.  Stuff still isn't arranged in the right drawers, or cabinets, but it surely is the coolest personal shop ever.

We are remodeling our yard, garden beds, amount of grass, etc., with an overall landscape plan to reduce the labor intensive nature we've dealt with in past years.  This is not easy, since part of the plan is to rebuild our deck and railing in a synthetic product to ensure that we will not be staining and painting again. Some of the wood is quite weak and rotty, being as it's 27 years old!  This is a two-summer project schedule (if we are lucky), and we are thinking a mission in about a year-and-a-half.

Just yesterday Gary was called as scoutmaster.  He has been the 11-year-old scout leader for almost 15 years!   We team-teach the marriage and family relations Sunday School class.  We've tried to do some different and fun things (film, love languages, Love and Logic, role playing and skits, etc.), rather than strictly the manual, and the first cycle of sixteen lessons was good.  I helped quite a bit with our Stake's Youth Conference--nothing to come close to Diana's hours--and I'm very glad to be through with that.  Next, our stake has to do a float for the Children's Parade in July.  That's why our yard won't ever be finished in two years.  We continue to say yes and give our Saturdays to someone else (not necessarily the Lord--mostly people who are in a pinch; there's a difference.)

The two kittens are almost one year old.  That's how exciting our lives are!  We're so happy and proud to be part of this family.  Our Christmas gathering, 2010, was really wonderful, and we hope everyone will be able to attend the Fourth of July at Diana's.  Enjoy every day; it surely goes fast!



Jennifer and Randall Cheney are still living in Okinawa, Japan (4 1/2 years now), where Randall works for the Air Force.  They love being there, but really miss family and the mountains!  Besides Randall's job, they're busy with their 4 kids and church callings (district clerk, Relief Society pres. & missionary work).  Jennifer teaches English in a Japanese hospital and volunteers in her kids' classes.   They love the adventure of traveling to new places in Japan.  Madison (15) is involved in track and cross-country at school and plays the violin; Jacob (13) is running, swimming & playing the piano; Jonathan (10) plays the piano and basketball; and Levi (6) just finished kindergarten and loved every day of it!   They're all smart, great kids!  Their family is trying to schedule a trip home this summer!  Check out their blog at
http://cheney6.blogspot.com.  

Holly and Lee Woolsey and family are doing great and enjoying life in Richfield.  Lee still works for the Natural Resource Conservation Service and gets to do a wide variety of work.  I still work at home and am grateful for that.  Together, we like to work in the yard and garden, go on four-wheeler rides, go camping, and watch our kids wrestle in the backyard.

Lee is a ward missionary and the handy man of the neighborhood (I volunteer him for lots of little fix-it jobs).  He just finished enclosing our deck, turning it into more dining room space.  It looks beautiful!  I am the Young Women's President and stay busy with kids and house work.  I like to bike ride and do digital scrapbooking.

Nathan is 14 and loves basketball, football, archery, hunting and scouting.  He will start high school in the fall.  He is almost done with his Eagle project which is a public archery range in the foothills of Richfield.  He has a reputation as a hard worker and neighbors will hire him to do odd jobs.  Besides that he owns his own lawn-mowing business and he is moving hand lines and wheel lines for a farmer this summer.  So the money is rollin' in and he handles it so well!  He is part of the staff for Timberline Scout camp this summer, too.  Nathan is focused on his goals and very reliable.

Abbie is 11 and gets to join me in Young Womens in September.  She loves to swim competitively, play volleyball and basketball, play the piano, paint, and read.  She'll attend the Middle School (6th grade) in the fall.  She is an excellent student and thrives on learning new things.  She is very entertaining to live with!

Nicholas is 9 and loves soccer, legos, playing with his friends at a tree hut down the road, and teaching Luke about the world of Hot Wheels Battle Force 5.  He is a wonderful older brother and he and Luke have many fun times together, especially if they have permission to turn the hose on full blast in the sand box!   At night, Nicholas entertains the neighborhood with his powerful green laser that can shine...probably too far.  Oh well....it is cool!

Luke just turned 4 and his birthday party was the pinnacle of his life so far!  How could it not be with 12 other 4 year-olds, water balloons, ice-cream cones, swimming pools and water guns, presents and finally a balloon magician?  Ahh...life is so-o-o good when you are 4!   He also got to drive a John Deere tractor and cut hay with our neighbor last week.  Actually, that was probably the pinnacle of his life so far.   He is dead-set on growing up to be a farmer and driving tractors and playing with baby animals all day.  I hope I can retire there.

Some exciting news for us: no, we are not having a baby, but we are getting another kid.   We are going to host a foreign exchange student from Germany this upcoming school year.  His name is Dennis Padrog and he seems like such a great kid!  He will be a Sophomore.  The organization called CETUSA has helped us coordinate the exchange.  We feel really good about it and we are looking forward to showing him lots of beautiful places in Utah, as well as learning about places and people far away from here.  We have a family blog where we will post pictures and adventures with him once he gets here (which is Aug. 16).  Here is our blog address:    http://woolsey-family.blogspot.com/  

Chris and Allyson Jeppson: This year has brought a lot of “what the ‘H’ were we thinking” moments our way.  With both parents in school full time and 3 boys in 3 different schools, all active in sports and scouts, we sometimes can’t remember our names, let alone what has happened in the past year.  So, bear with us, we will retell it to the best of our knowledge, but, we do not in any way guarantee that it is all exactly true.  We are so excited to share it all with you that we can barely stand it.  So, let us not waste any time and just jump right in!
Chris started the year off in the Elder’s Quorum presidency.  This took up a lot of his time with visiting families and doing lots of service projects.  These two things are right up his alley so, even though it took up a lot of his time, he did not mind it at all.  In fact, he was a bit sad when they switched him over to work with the young men.  However, it did not take long before he was running around and joining in all of the reindeer games.  Chris has also gone back to college.  He has had 15 credits or more for the last two semesters as well as summer (bummer).  He will finish up his degree in December.  Chris has continued on his path of adrenaline rushes.  Over New Year’s Eve, he drug his entire family on a 5 hour hike up a mountain in sub zero weather, where they slept in a yurt (google it if you don’t know what that is) and went sledding, fun was had by all.
As for Allyson, after the wailing and gnashing of teeth, she enjoyed the yurt trip.  Allyson is also in the process of finishing her degree at the university and will graduate in December as well, with a degree in Special Education.  There will be a party like no other graduation party that you have ever seen!  Going to school has been pretty hard on all of us but, Allyson has gotten out of having to mop the floors and clean the toilets for months (nobody has done them so, if you come over, make sure to use the bathroom before you come)!  Allyson is working with the cub scouts and fits right in with all of the chaos.  Let’s all give her a watermelon cheer!
Ethan has started middle school this year and turned 12.  This means we’re all looking forward to stinky feet, zits, and braces (Ethan actually already has braces).  Ethan received the Aaronic priesthood and has had a great time in boy scouts and passing the sacrament.   Ethan has just finished up his second season of lacrosse.  He is madly in love with it and is rarely seen without his stick.
Dalton turned 10 this year and got to run in the Wellsville Mile (this is a mile run that all of the 4th and 5th graders from the South end of the valley run).  He finished in 7:46!  Well done little man!  This year Dalton tried his hand at the cello.  He did fantastic but has decided his heart really is with the piano.  He is starting back to piano lessons.
Seth turned 8 this year.  He got baptized and started going to cub scouts.   These were both very exciting events for him.   Seth loves to read and wrestle (not officially but mostly with his brothers and dad).
Blitz, the dog, is getting up there in age.  It is hard for him to get up and down the stairs as quickly as he used to, curiously he is able to jump up on our bed, which leads me to the fact that he refuses to sleep on anything that is not soft and fluffy.  He has also started experience that oh so lovely loss of sphincter control and has some gas that peels the wallpaper.
  Emmie, the cat, is as snobby as ever.  She does not bite or scratch us but, will only let us pet her if it is her idea, which is almost never.
Stella, the snake (Ball Python), is a welcome addition to our family this year.  Allyson got her for her birthday and it has been nothing but fun and excitement since.  I believe there is a picture posted of her eating a mouse on Chris’s Facebook.
  Rosie, Genève, Ruthie, Martha, Betsy, Luanne, Darcie, Sarah, Colette, Chelsea, Julie, Marcie, and Nancy, the chickens, are also a welcome addition to our family.  They love to taunt the dog and bock all the day long.
Beehive #1 and beehive #2 are alive and doing well.  Beehive #1 actually has a little bit of a mite but, nary you worry, they should be just fine.
We hope the next year will be just as delightful but perhaps not quite so busy.  It would be nice for all of us to see each other once in a while.


Brad and Myrissa Jeppson: This has been a year of milestones and mile markers for our family.
Brad has managed to stay employed (yeah) and work has begun to pick-up again. He’s been putting in a lot of miles traveling, not just around the state but also around the country picking up projects in both Georgia and Florida. Brad has also logged a lot of miles training for his first Olympic Triathlon. He and Chris met up at Lake Powell and through the wind and the rain managed no just to finish but to rank respectably in their age groups.
Myrissa, not to be too outshone in the mile department, ran her second half marathon, though not quite as respectably. She flew up to Salt Lake and ran with her family. More accurately, she bullied her family into running with her, but the result was the same. Her big marathon starts this fall when she heads back to school full time at Arizona State University. Wish her luck!
Logan hit a major milestone this year turning twelve and receiving the priesthood. For his birthday all he wanted was a suit he could wear while he passed the Sacrament. He’s a great kid. He’s getting so tall and so teenagery and we already have girls calling. I think we’re going to be in trouble with this one. He is headed to middle school this year, which is weird because I’m pretty sure that we’re not old enough to have a middle schooler yet. They just grow up too quickly.
Gabriel continues to be too smart for his and my own good. He switched schools this year, which was tough. It took him a while to settle in but once he did boy did he thrive. He moved up three math books and will be in pre-algebra next year, and he was the top student in English and Grammar. Gabriel also began playing the guitar this fall and has taken to it like a duck to water. He’s not crazy about chords but he can pick out and memorize a song faster than anyone I know. He and Brad enjoy playing together and it’s fun to hear them play duets.
Addison turned eight this year and was baptized this March. Three down one to go. For his birthday we signed him up for a soccer skills camp that he absolutely loved. Soccer is apparently now “his thing.” He is also very into Lego’s and amazes us daily with his creative new creations and creatures. He is so very eight right now which means he vacillates between being the most obnoxious and the most infectiously cute creature on earth. If he can just stay on the right side of his two older brothers for the next six months he may even make it to age nine.
Tanner also hit a huge milestone this year and not just for him but for our whole family. Tanner started kindergarten this year which means all our babies are now in school. YEAH! I know all my boys went through a “talky” phase but Tanner might just take the cake in loquaciousness. Our mule is hind-leggless and I’m afraid his front legs are next. But what are ya gonna do? He’s about as bright as new shiny penny with an enthusiasm for everything that is down right infectious. He is still our curly blonde angel. Just make sure you stay on his good side.

Well that is us in a very large nutshell. We hope all of you are well. We are sad we will miss you at the party this year. Eat extra ice cream and pie for us.

Neal and Lori Jeppson: Howdy from Texas! We have been here in San Angelo for a year and we are loving it! Neal loves his new job; coordinating seminaries and institutes in West Texas. Lori is happy to be where the weather is warmer and in a beautiful home! Our sweet Avery Jane was born in September and she is the happiest little baby! It's wonderful to have three little angels. Meg just graduated from Kindergarten and Kate will be starting preschool in the fall at Glen Meadows Baptist Church.
We are tremendously blessed. We miss family but the Lord is helping us with great people here.  We hope to see you soon.



_______________________

Diana and Ralph Parker: Well, we don’t have a Facebook account, we have no family blog, we share one cell phone and our TV is a modest 36”.  What more can we say?  You have all moved into the modern world and Ralph and I continue to live in the old one.   This has been a good year for us as we have watched our kids and grandkids grow and develop and be strengthened in the gospel.  Having Mark buy Grandma Parker’s house so that we have them in the ward has been fun.  But we see all our kids a lot and so we consider ourselves very blessed.  We just came back from a little trip following the Mormon Trail across Wyoming and had so much fun we want to take the kids and grandkids back next summer.
Diana is still teaching school at Brockbank Jr.  in Magna, Utah.  Ralph is working at the church.  This spring Ralph was put on a jury trial that lasted 7 weeks.  It was a big land deal out of Park City that involved the Canyons Ski Resort (previously Wolf Mountain and before that Park West).  Ralph’s work was great about him being gone so long and they missed him and their appreciation level soared to new highs.  Ralph is serving on the high council and Diana is teaching primary.  One more foot surgery for Diana to have the hardware taken out of her foot and then she swears she will never operate on a foot again.  She’d die first!

Anne and Mike Sampson:  Hmmm.   In most respects, the Sampsons continue to be exceptionally boring people.  We are happy to report however, that we did finally finish the downstairs bathroom and now wonder what we were thinking and why we wanted one more bathroom to keep clean.

Mike and Anne celebrated their 10th anniversary this past year and, coincidentally ran the Dirty Dash the same month.  The Dirty Dash, if you are unfamiliar with the race, is a strenuous 10K up and down a mountain, complete with hay bales to vault over, walls to climb, snow machines to brave, and swamps up to your thigh to wade through.  (Anne literally wouldn't have made it out of the swamp without the help of Mike and another total stranger.  She was that stuck.)

Mike would like to insert here, just to make Anne jealous, that he had surgery on his eyes this year and can see perfectly now.  He wakes up in the morning and can read the alarm clock, he doesn't have to take out and wash his contacts at night, and they don't get foggy after he falls asleep on Sunday afternoons.

All three of the kids are doing tremendously well.  Daniel just turned eight and will be baptized in June.  He still prefers reading to most other things--so much that we've actually had to set up rules such as: no reading while walking to the car and no starting to read the book someone else is reading until they're done.  Jonathan is six and he's our heart breaker.  He's exceptionally girl crazy.  He loves the older girls (just ask Abby Woolsey), and they love him back.  He's so thoughtful and giving that we've actually had to set up rules such as:  you have to eat at least 1/3 of your treat before you give the rest to Daniel and you have to keep at least some of your money to spend before you give the rest to tithing.  Ella is four and is looking forward to school being out so that she doesn't have to go shopping with mom anymore.  Her imagination wears us all out.  So much so, in fact, that we have had to set up rules such as:  no praying in cat meow language, mommy only has to buy "Hunya" from the "pet store" once per day, and Jabba (yes, as in the Hutt) is not the boss.


Mark and Jessica Parker: Things in the Mark and Jessica Parker family have been somewhat quiet this last year. We would love to list off all the exciting things that go on daily here, but it's actually relatively boring. Right.  As if. In reality, herding seven "bedlamites" is an extremely colossal task. I'm not sure we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into, but we're enjoying it, and we're all very happy together. Kaitlyn and Braxton were baptized in May and Braxton is now a cub scout and Kaitlyn is attending activity days. Logan is extremely excited to be baptized in December, he had a great first grade year. Hunter completed a very successful kindergarten year, and is jealous of his older siblings and how well they read. Erick and Colin are excited to return to preschool this fall, even though they're not entirely sure what that means. They're hoping it will involve lots of snacks and play time, and they're probably right. Zach is just over 18 months and beginning to talk. He is also no longer this little bundle that just sits in your lap.  He MOVES!  Boy does he move! As for Jessica and I, we just finished renovating one house (unfortunately, not the one we're living in), and are preparing to begin major reconstruction on another. We're doing very well, and if anyone wants to volunteer to paint bedrooms, we've got a sign-up sheet going around!

Michael and Robyn Parker: This year we welcomed an old forgotten friend back into our fold: peepeechair. This little piece of poorly-shaped and cheaply-manufactured plastic had been banished to the very back corner of the very top shelf in our basement, completely out of sight, but is once again seeing the light of day. Well, come to think of it, it's mostly moonlight. Anyhow, he goes where we go, the kitchen, the back yard, on day trips, and to Grandma's house. The wonder, however, is the frequency with which he is put to good use. Matt is now potty-trained, and any parent reading this can appreciate what this victory means to us and our olfaction.
Anything following potty training seems hardly newsworthy, but we do have a few more items that may help fill in the details of how we are doing. Any of you who read Michael's 5th facebook post (not sure how many he has left in him), already know that we have 17 half-finished home improvement projects, and more are cropping up just like weeds: for every one you finish, two more return to take its place. In the good news department: we have both managed to maintain our weight (I believe last year's letter talked about our marshmallow moratorium) and so, hungry for food, but deciding on something with fewer calories, we decided to tackle fiscal responsibility this year. I am happy to report that, our credit scores are really on the mend, just in time for us to have no use for them at all. We went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, or FPU, as us alumni like to call it, and learned a lot. Our personal failing had been too infrequent (non-existent, perhaps) family financial planning meetings. We found that with a 30 minute meeting on a weekly basis we could make night-and-day changes in our spending habits and really make financial headway without any increase in income.

Our kids (Ethan and Matt) are doing great. Ethan spontaneously did tumbling for several weeks while I coached his 3-year-old indoor soccer team, so now we went ahead and put him in tumbling. He does a mean donkey kick. He also left nursery at church and now goes to Sunbeams. Except for a few weeks of tantrums at first, he loves it and his teachers are great. He made us hang his little paper cutout that he made one week on the wall in his bedroom. Matt, in addition to using the potty, is talking in sentences, and is right on track, developmentally, except that he is convinced his brother's name is Matt. When he wakes up in the morning, he asks where Matt is, and can he go wake up Matt. When Ethan is playing hide and seek, Matt asks us, "Where did Matt go?" My favorite, however, is helping him say the prayer. It usually goes something like this:

Me: "Matt, say Heavenly Father."
Matt: "Heavenly Father."
Me: "Please Bless Mommy,"
Matt: "Bless Mommy,"
Me: "Daddy,"
Matt: "Daddy,"
Me: "Ethan,"
Matt: "Matt!"
Me: "No, Matt, YOU are Matt, say: bless Ethan."
Matt: "Matt!"
Me: "No, say Eeee"
Matt: "Eee"
Me: "than"
Matt: "Matt!"

Even Ethan is trying to help us reinforce the correct name. We'll often hear them playing together and then hear Ethan say, "No Matt! I'm ETHAN!"

For anyone interested in the short version, here you go:

Michael: Still working at DRG, still working with scouts, hairline receding, has not provided daughter
daughter
Ethan: Turns 4 in August, survived general anesthesia for a cavity-filling marathon, seatbelts himself in the car, still takes naps, has no sister
Matt: Turned 2 in March, easiest sleeper ever, loves Lightning McQueen, must do everything by himself, also has no sister



Sara and DustinMarcrum: Dustin and Sara still find themselves with a house for sale in Magna this year, we are loving this market! But even trying to sell a house for two solid years could not dampen our spirits that took flight when Dustin graduated this spring from the University of Utah! He is now a card carrying college graduate with a bachelors degree in Math.  Well they don't really give you a card... and the degree still hasn't come in the mail… But, along with the degree came a promotion and a raise at work and more opportunity for growth, so no complaints here. He still serves on the High Counsel and is getting quite prolific at putting people to sleep on the third Sunday, meanwhile he gets NO sleep because of early morning meetings. Austin is almost eighteen months and starting to say a few words here and there, but all of them are variations of "ball".  Parker is four and we can't get him to stop talking long enough for us to get a word in edgewise. He played soccer and took tumbling with Ethan Parker this year and can’t get enough of going to Aunt Robyn’s house to play with Ethan and Matt, yet he still insists on inviting Kaitlyn Parker to his sleepovers with grandma. Sara is training for the spudman tri this summer which will be her first Olympic distance and only her second open water swim. She is feeling fairly inadequate. She is also still doing massage, but clientele in the luxury market is hard to come by these days, so more often than not she finds herself at home answering questions like "Why is that car yellow?" or "Why is that too many questions?" Meanwhile Sara and Dustin have a couple of questions of their own, like: "Why is Sara making me do this triathlon with her?" and "Why does Dustin shed 10 pounds after 3 weeks of running 5Ks when it takes me a 3 years of running 10ks to lose 5 pounds?" Answer that math major!!

_____________________

Lynn and Gail Bateman: We are in our second year in the Young Single Adult Branch in Nephi and loving every minute of it.  Odd things seem to happen to those we serve and those we serve with.  We laugh a lot.  Ask us about our hysterical history.  Lynn is still the Fire Chief (getting tired of that) and Gail is still working at Juab Title.  Our 17th grandchild was born this year, and it looks like he is probably the caboose.  We really have no life.  We go to work, come home, leave again, come home, go to bed and then start over again the next day.  We are doing well and feel that we are blessed every day.  We are grateful for our family and the wonderful life we have been blessed with.  Sometimes no news is good news.  Lynn's artificial hip has been recalled and we are trying to decide how to box it up and send it back.  No more of that surgery stuff.  We love you all.

Amanda & Jason Mecham: Things are good for us right now. We are still living in Provo. Jason isn't working, so he has become the stay at home parent while I work at Lowe's. Jason has been called to facilities maintenance for our ward, and I am in YW as the personal progress advisor. The children are growing so fast! Greg is 15 and attending Timp View High. He managed to pass all his classes, but really enjoyed Drama...and while he won't admit it, seminary too. He is the teacher's quorum president. Monica is 13, attending Centennial Middle and just got her first 4.0! We are so proud of her! She is a social butterfly and turning into a beautiful young woman. She is the president of the beehives as well. Jeff just turned 12 in April and was made a Deacon. He received high marks in school and starts middle school in the fall. Ruthanne managed to gain enough weight to break the 30 lb mark finally! She is 5 years old. She and Jason practice letters and numbers every day and she is VERY excited to start kindergarten in the fall.

Lori Bird: Lori and her family are doing well! I am currently working at Market Street Grill in cottonwood as a server until the winter comes back.  At that time I will resume working at Park City Mountain Resort. Paige just graduated preschool, and is very excited for kindergarten. She started wearing glasses this year, and they are so cute!  Sierra just finished the fifth grade, she was in choir this year, and helped with a school play "The Wizard of Oz".  She is now in a drill team, and learning to dance!  Adam has had some bumpy roads this year, but might have found a paved highway.... hopefully. He will be starting in Job Corps this month, and is very excited for this important step!

Kay and Ryan Pettit:  We have done pretty well this year.  Ryan is still with the Sherriff's department in Juab county as well as driving truck part time.  Kay is still trying to keep it together at home, and not doing as well as she would like.  Branden is now almost 11, and looks 14.  He is starting 5th grade in the fall, and ended 4th grade with great test scores.  He has earned his Webelo's badge and is now working on getting his Arrow ofLight.  Jace is 9 and will be starting the 4th grade, and also got amazing test scores this last month.  He has earned his Wolf badge and is now working hard on his Bear.  Both boys love scouting, and Ashton is excited to start in December when he turns 8.  This means that he will also be baptized.  He did super on all of his end of year tests as well.  We don't know for sure how these boys got so smart, but we sure are lucky!  Gabriel has been gone now for 4 years, and we miss him terribly.  We take the kids to the cemetery often to visit, and decorate for all of the holidays.  Keira is such a beautiful little thing, and has such a great personality!  She will be 3 in August, and has been potty trained since December! (I really lucked out on that one!)  She is just as smart as her brothers, and makes sure that we know it!  She is the poster child for "spoiled rotten"!  But mostly just makes us smile.  This March, we added #6.  Tyson Spencer was born on March 9th, 3 weeks early and with all sorts of trouble!  Despite the really rough start, he and I are both doing really well.  He is growing (lengthwise) like a weed (not so much width wise!).  He is definitely a momma's boy which isn't too bad since he is the end of the babies for us.  I love to hold and cuddle him, and so does everyone else in the family!  We love all of you and are really looking forward to seeing some of you at the party!

Paul and Elisa Bateman: The past year has been a very eventful one for Paul’s family.  Paul switched jobs in February and is now working for a local company that does software for banks and credit unions.  He’s traveling a lot less, spending less time and gas commuting, and making a much better wage.  It’s a great change and a direct answer to prayer.  Elisa is busy as ever being involved in the kids’ school activities.  She headed up Red Ribbon Week as well as spearheading many other activities for the children in Emily’s and Zach’s classes.  All in all, she’s having a lot of fun, and that fun increases by 50% frequently due to (Lori’s) Paige spending some time with us while her mom is at work nearby.  We love having her there.  Emily just completed 2nd grade and is excited to move on to 3rd.  She’s had a crazy year dealing with two teachers and being involved in the school choir, which she loves doing.  She is finding artistic talent not only in drawing, but in music as well.  Most importantly, she got baptized in April!  She is really excited to be a member of the church and have the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Zachary completed Kindergarten and will be in school full time next year (Elisa doesn’t know what she’s going to do with herself).  He continues to amaze us with his ability to figure things out.  Just ask him about the planets and be prepared for a 30-minute dissertation.  We’ve all grown and been greatly blessed in the last year, and we’re excited for the year to come. This summer we took on the responsibility of Grandma’s yard and are caring for lawns, gardens, and sprinkling systems.


Rebecca and McKell Dalton: Things have been crazy this year!!  My family is doing great.  McKell has joined an elite team at wheeler welding and is now traveling a lot to mines in Nevada, Wyoming and here at Rio Tinto.  He is loving it, in fact he was so excited because recently he was able to go into Kennecott mine and went almost to the bottom of the mine.  It was his highlight for weeks after! I am doing great. My business is still going really well and is keeping me EXTREMELY busy.  I also transferred to the JL Sorenson gym in Harriman working in the daycare now.  Caleb will be going into 2nd grade and is doing well.  This year he was in a split class of 1st and 2nd graders which was very tough for him at first but he is doing extremely well and doing pretty much 2nd grade level work already.  Both Caleb and Conner have taken on the love of baseball and that is keeping me running to tonz of practices and games.  Conner is 3 and we are finally potty training and then I will forever be done with diapers! I am so excited!!  He is a very busy little guy and keeps me on my toes and makes me nuts most days but then he looks at you and smiles or winks at you it makes it all worth it.
I hope that the 4 of us will make it to the party on the 2nd.  If not 4 of us at least 3 because a lot of times  McKell gets called out to the mines with not a lot of notice.  I hope that he gets that weekend off.