Christmas Letter, 2008

December, 2008

Seasons Greetings, Friends and Family!

We've had a wonderful and crazy year, once again. Never a dull moment in the Armstrong home but there's not a day that goes by that we don't take the time to reflect on our blessings and give thanks for the many that there are. We healthy and doing well.
Here's the quick lowdown:

Brady--In March we had the 1st year anniversary of his Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis. We still don't know everything there is to know and have plenty of struggles trying to figure out even the little things, but he's doing well and we've all adjusted to this new life. Brady is incredibly brave and strong. What he endures on a daily basis is something I wouldn't wish upon anyone but he does it without any complaints. Mind you, he still has plenty of tantrums and fits that are the 3-year-old he is. Brady started pre-school in August. He enjoys it very much and has made some friends he talks about non-stop. In January he graduates from Nursery and becomes a Sunbeam, in Primary. He's very excited! He's quite adventurous and imaginative. I catch him playing with his action figures and cars, creating little stories as he plays--it's very sweet! He loves to be a super-hero as well, Buzz Lightyear is his current preference. However, even super-heroes like hugs and cuddles every now and then and Brady is a pro at cuddling and giving hugs. Brady turns 4 on January 11th.
Elise--Kindergarten was a blast for Elise but 1st grade is like nothing else. She loves being at school all day, bringing her lunch and going to recess 3 times a day. She is at the top of her class. We're very proud of her accomplishments. She enjoys reading and art very much. She would trade a Barbie for a "Junie B. Jones" book any day! Elise is quite the chatterbox, which can get her into a little trouble at school. She comes home and happily fills us in on what happened at school, not missing a single detail! Elise is incredibly curious and full of questions. I can tell she tries to figure things out on her own, first, and then she'll come to us. It's amazing the thoughts she has--especially the thoughts she has about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her testimony is growing as she ponders on the things she learns in Primary and at home. Elise turns 7 on March 24th.

Audra--In April, Audra did something quite drastic. She had her hair cut short! It hasn't been this short since the 3rd grade! She likes it though and rarely misses the time and hair products it takes to maintain long, curly hair. Audra got released as Primary President in June and then was called to be a Stake Cub Scout Unit Commissioner. At the time she knew very little about Cub Scouts but is enjoying her calling now and gaining a testimony of the Scout program. She is still working with a chiropractor, doing massage therapy and enjoying it. Something else she enjoys, as does the rest of her family, is her new Wii Fit. It makes working out so much fun while trying to get some weight off.

Nathan--With the current travel freeze at Thomson, Nate didn't have many business trips this year (Audra didn't complain!). He missed the yearly 1-2 business trips to Europe. He enjoys being able to work at home 3 days a week, yes, even in a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Nate has 3 callings right now: Stake Auditor, Stake Officiator (basketball and softball), and 11-year-old Scout leader. Luckily, these callings don't keep him too busy but he enjoys them all. Recently, Thomson had a huge round of layoffs and we were blessed to be notified that Nate's job is still safe. A true blessing in these hard economic times.

As parents, we are enjoying being able to watch our kids grow, discover and learn. They amaze us with their talents and abilities. We look forward to 2009! We pray the economy will improve and President Obama will begin to "clean house" a little to make our lives better. We pray for peace and unity in all things.

Love, Nathan, Audra, Elise and Brady Armstrong

Christmas Letter, 2007

December 15, 2007

Dear Family & Friends,

Seasons Greetings to you! We hope you are all doing well and that this year has been full of wonderful memories made. Our year has been chaotic--to say the least--but we feel we've learned a lot and have grown closer as a family. Heavenly Father has blessed us in many ways and we know He has watched over us and will continue to do so.

It's safe to assume this has been one of the most trying years of our lives (knock on wood!). We have been through so much and have suffered heartache and sorrow. We couldn't have got through and still continue to get through many of the things we have experienced without being humble and accepting of what the Lord desires for our family.

We're amazed at how quickly time flies! We will celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary this coming March. It's so hard to believe we've been married that long. What incredible strides we've made in our marriage! We still have our ups and downs, plenty of conflicts and misunderstandings, but we love each other very much and are each others best friend.

Nathan has enjoyed working from home a lot more this year. He goes into the office, in Salt Lake, twice a week and dreads it. It's so nice to have him at home to see the kids during the day and help out in times of need. He is able to work and watch the kids when Audra goes to work a few hours a week. His business trips are becoming less and less and we all appreciate that! Nathan enjoys spending time with Elise and Brady and they just adore him. He is an amazing dad and works hard to support his family. We were able to go to Disneyland in October and Nate came away from that vacation with much joy in his heart because both Brady and Elise wanted to go on all the thrill rides he loves.

Audra is busy, busy, BUSY! Aside from her favorite and most challenging job--being a full-time mom--she is crazy busy with her job as a massage therapist but also she is the Primary President in her ward. Her experiences have been rewarding and difficult but also strengthening and valuable to her everyday life. She is looking forward to a much calmer 2008, she hopes.

Elise is enjoying Kindergarten. She reads very well for her age. We are constantly amazed at the things she's able to figure out and accomplish. We've discovered she has an adorable talent for singing and of course, drama. She's happy to help "mother" her little brother whenever she feels mom needs help enforcing the rules of the house. Elise tried something new this year--soccer. We were amazed at how well she figured the game out and played it. We're sure she'll want to return next year. She had her fun in ballet but she's no longer interested in it, at least for now.

Brady.....wow, what a year for this little guy! He's been through so much but still has amazing strength and endurance. We're still challenged with new headaches dealing with him being Type 1 Diabetic and we've had a few scares too. Brady will turn 3 years-old shortly after the new year. He's learning colors, the alphabet and numbers. He knows his phone number and is working on his address through a fun little song mom made up for Elise and him. He enjoys singing too. Brady wants to do everything Elise does and that creates plenty of conflict. Yes, they fight like cats and dogs but can enjoy some sweet moments together too. Elise gave Brady a baby doll a few months ago and he loves to sleep with it and hold it. It's so cute!

We've enjoyed some wonderful vacations this year and plenty of time having fun together as a family. We look forward to the same next year.

We thank you all for your love and support and wish you the best this holiday season and in 2008!

Love, Nathan, Audra, Elise & Brady Armstrong

Christmas Letter, 2006

December, 2006

Dear Friends & Family,

Seasons greetings to you! The Armstrong family has had quite a year full of many experiences. Some of our experiences we will treasure and keep with us always, others we hope to forget or at least laugh about later on.

Our year started off with a Disneyland trip in February. We hadn't been since 2004 and this would be Brady's first time there. It started off really great, the weather was nice and we were having lots of fun. Then the weather turned rainy and very cold. We weren't prepared for either the rain or cold so we were at the mercy of the Disneyland shops and their highly priced merchandise. From there on we just made the best of our circumstances and we think the kids were able to remember the experience fondly.

With Audra in school this year we didn't do a lot of traveling except for weekend trips here and there. Nate and Audra were able to travel to Denver, CO for our anniversary weekend in March. It was lots of fun, especially since we had a break from the kids and could be alone. We were able to see lots of things and the highlight was an anatomy exhibit at the Denver Museum.

It was nice to have family come and visit us in the summertime. Little did we know what a blessing that would become. In mid-July Brady broke his left femur. It was a very bizarre circumstance but the outcome would be him in a body cast for 6 weeks. With his age, the body cast is the best option in order to immobilize the joints involved with the femur. Those 6 weeks were quite challenging but we know Heavenly Father looked over us and blessed us. After the cast came off it took Brady about 2 weeks to be back to normal but now you could never tell anything ever happened. It helped that Audra was in her final quarter of school and could help Brady stretch his muscles out and loosen them up so he could walk normal again. The doctor assured us we could still have a football player in the future and with the way the femur was set back in place it's probably even stronger than before.

In the beginning of October Audra graduated from massage therapy school. She was able to earn a 4.0 GPA, which shocked her. She has taken all the certification exams and is now practicing in a Chiropractic office. She loves working with people that are in need and she loves making a difference in their health and well-being. In June, Audra traveled to Denver, Co, again, to train in Infant Massage. She will be teaching it to parents of infants in the beginning of 2007. It's a very rewarding opportunity.

Nate has enjoyed working from home more often. He's able to get the same amount of work done, if not more, at home and can wear his pajamas all day if he wants. The kids love it when he's home and they can go down and say "hi" every now and then. It also helps Audra out when she has to work for a little while because he's usually able to watch the kids and work too. Nate is still traveling for business quite often but, luckily, it's only for a few days at a time. Nate worked hard to get our grass in this year and we are looking forward to finishing the landscaping next year. He loves fountains and we're hoping to install one.

Elise is in her second year of pre-school. She will turn 5 next year and start Kindergarten in the fall. She's learning how to read and loves all her many books. She's also in ballet and jazz and enjoys that. She's a typical 4-year-old, full of drama and defiance but she has her tender moments too and we treasure those. She's quite bright and it's amazing what she knows and remembers. Elise is a Sunbeam and her teachers say she does really well. She enjoys Primary quite a bit.

Brady is almost 2-years-old. He's very tall and broad for his age. We went through one costly growth spurt after another this year. He's talking fairly well and is a good listener. He's strong-willed, just like his sister, so there's a lot of conflicts between the two but every once in a while they play nicely together and we hope that'll be the norm eventually. Brady loves music and loves to dance. He even sings too and is cute about it. Brady still likes to cuddle with mom or dad sometimes but also loves to wrestle and dogpile on dad. He likes to help mommy clean and he has volunteered himself to make sure all doors are closed and lights are on. Brady loves going to Nursery and plays very well with the other kids.

For Christmas we are heading to Disneyland again. Audras parents are going as well as most of the rest of the family. We hope the weather will cooperate this time and we'll have a wonderful experience. It'll be weird not to have our regular Christmas-day traditions but we're sure it'll still be great, especially spending it with family.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We hope 2007 brings you wonderful blessings and experiences and may the Lord watch over you and bless you.

Love, Audra, Nate, Elise and Brady Armstrong

Christmas Letter, 2005

December, 2005

Dear Loved Ones,

Seasons Greetings!

What a crazy and wonderful year it has been for our family! The start of our year welcomed the birth of a sweet baby boy. Brady Nathan Armstrong was born on January 11th weighing a hefty 9 pounds. It was an exhausting day for Audra. She delivered him with no pain meds and hooked up to an IV pumping Pitocin into her body, not by choice. She knows, now, why women call their husbands every foul word in the book and tell them they hate them while they are in labor because she felt the same way! Some of her first words to Nathan, after Brady was born, was "I’m done! Never again!" Time will tell if those words ring true.

At the end of January, ground broke for our new house. By the end of April it was done so we packed up and made the move from Nevada City, CA to Eagle Mountain, UT. Nate was able to get a job transfer back to Salt Lake City. We love our new home and enjoy all the space and fun "extras" we were able to get. It’s a six bedroom house and we’ve managed to fill every room with something. As much as we love our new home we miss everyone in Nevada City very much and think about them all quite often. We wish we could have been able to afford a house there and make it a long-term place to live but it just wasn’t meant to be. Nate still has to travel back there at least once a month so he gets to see some of our friends. We are still adjusting to our new neighborhood and ward but so far there’s very little to complain about. Our new neighborhood is FILLED with young families. We have 6 Nursery’s in our ward!

This summer we enjoyed spending time with extended family and Elise loved getting to know her cousins all over again. It’s nice that all of them, but one, are nearby so she can see them a few times a month.

At the beginning of September, Elise began preschool. SHE LOVES IT! She goes two days a week and wishes she could go more. She is also in a ballet class that she enjoys as well. Elise will be 4 years old in March. She is quite sharp and quite the little drama queen. She loves to dance and make people laugh, a true entertainer. She is beautiful and talented and we’re very proud of her. She graduates from Nursery and goes into Primary next year. Our little girl will be a Sunbeam! Where has the time gone?

Brady will be a year old soon. Our experience with him has been completely different from how Elise was as a baby. Elise always seemed so mellow and content in one place where Brady is all over the place, getting into things and trying to explore beyond his bounds. But he is pure joy to us. He loves to smile, laugh and cuddle. We might even have him walking before his 1st birthday. In the middle of October, Audra was finally able to start massage therapy school. She’s been trying to go to school for this for quite a few years and the timing was finally good. She goes to school at night, 4 days a week. She loves all the things she’s learning and puts it all to use on whoever wants to volunteer. She gets many people expressing their interest in being her "guinea pig". She is planning on specializing in prenatal and infant massage and also working with psychiatrists and counselors who incorporate massage into their sessions with clients. She will be completely done with school the first week of October, 2006. In the meantime, she’s a full time mom still and, even though there’s many times of frustration, she loves being with Brady and Elise and teaching them new things and helping them learn and grow.

Nathan was pleased to get quite a nice raise from Thomson this year. Had they given it to him before we moved from CA then we could have stayed and bought a house there. He is doing very well with his position in the company and gets recognition for his efforts all the time. He enjoys the time he gets to spend with the kids while Audra is at school and they probably enjoy a break from mom too. Aside from going to Nevada City, once a month, he doesn’t go on as many business trips as he used to. He went to Europe once this year, spending that time in Holland and France.

Next year, we hope to have somewhat of a mellow year. We are planning a Disneyland trip in March and possibly going again for Christmas. It’s truly a magical place, especially when we see the reaction the kids give to everything. Audra and Nathan are always working to maintain a strong marriage. We’re still trying to work out a few "kinks" here and there but love each other very much and see the blessings in having a happy marriage and what a blessing that is for our family. We hope all is well with you and pray for a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year. May the Lord always watch over, bless and keep you safe.

Love, Audra, Nathan, Elise & Brady

Christmas Letter, 2004

December 5, 2004

Dear Family & Friends,

Greetings! We hope your holiday season is off to a great start and that this turns out to be a wonderful end of the year for you. We also hope your year was full of happy times, great adventures, new discoveries and experiences.
We, as usual, had a busy and eventful year. Nathan set a goal for himself to stop drinking soda and cut down on sweets a little. That goal, alone, allowed him to drop about 20 pounds in a very short period of time. He is now only one size bigger than he was when we first got married, almost 5 years ago. Apparently he has an incredible metabolism, which Audra is quite jealous of. Early in the year we decided we would like to make a Disneyland trip in February. Audra and Elise had never been and it was a good time to go. We had Nate’s sister, Wendy, and his mom, Rosemary, come with us. We all had a really good time. Although Audra is not a big amusement park fan, she enjoyed going very much and loved seeing Elise’s expressions with everything she saw from characters she met to rides she was able to go on. We enjoyed it so much we bought a year pass and went again in April, with Rosemary again, and in October, with Audra’s parents, Cal and Colleen. We discovered, living in Nevada City, that it would be rather inexpensive to drive down to Anaheim and our hotel accommodations were affordable as well.
In March we celebrated Elise’s 2nd birthday. This month would also be a big decision making month. After a lot of thought, getting several concerns out of the way, and many, MANY, prayers we decided it was time to try having another baby. We’re quite sure Heavenly Father agreed with this decision because Audra became pregnant shortly after. We expected it would take months to happen! We’re pleased to announce that baby boy, Brady Nathan, is due very soon and we’re hoping he’ll be born either shortly before Christmas or shortly after Christmas. Audra’s pregnancy has had its ups and downs, both physically and emotionally, but she’s been blessed with a wonderful circle of friends and family for support. Nathan has been helpful and understanding when she needs a break. He and Elise have developed quite a close bond.
Elise is 2 ½ now and is quite strong-willed and independent. She prefers doing most things on her own. She even believes it’s acceptable to hold her own hand instead of mommy or daddy’s when we’re out in public. She has a lively personality and can be very entertaining. She loves to dance and sing. She enjoys Nursery and being with her friends. We’re looking forward to enrolling her in pre-school next year. She has a strong interest in learning all that she can and enjoys watching her videos on ABC’s and numbers. We’ve been teaching her all sorts of songs and we’re finding that even making up silly songs helps her learn things as well. Our struggle right now is getting her potty trained, she will sit on her potty and do her “business” but only if we ask her to, nothing spontaneous yet. Perhaps she’ll grasp it all soon, we hope! Elise has got quite the temper and can throw tantrums with the best of ‘em but she’s also very loving and affectionate. We’re so happy she’s apart of our family and we think she’ll be a great big sister to her baby brother (We’re crossing our fingers!).
Nate is still a financial controller working for Thomson. He has quite a bit of responsibility and is considered a large asset in the company. He’s had several business trips to Europe. This year he traveled to France, Holland and Germany for business. Audra would have LOVED to go with him but timing wasn’t right and it would have been too difficult to get someone to watch Elise while we were gone. Hopefully she’ll get her chance to go with him in the future. This year Nate has been getting back to reading many of the books he has, mainly anything written by Stephen King. Nate works hard to support our family and we’re proud of all that he does for us. We’re blessed he’s able to bring in enough income so Audra can stay home and raise Elise, and soon Brady too.
Audra’s year has been mostly about taking care of Elise and being pregnant. She has made some wonderful new friends that have small children for Elise to play with. Eventually she’d like to go to school. Nate thinks she should go into interior design but she still wants to go into massage therapy. Perhaps next year will be the year she finally gets the time to go. In the meantime she spends her days with Elise. She scrapbooks and does craft or decorating projects every now and then. She’s also got back into reading more books and enjoys a variety over one author. She’s excited for the arrival of the new baby but has to admit she’s not looking forward to the lack of sleep that is also involved.
Next year will bring big changes for us. Along with a new baby, we’ve decided, after much thought and prayer, we’ll be moving back to Utah. The cost of living in Nevada City, California, is way too high right now and it doesn’t allow us to afford to buy a house. Right now we’re renting and we’re getting tired of not having a house of our own. Unfortunately, many families are being affected by the housing price hike and are moving out of state. Nate believes he will be allowed to transfer back to Thomson’s Salt Lake office. With his important standing in the company we’re confident they won’t lay him off when we move back to Utah. We’re in the process of getting paperwork in place to have a house built in Eagle Mountain (nearby Lehi). We’re excited about having a new house and we pray all will go well for us.
That about wraps it up for our little family. We’ll plan on sending out announcements and pictures of Brady shortly after he’s born. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful start of the new year, 2005. May you be blessed this coming year with happiness and joy.

Love, Nathan, Audra & Elise Armstrong

It’s a rare moment when either of us share our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and so we decided this holiday season would be a perfect time to do so.

Audra says this: “I have been blessed to have grown up being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s all I’ve known and all I’ve ever needed. My life revolves around the teachings of the gospel and I see the blessings in it daily. I am comforted by the thought of an eternal family and knowing that if I keep the promises I made in the temple that my family can be together forever. I know Heavenly Father is always with me and that He loves me. I’ve felt Him in times of need and know He listens to my prayers. I am still learning many gospel principals, and will probably do so the rest of my life. I know that what I learn is true and what I feel is a confirmation by the Spirit. I am blessed to have a husband who is a strong priesthood holder and shares the beliefs I have in our faith and family upbringing. He brings me great joy and happiness. He uplifts me and makes me whole. I can only hope I do the same for him. I am blessed with a wonderful daughter and I look forward to seeing her grow up. She has the potential to do so much in her life. I am blessed with the coming of new baby. I pray that, for both of my children, I can be the mother they deserve. I love my religion. I love Jesus Christ. I know Gordon B. Hinckley is a true prophet of God and I support him. I know this church was restored through Joseph Smith and he is also a true prophet of God. I love my family, my friends and the life I’ve been blessed with.”

Nathan says this: “I also feel very blessed and lucky with everything that I have been given in my life. My family is the most important thing to me and I love spending time with my wife and daughter. I love that I can go to work in the morning and can trust that Audra will take care of the house and take care of Eilse and eventually Brady too. Audra is a great mother and there is no one else I would rather have raising our kids! I am blessed to have been raised in the church and to have had so many good examples in my life of righteous living and it helps me to be a better person and a better member of the church. Although I am not a perfect father and husband and member of the church I know that by following the teachings of the gospel that I can continue to improve and to be a better person. I feel very blessed in everything I have been able to accomplish and for all of the wonderful people in my life. I am very happy right now and look forward to creating many more happy memories together with my family. God ha blessed me so much and for that I am grateful.. Christmas is such a happy time of the year and I hope that all of you can also feel the true spirit of Christ love this holiday season. Best wishes and prayers for everyone for another year, 2005!”

Christmas Letter, 2003

In the process of finding too! Double yikes! At least we can enjoy looking at adorable 1 1/2 year-old Elise!

Christmas Letter, 2002

In the process of finding! Yikes!

Christmas Letter, 2001

Seasons Greetings!

We’ve decided to try and get on the ball this year and actually get Christmas cards out before……..Christmas! We apologize for being slackers last year.
We’ve had a wonderful and crazy year with much more to look forward to. We love to travel and were able to take a few trips this year. In February we took a weekend trip to Las Vegas. The weather was perfect and the two of us found that there’s much more to do in Las Vegas than gamble. Although we must admit we couldn’t resist that either but luckily, came away even. We made the trip again with Audra’s parents in July. The weather was hot and muggy but we still had a good time and came away even again.
In March we were suppose to go on a week trip to Hawaii to visit some friends and enjoy all the fun things Hawaii has to offer, but Nate’s company decided to merge with another company that same week and so we had to cancel……this would not be the last time.
We were able to invest in some camping gear and go camping this year. Only one official trip down to Palisades Park near Manti, Utah on Memorial Day weekend. We had fun with family and friends that traveled with us. We’re thinking we’ll enjoy the day when we can afford a camper! For now, a tent will have to do.
Nate had a couple of business trips this year as well. He traveled to Burbank, CA and New Jersey a couple of times. They were quick trips so Audra decided not to travel with him. The company he works for considers him a true asset and he’s been able to progress quickly because of this. We’re hoping a raise and a job promotion will come the first of the year. Only time will tell. He’s still working as an accountant and started his first year of his master’s program to become a CPA.
Our second attempt to Hawaii was in the middle of September. With the terrorist attacks only a week before we decided it probably would not be best to travel. More because Audra was paranoid to fly. We rebooked for November, thinking maybe we’d feel better about flying but plans fell through and now, after three attempts, we’re giving up. In October we took separate trips. Audra went home to Bremerton, WA and spent time with family. She had a great time and was happy to be home for a few days. Nate went with his parents and sister to Chicago and Wisconsin to meet up with his two brothers who are in school. He also had a great time.
The biggest news of this year came as quite a surprise to the two of us. About two weeks after our July Las Vegas trip, Audra couldn’t stand being sick all the time anymore and decided to figure out why. Well, a pregnancy test indicated that she’s pregnant! To date, she’s 5 ½ months along and an ultrasound, done the week of Thanksgiving, indicates we’re having a girl. The pregnancy has been difficult and she’s made it clear to Nate that unless she completely forgets about this pregnancy, when it’s done, that we will not be having anymore children. Starting the first of next year Audra will be going part time at work, something she’s quite thrilled about. She works as a legal assistant, doing bankruptcy, and the work can be quite stressful at times. We have agreed on “Elise” as the baby’s first name, the middle name is still in debate. Elise is due the first week of April, but Audra really wouldn’t mind if she came a little bit early, as long as she’s healthy. We’re slowly getting all the necessary things we need for her arrival. All in all, we’re really excited to be parents and are ready for this chapter in our lives to begin. We just hope we can be the wonderful parents she deserves.
For Christmas we are going to be in Bremerton, WA with Audra’s family. Audra’s excited to show Nate how beautiful it is up there at Christmas-time, even if it doesn’t snow. (Another plug to convince him we need to move there! He he he!)
We hope all is going well with you. Please keep in touch with us. May God bless you this season and throughout the whole year.

Love, Audra and Nathan

Christmas Letter, 2000 (Our First!)

December 17, 2000

Dear Friends & Family,

Seasons Greetings to you all! What a year it’s been! So many things have happened.

We started off the year by getting our very first pet, a sweet, kitten. Nathan’s sister had to go to the pet store and we decided to go with her. When we saw him we just couldn’t refuse. He loved to be held. We named him Bart and took him home to Nathan’s sisters house (where Nathan lived). Well, home was a whole different story, Bart hated us and wouldn’t come near us for a couple of weeks.

Our next adventure was getting married. Nate and I got married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 10th. When we came out of the temple it was snowing. The reception was wonderful. In planning the reception my dad told me he didn’t want to do any setting up or taking down so we found a really nice reception hall. The night was great and we got lots of very useful gifts. Two days later we were off to Silverdale, Washington for another reception up there, since that’s where I’m from. The night before we left we noticed Bart was acting quite strange and I was very worried. We arranged to have Nathan’s brother take him to the vet while we were gone. Well, the diagnosis was that Bart was not a he but a she and she was in heat! The name Bart still stays though. Our trip to Washington was fun and I got to show Nate where I grew up and all the places I use to hang out. The reception up there was just as wonderful and again, we got a lot of very useful gifts. We really appreciate those of you that were able to make it to either reception.

We got a lucky break about a month before we got married when Nate’s sister announced she was also getting married and moving to San Francisco. She was in a hurry to sell her house so we decided to take it and just assume the loan she already had which saved us a lot of money. It’s a 3 year old house with a large yard and our favorite feature……….a jacuzzi tub in the master bath…….built for two! We’ll be busy next year landscaping the yard. Right now there’s grass and we planted 2 apple trees. I’m looking forward to starting a garden too.

Nathan’s company sent him on a couple of business trips this year. He went to Boston, San Antonio, & San Francisco. I wanted to go to Boston with him but we couldn’t afford it so we waited for his San Francisco trip and I met him there. It was a wonderful trip, we enjoyed it a lot. We met up with Nate’s sister and her new husband and toured the town. He was only in San Antonio for a couple of days and that trip didn’t interest me all that much.

Later on this year we went back to Washington again for our friends wedding. Nathan’s big into baseball and so I got him Mariner’s tickets. They lost that night but we had great seats and enjoyed the game. Our time was short so we didn’t get to do much but I always look forward to the times when I get to go back to Washington. I’m not sure I could convince Nate to move there someday, he likes Utah too much.

Other than that we’re just looking forward to this next year coming up. In March we have planned a week trip to Hawaii. We have friends that live there and decided it would be a great time to go over and visit. I lived there with my family when I was a baby but I don’t remember much and Nate has never been there. We’re excited and hope that January & February goes by fast!

Nate is still working as an accountant and loves his job. I’m working as a legal assistant with a bankruptcy law firm. My job is stressful at times but keeps me very busy. I hope to begin massage therapy school next year since that’s what I really want to do. The plan is to finish our basement and turn that into my massage area. I already have quite a few “volunteers” ready and willing to help me succeed.

That about raps it up for this year, I’m sure I could go on and on but I’ve already written enough. We hope you have a great holiday season and we wish for the best this coming year. Take Care!

Our Family Christmas Letters Over the Years

Saturday, January 24th--I got the inspiration to start this blog from an old friend. She has blogged all her family Christmas letters and photos for the last several years and I LOVE the idea. Every year I type up a letter and we take a family photo for Christmas cards. It is something I enjoy very much. I've saved the Christmas letters over the years but feel bringing them all together is kind of cool. I've found a few and will start with those as I work on finding the rest.