SUE & JACK: Jack and I have been very blessed this past year. With the exception of seeing our family grow, little has changed. We just give thanks each day for our life and good health; and for the love we have for each other and our family. We are continually grateful for our extended family and their example of faith and courage. Our prayers continue to be with Janiel, Jonathan, and Tiffany; what incredible examples of faith and endurance they have been!

Jack and I were able to take a sentimental journey with the Cannons and Crosbys this past spring – back to a time which now seems like the very distant past. Yet there it was with all its memories; Vancouver, Mom, Dad, the missionaries, the ocean, the ferries, the mission home, our travels, school, boyfriends, our ups and downs; all there just waiting to be revisited. Then to step on the sacred ground of the new temple there... You can’t imagine the feelings of great love for the people we had known and who had remained faithful; who had made it possible for this great blessing. And to think that our mother and father took part in preparing a sturdy spiritual foundation for this sacred event! We will always remember and be grateful for taking the time to ‘go back’ to see where the past has met the present, creating the promise of a beautiful future.

We were also delighted to be with our brothers and sisters this summer on another sentimental journey back to Hinckley, Utah as we celebrated Dad’s 100th birthday. To have us all standing right there, on Dad’s birthday, in front of the house where he was born 100 years earlier! There are hardly words to express it. We’re sure we share your love and appreciation for this incredible man; which love and appreciation grows exponentially with the passage of time. How blessed we are to have had Mother and Father as our parents.

We are excited to be able to greet four new grandchildren in the coming year. Sabrina due with twin girls in March; Erin due in June, and Merica due in July.

It has been a joy to be able to teach another one of my grandchildren this year. Little Clara is just like her brothers – bright, confident, and loved by all the other students. Teaching is fun when you have family with you all day! I had hoped to retire at the end of this year, but a disaster with our deck may prevent that. We’re still trying to work things out. Cross your fingers for us.

Jack and I are currently ‘unassigned’ in our ward. They just released us as Primary teachers. Our class this past year (11/12 year olds) was a complete delight. It was hard to see the year come to an end and to have to say good-by to these wonderful young people.

We love you all. May this new year bring you many blessings.

Evan & Sabrina: Evan has had a whopping last half of the year...he had a great time as a Pa on Trek in July, in September found out he and Sabrina are expecting TWINS (due in March), suffered the ravages of a bad economy and corporate layoffs in October, decided to go back to school with intentions of becoming a PA in November, and started a new job with Alisha’s company in December! He moonlights as a dad, the Elder’s Quorum President, and a mobile website programmer.

Sabrina is still a little in shock over the twin news...but very excited to be having 2 baby GIRLS! She continues to work part time as a Labor and Delivery nurse in Ogden and enjoys all the time she gets to spend with the kids at various sporting and school events. She was a little hesitant about Trek to begin with, now considers herself a true “Trekkie” and wants to go every time! She definitely thinks Evan is still the cutest Hinckley cousin.

Bennett just turned 11 and graduated to “real scouts.” He still loves Legos and has joined a Lego Engineering league at school, surprised us all by winning the school Geography Bee, loves soccer and is having fun clogging and learning piano from Aunt Merica.

Ethan is 9 and loves soccer, clogging and friends. He is also enjoying piano and is in his school’s Spelling Bee this year. He and Bennett got their first real jobs as paperboys for the local city newspaper and are in a quandary about what to do with all their new wealth!

Clara is 7 and loves, loves, loves her first grade teacher...Mrs. Thomas (aka Grandma). She is a ray of sunshine in our boy-infested house and is thrilled to pieces that she gets two more sisters! She recently informed us that 3 boys in her class love her, one in particular whose cheeks turn “rosy-pink!” when he looks at her! Oh boy!

Henry just turned 5. He is enjoying preschool and friends and can’t decide if he wants to be the “Costco food experience lady” or the order taker at McDonalds when he grows up. We decided to work on college expectations with him this year!

Jack will be 2 in April and keeps us laughing with his toddler antics. He is the most tornado-oriented of all our kids and keeps our house messy. He loves to eat and is the only kid we’ve had to lock out of the fridge and pantry. We love him!

We’ve had a great year, despite some of our setbacks and feel truly blessed with all we have. We’ve been contemplating starting our own reality TV show...stay tuned for “Sabrina and Evan plus Seven!”

Amie & Chris: In 2010 we welcomed a beautiful baby boy who we named William Reed. Rex actually named him after our neighbor, Brother Reid, when he found out he would be having a baby brother. It was cute and the name stuck and works so well. He was born 4/15/10, just one day after Rex’s birthday. We think we might try midnight birthday parties when they are older.

Rex is in pre-school this year and really doing well. He’s got a good memory so this year we are going to start memorizing Articles of Faith. He’s a wonderful 4yr old.

Chris was out of work for a while and we are very thankful he has found work again. He is now in the land surveying and drafting business and doing well.

I am still working my call center job from home and also re-enlisted in the Army Band. I enjoy both but the best part of my day is watching my two boys play and laugh. We hope you are all well.

Alisha: So I hope no one told the public that I am a superhero. I revealed that last year in this newsletter and I have, so far, not been ratted out. That’s a good thing, because there is so much left to do in the world...

All things serious, I have come to the conclusion that the things that can hurt the most are the things that cause us to grow the most. However, I am convinced that we must allow that growth to work within us as a refinement process. I have seen this, once again, in the lives that I see come through my office at LDS Family Services. I love those I work with because they are sons and daughters of God. They are loved and have a great work to do in this world. If nothing else, they can teach others that trials and hardships are what build our character.

That being said, after three and a half years at LDS Family Services, I still feel like I’m going strong. Over the last three years while working with clients in my office, I have also been teaching an anger management course. As I have taught this course I have been privileged to work with many group members that have changed their lives as they work to control their anger. I have also labored to refine the course and make it something my supervisor believes would be helpful for other agencies to know about. He has asked that I work on it a little more and have it submitted to our headquarters for review by the big wigs at the agency. I actually feel very honored to have this opportunity because it doesn’t happen that often. I look forward to seeing what comes of it in the next year.

As I have reflected on how long I have been working at LDS Services, I stood in surprise as I realized I have been working at my other job for a total of nine years. I hit the nine year mark this month. And I still enjoy working there. I find that I am lucky to be working at Reading Horizons. Those I work with keep getting better and better. I work as the office manager which allows me to work with, on some level, every employee there. They make the place what it is. What makes it even better is the fact that we help people see their own potential as they use our products that teach them how to read. Lon quit working there a few months ago to pursue his chef career, but we gained Evan as our newest employee just last month. Reading Horizons will never exist without a Thomas working there. I think it’s fate.

In my ward, I continue in my calling as the Temple Prep teacher. A few months ago I was also asked to fill another calling as the Ward Employment Specialist. Both callings are very rewarding and both have their challenges.

So you are probably saying, “Yeah, yeah. Do you have any juicy news to tell me?” To that I have to say, my life really hasn’t changed over the last year. Little things here and there, but, for the most part, I have continued to plug along as always.

One thing I can say that has changed is that (here it comes...), I am no longer a slave. No. Not that kind of slave. A few months ago the chains of money fell around my feet as I became a woman who is debt free! I have paid off my school loan several years earlier than I thought I would. Now, I get to build up savings to do with what I want; not what money-gathering organizations want me to give them. To be honest, I still can’t believe that I have no debt. I like the feeling, but I’m still not sure what to do with it. All I know is that I have the sensation of freedom surround me now. It’s awesome.

To conclude, life is still good. Few worries; a lot of potential. And I’m still a superhero... so don’t tell anyone.

Alonzo: Life is good. The past year has seen lots of ups, and few downs. I can’t complain. So let’s get the bad out of the way first.

My car engine died on me. That was a real bummer. Luckily, I knew that my Toyota Corolla (200,000 miles, thank-you) was about to die, so I was able to plan for the inevitable cost of either buying a new car, or replacing the engine. When I came to the conclusion that I would rather replace the engine, my mechanic simply asked why. Simple answer... I love my car, and I don’t need anything more. I replaced the engine, and I hope to drive my Toyota Corolla another 200,000 miles.

Another sad event in my life is that I left my job of 8 years at HEC Reading Horizons. That job has supported me in a great way for a very long time. I will miss the people I worked with as well as being actively engaged in a good cause. And as you probably already read about Evan, he has replaced my absence there. So in the end, HEC’s “Thomas-ratio” remains intact.

Now for some good. Food has become my life! I am a mere 7 classes from graduation. This quarter is fixing to be the toughest yet, but I am excited for the content and ready for a challenge. I graduate in July.

When I left HEC, I was hired on at Log Haven Restaurant in Salt Lake City. This is a virtual dream come true for me! Not only does Log Haven have a great staff, awesome menu and a killer reputation, but it is exactly what I was looking for. I knew that the transition from a desk job to a cook at a fine-dining restaurant would be hard, but I really had no idea. The good part about working harder than I’ve ever worked is that I’ve learned how to move with a purpose, I become physically stronger, I lost weight, and I sleep better. I am a now a believer in physical labor! The hours are long, and late, but the payoff is strong and great.

As for my goals of this year, I plan to graduate in July, move onto a higher position (whether at Log Haven, or elsewhere), begin a cooking / recipe blog, and start paying off my student loans with earnest.

David and Merica: We have had another wonderful year. We are still living in Layton and we love it here. Dave is still working at North Davis Jr. High. He also began taking classes for his Doctorate degree in education from Utah State University. He spends a lot of time studying which means a lot of time away from family, but I am so proud of him. The degree will take about five years to finish and when he is through he hopes to be able to find a job in a university. Dave is also serving as secretary of the Elders Quorum is our ward.

I am still able to stay at home with the boys. I am also expecting our third baby in July. I have been very sick the last few weeks but I think I’m finally over the worst of it. In September I was called as secretary of the Relief Society in our ward. I was kind of shocked but I am happy to serve. We have a large Relief Society with just over 200 sisters, so there is always something to do and someone to see.

Our little James, who has autism, is doing so well. He started a functional skills preschool in September and he is coming right along. He has limited functional language skills, but he is finally starting to repeat a lot of words. I am so proud of how far he has come. Our little Matthew is doing very well and is such a blessing to our family. He is such a happy healthy kid and such a good influence on James.

Erin & Ben: Ben and I have had a wonderful year in 2010. We moved into our first home, located in lovely Farmington, and we are pleased to announce that we are expecting our first baby in June. Hooray for babies!

Ben is still employed at L-3 Communications and is loving his job there. He works as a computer programmer helping to make communication chips for the unmanned airplanes that have been so helpful to the military. We are so grateful that his job has been stable and able to comfortably provide for us during a time when many are struggling with employment. Ben stays busy in his off time too, helping family and friends with all sorts of projects, everything from dry walling basements to extensive computer work. He continues to be a wonderful, supportive and loving husband and he will make a great daddy.

I am enjoying being housewife and I’m looking forward to being a mom though feeling under prepared. Soon we will know what gender the baby is and then I’ll get to start decorating the nursery and buying things for the baby. I think I will feel more confident when I can do a little something to get ready for this most awesome change in our lives. As it is life is, great for me. I’ve recently started physical therapy to help with recovery from a fall I had five years ago and it’s helping quite a lot. Medical science is so cool! I keep busy too helping where ever I can and having lots of fun.

Life is wonderful in the Chipman home and it’s going to be a great year. Love to you all, Ben, Erin and Baby Chipman.

Below are pictures of the Sentimental Journey taken by Kay, Ned, Louise, Richard, Sue & Jack

back to the mission home in Vancouver, the Temple open house, and all parts in between. 

JEAN & REX: This hasn’t been quite the year we had planned on. Last January we began working on getting our mission papers ready to turn in. It was determined that I (Jean) needed to have some dental work done first and also some surgery before we could go on a mission. While all this was taking place, Janiel and Bill surprised us by announcing they were expecting triplets and wondered if we would consider holding off on our mission for a while. We were thrilled with their news and were more than happy to make ourselves available to help them.

I retired from my work at the temple so that I could be with Janiel all day while Bill was at work since Janiel wasn’t able to care for their 18 month old toddler or prepare meals or do laundry, etc. Once I had my surgery, Marilee came with her little family the last part of June and spent the rest of the summer here helping me and also Janiel. That was a great blessing for us. Thank you Marilee and Andru.

We feel so blessed and are so grateful for all the blessings we have received throughout this past year. We have once again been reminded of the wonderful family, both immediate and extended, that we have. Thank you for your interest and for your faith, fasting and prayers. They have been so appreciated and have truly been felt and have strengthened us. Thank you, JoAnn, for your many hours spent helping with the babies. You truly filled a great need. Thank you, Louise, for your many hours spent drawing that beautiful picture of Janiel and Bill’s little ones. It is precious and we love it and so do Janiel and Bill. Our children really stepped up and were more than willing to put all their personal schedules on hold and do whatever it took to help. They have all been wonderful. How can we ever appropriately thank everyone for all they have done for us this year?

Most of all, how can we ever thank our Heavenly Father for preserving Janiel’s life and also restoring her physically and mentally enough so that she can care for her little ones. We feel that He definitely heard our prayers and was very much aware of Janiel’s situation and how much her little family needed her, and we are grateful that He was willing to answer our prayers in the best way possible.

When all of this happened, Rex began working only half time. So he is gradually easing into retirement now.

At about the same time all of this happened with Janiel, we also received news that Matt’s oldest daughter, Tiffany, had been diagnosed with cancer. Even though it’s been almost 4 months since the diagnosis, they still can’t figure out what kind of cancer it is. Very frustrating. They do feel that it is serious and she is currently under going extensive Chemo treatments. We continue to pray for her.

We are thrilled that Matt’s oldest son, Brian, is in the MTC headed for Singapore, and Susan’s oldest son, Tayson, heads for the MTC in about a week for Frankfurt, Germany.

We are delighted to announce that we’ve had three baptisms: Caleb, Hyrum, and Annalee, and two Eagle Scouts: Truman and Tanner, and that Ben and Sarah had their fifth child, Isaac.

This past year has only served to strengthened our faith and testimony and has reminded us once again of the goodness of people and the blessing of belonging to and of having a wonderful family. We look forward to the coming year’s activities. We love each of you.

Matt & Hideko Howell: 2010 was a very eventful year for our family. Some of those events were expected; some were not. Some made us happy and excited; some were much less welcome.

Ashley is currently getting ready for her school’s geography bee. She spends a lot of time studying the names of places and the characteristics of different parts of the world. She also loves the piano and has really blossomed as a very good player. She has many friends, excels at school, and enjoys sports. She may be the most well-rounded person in our family.

Christian is attending his Priesthood Preview this month and will receive the priesthood in about three months, the last of our boys to do so. He is great friends with his older brother Reagan and his younger sister and Ashley (she and he look like they could be twins). He is doing very well in school and always competes well in teh school chess tournament.

Reagan is currently serving as the deacon’s quorum president and is working hard at the calling. He is in his first year of middle school and is enjoying it and has many friends. He attends the temple regularly to do baptisms for the dead. He is a hard worker and is very often helping out around the house.

Rachel just turned 15 this month, which means she is now eligible for a learner’s driving permit. As soon as she passes her written test, we will have our fifth driver in the family. She is still trying to decide whether to go to Hillcrest High (with a number of her friends) or to Alta (where her older brothers and sisters have gone). Like Ashley, she plays the piano most impressively.

Tiffany has just finished her fourth round of chemo for her cancer. The doctors still have not definitively diagnosed it but are thinking it could be (1) metastatic phenochromocytoma, (2) paraganglioneuroma, (3) neurofibromatosis, (4) neuroblastoma, or (5)neuroendocrine tumor. Because of the cancer, she has attended school on a fairly irregular basis but is still studying, working through the school’s home and hospital program. She has a teacher assigned to her to work with her, to bring her her homework from her teachers and to take her completed assignments back. She has really come to like this helpful woman. Tiffany has had the full support of the ward which has gone out of its way to make things better and easier for Tiffany and the whole family. In the next couple of weeks, she will be declaring what she wants for her wish from the Make-a-Wish Foundation. So far, she has been unable to even get close to deciding what she wants to ask for. The outpouring from the extended family as well has been overwhelming. We do not know for sure how long her chemo treatments are expected to continue. We did receive good news a few weeks ago indicating that the number of cancer cells she has has dropped substantially during her treatments. We are hoping that that will continue and your prayers for her recovery are very much appreciated.

Brian graduated from high school in June and thought he was on top of the world. Then in July he received his mission call to Singapore. A long four and half months later, on December 8, he went into the MTC where he is now studying Indonesian and Malay. He leaves for the field on February 7. His mission, which is one of only two currently in the world to have just a one-word name, includes five different countries, although there is active proselyting in only two of them, Singapore and Malaysia. He is serving as a zone leader, which means that he helps orient the newer missionaries learn how the MTC operates. He is enjoying his new excitement and we can already see tremendous growth as he learns how to teach by the Spirit and to be truly committed to the Lord.

Hideko and I are just trying to keep things together. Hideko has had her hands full getting Tiffany to and from her various medical procedures and examinations. I get to deal with the insurance company. This year, we have seen how trials and triumphs can both serve to bring a family closer together. For this we are very grateful, although we are praying that Tiffany’s experience will come to quiet but happy conclusion in the next few months.

We hope all is going well for everyone else. MAy 2011 bring you and your families all the blessings you should have.

Susan & Nelson Holzer:This last year has been full of challenges and great events, all of which make us so grateful. Nelson’s job is stable, and for a couple of big projects, he is working with some German companies, which allows him to use his German and to travel there on business a few times a year. He’s not complaining. He has also loved biking to work, no matter the weather.

Our youngest, Taft (12), finihed 6th grade and is now in Jr. High, where he has taken up the baritone and joined the family band. He also received the Priesthood and is enjoying being mutual age nd doing baptisms for the dead. He has recently discovered the fun o playing racquetball with one of his friends.

Casia (14) is enjoying her last year in Jr. High. She loves playing her trumpet and aspires to someday be as good as Allison Balsam. She also loves palying the piano. After a year of serving as Beehive Class President, she was recently released. She loves to read and continues to grow taller than her 2 older sisters.

Mataya (15) started High School, is in the Symphonic band with her clarinet, has her learners permit, is often heard singing, and loves to be fashionable. She also had te opportunity to travel with her parents to several European countries. Her favorite place was Paris, of course!

Afton (17 just barely) loves to have fun with friends, but has limited time to do so due to all the studying and homework from her heavy load of classes. Already, she is planning to become an electrical engineer. She is taking early morning seminary, and continues o play the bassoon in band. She also really likes her job at Cavanaughs Chocolates (what’s not to like? And, yes, she does get to eat all the chocolate she wants while she’s at work:). During the summer, she and Taft went with Nelson on an overnight hike to King’s Peak and had quite the adventure.

Parker (18) is a senior at Woods Cross and has been busy filling out scholarship applications. He likes his job at Nielsen’s Frozen Custard and says the best flavors are mint or pumpkin with a chocolate mix-in. Parker is in the Jazz band at school and plays the trombone. He faithfully goes with Tayson each Sunda to missionary prep class and likes to study his scriptures.

Tayson (19 just barely) will be in the MTC by the time this is printed. He is headed to Franfurt, Germany (surprised? you’re the only one:). This last year he has probaly had the busiest, most eventful year in our family. His senior year was filled with 5 AP classes, sterling scholar finalist, a couple of very nice scholarships awarded, graduation as valedictorian, putting in mission papers, starting at the U of U, receiving his mission call, going through the temple, and surviving his college classes. The he enjoyed a little leisurely time in which he worked on music, a few hobbies and put together our family Christmas band. The best part for him has been getting excited and leaving for his mission.

As a family, we hiked in the Narrows (from the bottom up) and I had a chance to reflect on the great memories from the Hinckley hike 20 years before when Nelson and I were engaged. It’s hard to believe how quickly those 20 years have passed. Nelson then took the adventuresome ones in the family to Angel’s Landing. Those of us with knees not inclined to that descent or who feel dizzy just seeing their pictures, stayed below. We all enjoyed the Shakespearean Festival.

Highlights for me (Susan) this past year would have to include a very hectic, but rewarding few months of putting togther the Stake YW camp, finishing the 50 mile Little Red Riding Hood bike ride that Lissa got me involved in, 20 years of marriage to Nelson, and having the blessing of being involved with Janiel & Bill and their babies and seeing the miracle of Janiel’s recovery. As wonderful as 2010 turned out to be, we’d be o.k. with a little less eventful 2011. Thank you for being such a wonderful extrended family. All our best to you.

Laura & Lon Perry: The Lon and Laura Perry family moved into a new home in June. We are enjoying the extra room and though we miss our old Ward we have some wonderful people in our new Ward. Our old house is up for sale, so if you know anyone who is interested, let us know. Emma (9) recently had her appendix removed. She was very brave and seemed to enjoy all the attention she received. She is an avid reader and loves playing with the many friends she has made in our new neighborhood. Stanford (12) plays the trumpet in the school band and loves to dream up ways to strike it rich someday. He just started middle school and is loving his Algebra class. Truman (14) recently earned his Eagle Scout Award, is becoming skilled at the piano and enjoys singing. For his last recital piece he played “Waterfall” by Jon Schmidt, and he is now working on “All of Me.” Both he and Stanford are part of the MathCounts team at their school. Jessica (15) is learning to drive, loves her friends and is a wonderful cook. She just started High School and is doing excellent in her honors classes. She is the early bird of the family, getting up each morning at 4:30. Kate (16) loves to cross-stitch, read, bake and watch classic movies. She is currently taking AP Art History, AP European History, and AP United States History, as well as some other difficult classes while still maintaining a 4.0. Hannah (17) is an excellent student and piano player. She received a 35 on the ACT, and is a member of the Academic Decathlon team at Bingham. She works at Redwood Vision and is trying to decide what University to go to next year. Laura has spent many of her mornings helping Janiel care for her triplets. She feels very blessed to have been able to have such a great experience. She enjoys working with the Webelos. Lon loves to hike in Southern Utah, listen to Car Talk Saturday mornings and he makes some really great pancakes. Our family loved a trip to Bryce Canyon last summer. We went through an amazing slot canyon, went on a horseback ride through beautiful country and spent one night in our Motel room with the power out and a big storm brewing outside. At the end of January Lon’s work is taking Laura and him to Cuba. That should prove to be an interesting experience!

Marvin & Heather Howell: This has been a great year for our family. We have so enjoyed having both of our boys together for an entire year. Nobody has enjoyed it more than Caleb, who patiently waited 8 years for a sibling. Caleb loves having somebody else in the home that is not an adult. He keeps asking when we will get bunk beds for Dax and him. We keep telling him maybe when Dax is out of his crib. We also learned in August that Heather is pregnant again. We are excited to add another boy to our house of chaos in April. We are not sure why things in the baby department started working after 17 years, but we feel very blessed.

Heather has been the Den Mother for the Wolf Den with Marv as her assistant for the past year. We’ve decided Cub Scouts is the best calling in the church. We are amazed at what 8 year olds are willing to do with positive attitudes when they are with their friends and all wearing scout uniforms. We think this probably wears off somewhere between the Wolf badge and the Eagle, but we are going to enjoy it while it lasts.

We feel very blessed as a family. In 2010 we have seen many miracles that strengthen our love for family and for our Savior Jesus Christ. We believe 2011 will be another great year with many miracles. – Marv, Heather, Caleb & Dax

Andrew & Julie Howell: 2010 was a great year for our family. We enjoyed a wonderful trip to China this past summer. We visited Beijing, Xian, Guilin and then on to Hong Kong. Some of the highlights included hiking The Great Wall, cruising the Li River, visiting the excavation sites of the Terra Cotta Warriors, shopping in the fascinating markets and testing our ability to try new foods. Our favorite stop in Hong Kong was the temple where we were able to do baptisms for the dead with our 3 oldest children.

The children are all doing wonderfully. Taylor is 6 feet 3 inches tall and still growing at 17. He is a Junior at Alta High School. He takes his education seriously which is reflected in his amazing grades and test scores. Caitlin turned 16 in December and got her drivers license. She is a sophmore at Alta and doing fantastic. She is teaching herself piano and has an incredible ear for music. She and Tanner were able to travel to Italy, Spain, France and Tunsia in October with Julie and her Mom. Tanner is 14 and received his Eagle before his 14th birthday. He is in eigth grade and consistently makes honor roll with all of his siblings. Tate is 11 and proudly tells people that he is a patriot and Republican. He is a self starter in every task he is given especially when it comes to school and scounting. Andrew and Julie have taken up running and enjoy spending that time together. We are planning our 20th wedding anniversary in February. Andrew is now serving in the Young Men’s presidency and Julie is the secretary in the Relief Society. We have a very blessed life.

Marilee & Andru Blonquist: The adventure continues in South Carolina. To celebrate our 10th anniversary Andru got us tickets to Glenn Beck’s first American Revival in Florida. The day long seminar flew by and we were uplifted, encouraged, and left with a greater love of our country and its history. It wasn’t the romantic get-away to Hawaii I’d always wanted to do for our 10th anniversary, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I was thankful that’s how we celebrated our years together.

Early on in the year I was talking with Janiel when she told me she was expecting triplets. I was so surprised and excited for her and Bill. It wasn’t long before she wasn’t allowed to pick Alexa up at all – a little challenging with her being 1-year-old. Since Andru is still working in Charleston and only having him home on the weekends I decided to take the kids to Utah for the summer to help Janiel with Alexa. I was very worried about a 3-day drive, but the kids were great and Andru was able to join us for 2 of the days.

Our summer was wonderful. Alexa is a doll and we fell in love with her quickly. It was fun to watch Janiel progress with her pregnancy. We also got to join my family for their 3-day reunion around the Salt Lake Valley. My kids loved being around their cousins, aunts, uncles, and Grandparents all summer long. We really do miss being close to family. Annalee even loved meeting most of her great aunts and uncles that she’d heard about in Grandma Hinckley’s life history which I’d finished reading to the kids earlier in the year.

In the middle of the summer Andru’s parents flew into SLC and then drove with us to Washington State for the Blonquist family reunion. Andru flew directly there and we were so excited to see him. The North West is absolutely beautiful. We spent several days at Zion’s camp with Andru’s family. More aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents – a dream for my kids! We were sad to leave but are grateful for the special memories we made.

The rest of the summer flew by and before we knew it we were saying good-bye to my family and making the trek back to the South. We stopped in Nauvoo for the night and met up with Andru’s parents there. It was fun to see them again and let the kids experience the incredible spirit in Nauvoo. Almost as soon as we got home Andru and I left for Washington DC for Glenn Beck’s 8/28 Restoring Honor rally. What an incredible experience to be there with so many people that love this country. It was a memorable day for us.

Okay, you may not be fans of Glenn Beck, but we were so excited to hear he was coming to Clemson University to speak in September. After the other Beck events I told Andru we would have to win tickets if we wanted to go. And guess what? We won tickets to go! Yes, we were a little excited!

Annalee (8) started 3rd grade and is excited to be learning cursive this year. She got baptized in October and was so happy that both sets of Grandparents were able to be there for this special occasion.

Samuel (6) has become a good reader, but he doesn’t have much time for it. He would rather be building things with Legos, riding his bike, taking something apart, or using dad’s tools on a project in the garage.

Lauren (3) started speech class in the fall and has made great progress. It’s so fun to finally understand what she is saying. But she still uses her non-verbal skills to get just about anything she wants from just about anyone. Her eyes just sort of mesmerize people and they can’t help but ask her 20 questions until she gets just what she wants without ever saying a word. It is really quite amazing to watch this in action – and I promise I’m not exaggerating!

We are so grateful for the miraculous recovery of Janiel and wish we could be out there to help but are thankful for this summer. We are thankful for all the faith and prayers by the extended family in her behalf. A true and amazing miracle!

Not much else to report. We are thankful for our good health and loving family. In church Andru is teaching the High Priests twice a month and I am serving as the Primary secretary. We love you and hope 2011 is full of joy and blessings for all of you!

Love, Andru, Marilee & Kids

P.S. For Christmas Andru gave me Glenn Beck’s 8.28.2010 Miracle on the Mall book. When I flipped it open I notice a picture that looked like the American Revival we’d attended. Sure enough it was and we happened to be in the picture. Yes, we think we are cool – crazy Beck fans!

Natalie & Gregg Robinson: 2010 – A Year We Won’t Soon Forget! In the words of Dickens, it was the best of times…It was the worst of times. As we look back on this year, we have been forced to reflect on a year filled with both joy and sorrow – dark storm clouds, perhaps, but with beautiful silver linings…

It all began in January, when the earthquake in Haiti sent shock waves throughout our year. Having just received her RN, Natalie jumped at the chance to go to Haiti as a volunteer nurse. She spent two life-changing weeks working long days every day providing medical care. Every day was an emergency and every day God’s hand was revealed. She saw many die, but many survived and found their way forever into Natalie’s heart. She came home in tears and humbled by the courage and genuine faith displayed by her Haitian brothers and sisters.

Jumping ahead…In August, we spent a wonderful week in St. George, hiking at Zion and playing at the lake with our extended family only to go home and a week later find out that our beautiful nephew Todd (8 yrs.) had been killed in a tragic accident. Four weeks later, after struggling with health concerns, Gregg’s father, Calvin, also passed away. Gregg and Natalie were able to be by his side during his final hours, and our children joined us a week later for the funeral. We are grateful to know that Grandpa and Todd are in Heaven together and we are thankful for sealing ordinances that will allow us to be with them again as we keep our covenants.

Despite all of these trials, it has been a year of miracles as well. Just before Christmas, Gregg was informed that he will be managing a facility for Parker Hannifin just minutes from our home, allowing him to finally reduce his travel without having to move or change companies (He had been commuting to Spokane, WA each week since March). This past summer Gregg bought tools and supplies and has regularly, I mean steadily, I mean occasionally been working on finishing the basement. He is also serving as a counselor in the High Priest Group, and coaches the YW basketball team.

The next miracle is that Miranda (16) obtained her driver’s license and has been able to drive herself and Cami to seminary each morning at 5:45 AM instead of Mom or Dad (Hallelujah!!). Miranda is a junior this year, but had the opportunity to take College courses at Lakeland community College in place of high school courses. She took 12 credit hours in the fall and will have 2 years of college completed by the time she graduates from High School. She spends the afternoon at Riverside High School participating in symphonic and marching band (her first love!) and Revue Choir. She also accepted an invitation from her engineering/architectural design teacher to join the robotics team, spending Saturdays with them to design and build a robot for regional competition.

Cami (15) was in Revue Choir this past year and even accompanied the choir on the piano. She has used her piano and singing skills to perform at the Kirtland Historic sites, singing in a quartet with Miranda and a couple of boys from the ward, and even plays the organ during sacrament meetings occasionally. She and Miranda also performed a wonderful musical number (flute & piano) at their grandfather’s funeral. Both Cami and Miranda obtained their YW medallions this past year and stayed with their Aunt LaRaine in Orem while attending EFY.

Danielle (12) got the running bug in her and signed up for cross country, achieving a 2 mile time of just over 15 minutes. She also auditioned for and was selected to be in the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Choir. She and her group performed during the Christmas Holiday with the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. It was very beautiful and something we want to attend every year. For her YW in Excellence, she built a rocking chair out of wood along with a little direction and tool training from Dad. She also joined the unofficial polar bear club by diving into Lake Erie while ice still surrounded and floated in it. Now that she is a Beehive in YW, we have a YW in each of the three classes and mom as president.

Ira (10) is now in middle school. He decided to try tackle football this year. His own little personal miracle was that he didn’t break anything or get crushed by kids twice his size during his first ever bout with a contact sport. He also earned his Bear in scouting and is working hard on his Weblos. He has done a couple long bike rides and snow hikes with scouts and his Dad and has learned to use many of the tools in the basement, including the compound saw, sawsall, nail gun for framing, wiring outlets and measuring, cutting and installing drywall.

Natalie put her RN to good use when she was called to be the stake nurse during Pioneer Trek, where she easily bandaged 130 blisters in sweltering heat. Every time they stopped to rest, she would then kick it into second gear running around caring for those in need. Natalie does not know the meaning of the word rest. To her, that means work on “the rest” of the things that haven’t already been done. Trek was forced to an early halt the evening before the last day due to sweltering heat and the fact that four youth were taken to the hospital that day for heat exhaustion. Natalie continues to serve as the YW President for the ward, and takes the youth regularly to the temple for baptisms (3.5 hours each way) and to the cannery to fill orders for ward members. Her courage continues to grow. She even accompanied Danielle and Dad up Angels Landing in Zion National Park (don’t look down!).

As a family we participated in the Kirtland play this past year. It was amazing to see two non-members also volunteer, and then join the church. One, Larry Andrus was baptized on the last day of the play. His family had been members for years, but through his participation in the play his heart softened and his conversion became complete. What a miracle that was to participate and be a witness of. Now we are realizing that the time with all of our children together is ending in 18 months and know this will be our last full year with them. That being said, here is to 2011. May this year be full of joy and new miracles.

Bill & Janiel Pyper Family:

(Written by Jean Howell)

Wow, what a year this has been! We have so very much to be grateful for this year. The many blessings, tender mercies and miracles that we have witnessed have been very humbling to say the least.

At the beginning of this year we were hoping to be able to have another baby. We were thrilled, shocked and overwhelmed when we found out we were having triplets. The doctors told us that Janiel would have to be pretty much off her feet for the better part of the pregnancy. Arrangements were made for Mom to help out with the care of both Janiel and their toddler, Alexa, throughout the pregnancy. During most of the summer months, Marilee came to help out while Mom recovered from some surgery. We were very grateful for all of the help and felt so blessed when we made it to 8 months with the pregnancy. The doctors delivered the babies by C-section on September 7th and all went very well. The babies – 2 boys and 1 girl (Emily Ann, Jonathon William, David Alexander) – were all healthy and normal in every way. The boys did have to stay in the NICU for 2 weeks just until they learned how to eat. Janiel was recovering beautifully from the delivery and the C-section. We all breathed a sigh of relief that everything had gone so well. Everyone was prepared to be busy for the next several months just helping out with the new babies. Eleven days after the babies birth, Janiel awoke with a sudden and terrible headache. It was obvious this wasn’t your run of the mill headache and we knew something was terribly wrong. She was rushed to the hospital and it was soon determined that she had had a brain hemorrhage. That’s when Janiel’s Journey began. I think most of you have read the blog that Marilee put together to keep everyone up-dated. What a journey it has been.

Bill was wonderful through the whole thing, even though it created tremendous stress and worry for him. Alexa (our 20 month old toddler) was remarkable in the way she was able to roll with the great changes that were taking place in her life. Our ward couldn’t have been more helpful and supportive. The family really stepped up and was there for us 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Alexa turned 2 years old on Christmas day and loves being a big sister to her little siblings – Emily, David and Jonathon. Janiel has been so blessed and is doing so much better. She still has lots of therapy appointments, still can’t drive, still somewhat weak on the left side, still struggles with some short-term memory problems, but compared to where she could be at this point, we are just very, very grateful. We have been able to pretty much cut back on all the help from the ward. We still have someone from the family come each day. The babies were named and blessed the first Sunday in January and are doing just great.

How can we thank all of you for your faith, prayers and fasting in our behalf? We know that made all the difference and we will be forever grateful. A special thanks to Aunt JoAnn for her many hours of service, and also, to Aunt Louise for the beautiful picture of our little ones that she drew for us – what a special treasure that will always be for us.

Ben & Sara Howell: 2010 brought a few welcome changes to our family! First, we moved up the street this last April and are enjoying having a little more space for our family. With the move we are grateful to still be living in the same ward here in Henderson, Nevada. Ben continues to serve as second counselor in the Bishopric. With much disappointment, Sarah was released as secretary in Primary but is learning to love her new calling in R.S. as visiting teaching coordinator.

The most welcome and exciting change came this last November with the arrival of Isaac, who weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs 6 oz. Isaac’s older brother and three older sisters were so excited for Hyrum to finally have a brother. It was so fun for our family to have this precious baby boy just in time for the Christmas season.

Hyrum (8) was baptized this last June. He was so excited to start scouting and looks forward to scouts each week. He also participated in a swim team this last summer to cool down from the hot days here. His swim coaches all commented on his impressive butterfly stroke. He enjoys playing with legos, riding his bike (including attaching the bike wagon and giving his younger sisters rides around the neighborhood) and playing with friends.

Caroline (6) after much anticipation finally lost her first tooth and can’t wait for the tooth fairy to come again. Her first grade teacher informed us that she wishes “she could clone Caroline.” She is a pure delight and a huge help to her Mom. She is enjoying her tennis classes each week and loves tagging along with Hyrum when riding bikes.

Grace (4) takes very good care of all her baby dolls and loves to have friends over. She enjoys puzzles and doing her reading lessons with her mom. She is currently getting pretty good at riding a bike without training wheels!

Eliza (2) potty trained in 2 days and is always asking to hold her new baby brother. After a year of nursery she finally has taken to it and is often found trying to comfort the younger ones in nursery who are upset.

All in all we have much to be grateful for over the last year. We are grateful for the simple things in life like eating dinner together as a family each night, family bike rides, even doing homework with the kids. We are especially thankful for the ongoing recovery of Janiel and continue to keep her and Tiffany in our thoughts and prayers.

Dustin & Sara Howell: The year 2010 was a good year for our family. Fortunately, our year was calm without any overly exciting events, to which we are grateful. Non-eventful can be considered a good thing!

Lily, 9 years old, has developed some new interests and talents. She reads anything she can get her hands on in general, but has a special fascination with WWII. So much so, that we had to change libraries because she had already read everything they had to offer on the subject. She loves historical fiction and retains facts and dates in her brain in an amazing way. She is also taking piano lessons and tap dance lessons. Tap is her favorite as she is able to release her boundless energy into something physical and upbeat. She spends many hours writing short stories as well as journal entries. She also loves drawing and recently has learned how to recreate people in motion; such as, while they are walking, jumping, and dancing. She is a great kid.

Arza, almost 8, has also discovered some new interests. Reading has opened up a whole new world. Arza, like Lily, also loves the historical fiction books. However, his interest is in the Revolutionary war. He can tell you what kind-of guns they used, what they looked like, how they worked, and whether they were successful or not. We often hear gun shot sounds around the house as he and Simeon recreate war scenes as they hide behind the sofa aiming for “baby British,” otherwise known as Peter. Arza has a myriad of interests. Coin collecting, math, Egyptian artifacts, building with legos and trios, and my favorite, doing extra chores for money. He is extremely dependable and does what he says he will do. He wakes up every morning and does his chores first thing without ever having to be told. He also helps Simeon get breakfast or whatever other help a 4 year old might need. We just love him.

Simeon, almost 5, is a happy go lucky person who knows how to live the good life. Recently, while his mother was trying to get a lot of cleaning done he casually stretched out on the sofa and said, “Mom, you know what your problem is? You care too much. And you know what my problem is? I don’t care at all.” Well said. He is often the stress reliever. Simeon’s favorite thing to do right now is anything that Arza is doing. They are good little companions. They enjoy building amazing cities and pyramids together, wrestling together, reading together, eating together, playing revolutionary war together, and just living life together. Simeon loves doing math, but also enjoys learning right along with the big kids in whatever subject they are learning. Every once in awhile he gives us a glimpse of his capabilities and blows us out of the water. What would we do without Simeon?

Peter, our 19 month old, is our little love. We do however sense the terrible 2’s, which we usually say are the terrible 3’s, coming on far too early. He is extremely independent, very bright, has endless energy, loves to dance to music, loves to read books, and has a great sense of humor already. He is a natural born vegetarian and puts his nose up at all meats. But he loves eating his blueberries and toast for breakfast almost every morning. We adore Peter.

Dustin and Sara are doing well. Dustin stays super busy with work at Workman Nydegger, being ward mission leader, working in the temple, and being the daddy that all the kids eagerly wait for to come home each night. We’re grateful for Dustin’s good job and a home in a neighborhood that we love. Sara loves being a mom and wife. She is grateful to have those that she loves most around her and considers herself blessed to have the life she has.

HAROLD & DIANE: As we have reviewed the past few days the events of 2010, we feel blessed. Our family is still generally healthy and well. We’ve had no major accidents, injuries, or life threatening illnesses--unlike other families. We are indeed blessed and our hearts continue to weep for some of the challenges some of you have and are facing. In that regard, its been kind of a rough year for the family in general, but still we are all blessed.

As perhaps most of you know, Aunt Diane was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease earlier this year, which has caused us many sober moments. We spent months visiting every Doctor and Specialist we could find in hopes of finding some cure--but that’s not to be. We have done and are doing everything the Doctors have asked us to do to slow down the debilitating process. She remains physically very healthy and strong, but mentally she doesn’t process things at all well. She can no longer drive, so we got rid of our 2nd car, and I am now the “designated” driver for all travel and trips.

Regarding trips--shortly after her diagnosis we decided to do a bit of traveling, so we finally went east to visit the Church historical sites, and it was a great experience. I’m kind of upset with myself that we hadn’t done this years ago. We visited Winter Quarters where our dear friends, the Brewsters, were running the Visitors Center there. What a great Visitors Center. Then we visited the Temple right over the fence from the Visitors Center. In the following days, we visited Carthage Jail, Liberty Jail, Independence, Nauvoo and the Temple. What a fun trip. After the first 2-3 days Diane was exhausted, so the last couple days she mostly sat in the car while I did all the touristy stuff. We have already planned for a couple trips in 2011. The first trip is to Mt. Rushmore. We’ve never done that before and Diane would like to see it. As soon as the weather gets decent we’ll head east. Then she would like to visit Boston, Washington and New York again--so this summer we’ll head east even again.

We express our love to each of your--our family ! There is no family like it in all the World--of that I’m convinced. Thanks for not only what you do, but mostly for what you are !

P.S. Diane just reminded me that I missed one upcoming trip this year. We are taking all our children and grandchildren to Disneyland, Sea World, Universal, Knotts Berry, the beach, etc. in just a few weeks from now. That ought to fun and chaotic, but memorable.

Allison and Curt: We never have a dull moment down here in Texas! And though we always miss our families back in Utah and Idaho and fly back as often as possible, we always have a full calendar here keeping us busy. Curt works in Advertising for WBAP Radio and I continue to work for Sandler Training. We keep a good balance in our world and have lots of fun going to drive race cars, zip-lining, improv comedy classes, Mavericks/Stars/Rangers/Cowboy/TCU games, and using season passes to Six Flags/Sea World. Our volunteering efforts with the Discovery Training program is also close to our heart and we are humbly grateful for the chance to see lives transformed on a monthly basis! Otherwise, our primary focus is always on our amazing 4 children!!

Dru (my bonus son) lives in Boise but did spend one year living in Texas with us, playing basketball/football at Jr. High, and trying to adjust to a house of sisters. He’s looking forward to driving soon and we are glad for when he can visit. Lindsay is loving high school!! She makes friends so easily and teachers love her. She continues to thrive in her orchestra with violin and helped coordinate the orchestra’s first ever entry into the Homecoming Parade. Lindsay is always babysitting but is looking towards getting a real job as she intends to buy a nice car when she’s 16 soon.

Sara graduated into Jr. High this year and is doing awesome!! Good grades come easily for her and she jumped into everything she could: orchestra, Whiz Quiz, Student Council... and then also started Young Women’s this year with a bang. Loves the activities, Personal Progress and her leaders, giving110% in everything; including her passion about fashion. We are currently keeping Forever 21 in business! Kate (my bonus daughter) turned 8 this year on New Years and she still brings lots of sunshine and spunk to our family. She is our social butterfly who relishes going to Girl Scouts each week and spending time with friends. We are fortunate to be her primary household and love seeing her ace school and volunteering in her class!

Adam & Kate: Kate and I enjoyed a relatively peaceful, predictable year. She continues to enjoy her work with Chapman/Richards Realty group in Holladay. She religiously attends Pilates twice a week and she still enjoys learning and experimenting in the kitchen. Her little brother and sister-in-law provided a little excitement this past November by giving birth to a healthy baby boy - just the second grandchild on her side of the family. And she continues to try to convince me that we don’t have the meanest, grumpiest cat in the world.

I just rounded out my 13th year working with the same company (Priority Dispatch), and given the economic climate of 2010, I consider myself very fortunate. I’ve been able to curtail business travel a bit in recent years, but I did have to brush up on my Spanish recently as we pursue some contracts in Puerto Rico.

For entertainment this past year we didn’t really wander too far off the grid. We enjoyed some time off in the usual escapes (Cabo, Scottsdale and Vegas), and of course we promised ourselves that next year we’d get a little more creative.

We both enjoy the arrival of a new year and the time to reflect, refuel, set some new goals and refocus on making each year better than the last. Happy New Year everyone!

Angel & Brian: Brian’s contribution: “I’ve turned one year older and 10 years wiser. That is all.”

My contribution: We just moved at the beginning of December from West Jordan to........WEST JORDAN!! We now live around 90th South and 5200 West. We’re pretty excited but it’s taken us a while to actually get MOVED IN. We’re finally getting stuff up on the walls so it’s starting to really come together - yay!

For my big 4-0 birthday in September we went to New York City! We did ALL the touristy stuff: took a stroll through Central Park, rode the subway, went through the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Natural History (which was under construction so 50% of it was unseeable), rode the subway, went to the top of the Empire State Building, rode the subway, went to a Yankees game (I liked it a LOT more than I thought I would), rode the subway, went to Ground Zero, wasted more time on the subway, saw the Statue of Liberty (it was raining cats and dogs that day so we decided that viewing Ellis Island from the boat was good enough :), wasted more time on the subway, went to Times Square (the ball that drops on New Years Eve is WAY smaller than it seems on t.v. :), wasted more time on the subway, ate at the restaurant featured in Seinfeld, ate at Gray’s Papaya (for any romantic comedy movie fans :), wasted more time on the subway, and saw two Broadway shows - one of them being Wicked. TOTALLY WORTH IT! Wicked and the Yankees game were the highlights of our trip, and the subway was definitely the LOWlight of our trip.

Brian is still a Captain at Skywest Airlines and I still do online data entry.

Emily is in 4th grade and is all about friends, school, and accessorizing.

Jill is in 2nd grade and is super smart, super affectionate and loving, and super generous. She lost 6 teeth within the span of a month or so and tends to whistle when she says her S’s. She will turn 8 in September and is a little nervous about being baptized. She doesn’t like being the center of attention so it could be interesting.

We’re all really excited to be going back to Disneyland again in February with the whole family! Grandpa and Grandma (Harold and Diane) are sponsoring the trip and this time we’re going to Sea World also - it’s going to be so much fun!

Amanda & Brian: We have enjoyed another wonderful year! Brian loves his job designing cabinets at Teerlink. He fills his spare time attending meetings or taking the kids skiing. I am still at home supporting him and the kids in anything they need. This past September I had back surgery on a ruptured disk. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a good opportunity for our family to come together and make it through a couple difficult months. I’m feeling like a new woman and although somewhat limited, am trying to pick up life where I left off!

Our kids are growing up SO fast! Ethan is 10 and in fourth grade. He loves sports (swim team and soccer the most), cub scouts, and reading. He is an amazing boy with a brilliant testimony and such an example to the younger ones. Megan is 7 and in second grade. She continues to enjoy the Spanish Immersion program at school and is getting really good at speaking Spanish, but is much better at understanding it. She is so excited to be baptized in April. Dillon, 5, started kindergarten this year and was so bummed it wasn’t all day so he could stay and have lunch with his brother and sister. He is a funny, social kid, who is kind to everyone. We enjoyed a wonderful summer biking, swimming and camping. We are blessed to be parents of such amazing children.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those cousins still struggling with physical difficulties. We’re hoping there’s an opportunity to see all of you soon!

The Stackhouse Family: Chuck and I purchased a house in Murray last January, and after having moved many times in the years we have been married, I hope to stay in this house for awhile. I continue to work at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray on the Surgical Transplant Unit as a Registered Nurse. I am finding my job to be physically, emotionally, and mentally demanding, but enjoy taking care of others in need. Chuck is still the Retail Manager for Gap and Gap Kids in Park City. Although the economy has been bad, Chuck’s stores seem to continue to do well.

Ashlyn will be turning 16 at the end of January, and is a sophomore at Murray High. She has turned into a big help for Chuck and I around the house in watching her little brother and sister, while Chuck and I are at work. She has a true passion for music and any time she can, will add more songs to her already extensive collection on her iPod. She continues to excel in school although she really does not enjoy going, will count down the days to the next school break. I am so glad that she has turned into an older sister for my kids to admire and look up to.

Caden is currently in the fourth grade and continues to progress at his own pace. The simple things that come easy to other kids are generally a challenge for Caden. We continue to actively work with him in helping him spell his last name, count to 5, color recognition, and he is in the very early stages of trying to read. The special education educators that work with him are exceptional, and I am so grateful for all they do. At home Caden is trying to master his skills on the Nintendo Gamecube. Although he needs quite a bit of help when it comes to the games, he will still play for hours if we would let him.

Cortney is a very active second grader. She is so full of energy, that she spends very little time in front of the television or playing video games. Though she is a bit of a clutter collector, she does enjoy spending her time organizing that clutter. I am grateful to have one child that truly loves going to school, I think it has something to do with the fact that she calls me ‘boring.’ Still she continues to be Cadens best friend and although he may not know it yet, one day I think he will realize how truly great of a sister he has. Livin the dream…

Ann: I am still at Great Mountain West Supply (or G54.com) and officially hit my 4 year mark with the company just yesterday! Although I’m always hoping for a change, I am very grateful to be employed. I’ve been attending a singles ward now for a year and a half (The Mt. Olympus 3rd Ward in Holladay) and I really enjoy it. I am first counselor in the Relief Society and even though it’s surprisingly time consuming, I absolutely love it and have felt the changes and blessings in my life as a result. A month from now I will be moving out of my best friend’s condo and into a house with some other girls in the ward. I’m crossing my fingers that this is my last move until I’m married. (I’m sure my brother-in-laws who have to help me move each time are crossing their fingers too) Of course if I want to get married, I guess I should probably try dating first. Maybe this is my year! I’m also hoping to run a 5K and buy a new car this year. Hopefully I’ll do all of the above...Love and miss you all!

JOANN & EARLE: As we think of this past year, we are again grateful for our relatively good health and physical stamina, for our own dear children and grandchildren, and for the joy they bring to us daily. And we are thankful for the gospel that gives purpose to all that we do. We have had a good year!

Church responsibilities: Earle continues to care for all the high priests and their wives. Since our ward is an older ward, he keeps quite busy with all the illnesses, blessings, etc. We were thrilled recently to have had an entire Draper Temple session filled to capacity with just our ward members. Earle almost single- handedly organizes the annual ward breakfast, the ward temple nights, all service opportunities (which we seem to get assigned more each year), and the annual High Priests’ Christmas party. JoAnn teaches Primary, a calling she truly loves! She’s also a Visiting Teaching Supervisor. Both Earle and JoAnn continue to serve as ordinance workers in the Draper Temple.

Extra-Curricular activities: Earle, in retirement, has come to love to work in the yard. He now instigates yard projects more than JoAnn does. Earle’s passion is still tennis. He has a great group of older men in their 70s to 80’s that he plays tennis with 2 to 4 days a week. He also took on the project this year of reading the Book of Mormon, Bible, D&C, and the Pearl of Great Price simultaneously. His project is in its second year now. He loves reading the scriptures. He also enjoys playing the piano most days, and sometimes puts JoAnn to sleep at night with his piano playing. Earle has another hobby that is very helpful, but sometimes frustrating to JoAnn. He likes to shop for groceries! Yes shop! Several times a week! He does most of the grocery shopping, and often comes home with a new health food to try, usually expensive. JoAnn thinks the grocery bill is more now than when we were feeding eight! JoAnn still exercises at Curves, acts as project director of home redos, repairs, etc. does some reading, watches the Nate Berkus show, and enjoys some of the reality TV shows. She also loves to organize the monthly family get-togethers. Serving at Janiel’s and Bill’s will always be a highlight in her life. She truly observed the miracle of all miracles. Thank you, Howell Family for that beautiful experience.

Travels: In June, we took three of our grandsons, Braden, Landon, and Dallin, with us to Fort Collins, CO, for the baptism of Owen and for his eighth birthday party. This was our family’s only baptism this year. Also in June, we loved being with JoAnn’s siblings and spouses as we remembered our beloved father (100 years old) by visiting Cove Fort, Kodachrome Basin, Bryce Canyon, and the small town of Hinckley where our amazing father was born and raised. In July, the Peirce Family had their annual campout. We camped near Snowbird and spent the days doing all the activities that Snowbird has to offer. The nights were spent around the campfire playing games, etc. The favorite game of this campout was ‘A Minute to Win It’ organized by Shanna. We certainly enjoy our family get-togethers! In August we traveled to Pennsylvania -- more specifically Philadelphia and its surrounding environs; such as Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and most of the well-known historical sites of Philadelphia. We also went to Valley Forge, Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Daniel Boone homestead, and a Quaker Cemetery where some of Earle’s ancestors are buried. However, the highlight of the trip was our visit to Longwood Gardens, a world-class arboretum, conservatory, and gardens started by the Peirces in the 1600s and later more fully developed by the wealthy Pierre duPont Family. Earle has always wanted to visit these gardens that he has always heard so much about. We were not at all disappointed in this beautiful and expansive place. It covers over a thousand acres and is visited by over a million people yearly. It was really special to walk through the preserved home of George Peirce, Earle’s direct ancestor of eight generations, the first Peirce to migrate from England to Pennsylvania and obtain land from William Penn. In September we headed to Yellowstone Park by way of Idaho Falls and Rexburg, ID. We visited the beautiful new Rexburg Temple, and then tried to find where Ed and Lynda had lived while they attended college there for 2 years. The campus had changed so much, we had no success. It is a beautiful campus. We stayed in Island Park and each day traveled from there to the various Yellowstone sites. Yellowstone is not quite like we remembered it as kids, but we loved it anyway. We also spent time in the Grand Teton National Park. Those mountains are so majestic and glorious. I think I love them as much as mother did. We made stops in Jackson Hole and Afton as well. We even tried to get to Intermittent Springs where mother had spent much time in her youth. It had become dark, and we were a bit nervous about driving that narrow canyon, so only made it 3/4th of the way, but yet it brought fond memories back. We had forgotten that the cheese factory was no longer a cheese factory…only a little gift shop and small lunch counter, so we left Afton a bit disappointed, However, Afton will always hold a special place in our hearts. We’ve loved our several visits there over the years. .

The Year’s Highlights: 1) The baptism of Owen Nathan Peirce on June 5 in Fort Collins, CO and . 2) Our youngest child, Brian, became the father of the most beautiful little baby on December 3rd. Her name is Ella Lucille Peirce. She is our 19th grandchild. She was named and blessed in our home on January 2nd by her father. There were approximately 60 family members and friends in attendance. Ella was just precious in her long flowing white blessing dress.

Ed & Marsha and Family: This year Marsha’s mother has lived with us since March. Her name is Lolita Sillorar. We love having her with us, but she feels a bit out of place in the U.S.A. so her stay here is not permanent. But since she is living with us, and is really a part of family, we want to introduce her to the Hinckley Family. Lolita is a widow, and has three children. She has a son and a daughter in the Philippines. In 2006 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Luckily, there has been no recurrence of cancer, and this will mark her 5th year since her diagnosis. She likes playing with Garrett and Meadow. She helps out a lot around the house and enjoys gardening when the weather is good. And like Ed, she really enjoys action movies. As for the entire family, we went low budget this year on our family vacation, after going to New York City in 2009. We saw Bryce and Zion National Parks and enjoyed that beautiful scenery. Last summer, Ed, Marsha, Lolita, and Garrett saw Paul McCartney in concert. This was such a thrill for Ed who really enjoys the music of the Beatles. Ed and Marshastill work at the same places. Ed at the Post office, and Marsha is at the kids’ elementary school as a special ed. para educator. The economy has taken its toll a bit. Ed rarely gets the overtime he used to, and Marsha’s hours were cut at the school district, but we’ve been able to make ends meet so far. Garrett is now 9 and is a brilliant little boy. He is in the access program at school and has received several awards such as high honor roll, the Iowa (standardized test) in the top 10 percent, and a citizenship award. Garrett is very shy and won’t talk to most adults, but he’s gradually improving. He loves playing Rockband with his sister and/or dad. He really wants to learn to play ‘real’ drums. Meadow is 6 and is very spunky. She started Kindergarten this year, and loves going to school. She has made lots of friends and always wants to have whatever her friends have, whether it’s a toy or a brand of shoes. Meadow is doing very well learning how to read and is heading towards the top of her class in that department. She is an excellent swimmer. She loves anything to do with Disney princesses or fairies. Her birthday party was a fairy party where all the attendees wore their fairy/princess outfits.

Lynda & Scott and Family: Our family started 2010 by celebrating the New Year in California. We visited Disneyland, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and the San Diego Zoo.

In July, Scott and Lynda combined a sales meeting in Phoenix, AZ with a visit to Lynda’s childhood environs including the apartment and home Lynda lived in as a little girl. We also visited and decorated the grave of Lynda’s older brother, Steven. Then we flew to Hawaii (our first time). We enjoyed visiting Pearl Harbor, Waimea Falls, Polynesian Cultural Center, and snorkeling at Shark’s Cove and Lanikai Beach. Hawaii is gorgeous and our week there could not have been more perfect. A good portion of the summer was spent in landscaping (sprinkling system, sod, fire pit, fence, storage house) our newly acquired acreage. . .

Wolter Family Highlights:

• Scott enjoyed a January getaway to Marco Island, Florida for a sales meeting

• Lauren and Eric enjoyed taking two college classes together

• Nick began his first year at Payson High School and loves it

• Dallin took break dance lessons

• Lynda successfully completed her goal to ride her bike to work all summer

• Lauren spent 7 months working in Richmond, Virginia. She made more friends than she did money.

• Eric went on a three-day canoe trip down the San Fafael River with his Uncle Tom, and cousin Sage

• Lauren works around the clock for three days straight for an elderly women as her care giver

• Eric works at WalMart, but is searching for something better

• Nick is doing weight lifting each morning before his classes start

• Lynda loves being room mother for Dallin’s 5th grade class

Nathan & Robyn and Family:

Nathan

• still enjoys working for Intel in Fort Collins, Co

• had laser eye surgery (no more glasses)

• after 6 years was released as Cubmaster

• always involved in a home improvement project; this year’s projects included building and installing a shelf all the way around the girls room – then painted pink and white stripes all around the room; designed a driveway extension and walkway to the backyard, installed insulation on the garage door, and built a closet system in the girls’ closet.

Robyn

• watched with the family as a grizzly bear crossed the road in front of us at Yellowstone

• said yes to being a last minute host family to a 14-year old Japanese boy for 4 weeks; shed some tears when it was time to say goodbye

• finds time to read between doing typical mom activities

Collin (will be 14 in Feb)

• his Lego Rototics team won 1st place in a scrimmage tournament and 2nd place in the qualifying tournament for Robot Design and was able to participate in the state tournament

• auditioned for and made it into the middle school musical, Willy Wonka

• earned his red belt in karate along with Nathan and Randy

Randy (will be 12 in Jan.)

• started 2010 by earning the Arrow of Light and joining the Boy Scouts where he will soon be a 1st Class Scout

• chose to learn the cello as he entered the middle school music program and thinks it is neat he can share music with Collin who plays the trombone

• got 2nd place for boys in the 6th grade tennis league

Owen (8 years)

• was baptized on his birthday, how cool is that!

• won our Cub Scout pack’s Veggie Regatta with his cucumber canoe

• spent a week and a half at cousins’ homes in Utah by himself just for fun during the summer

Sydney (6 years)

• also loved spending a week and a half at cousins’ homes by herself

• entered 1st grade and is becoming quite the reader

• got the Chicken Pox along with Cora who got it from Owen (who might have gotten it when Randy was immunized)

Cora (1 year)

• spent the year entertaining the family as she grew, learned new things and passed all those 1st year of life milestones

• got 3 stitches in her forehead after hitting the edge of a bed during her “just starting to walk” phase in November

• has learned a few signs to communicate with us in addition to occasionally saying “bye,” “hi,” and “boo”

Shanna & Tom and Family:

Tom (age 42): Keeping busy at work as the Storm Water Utility Manager for Riverton City, had a great time hiking Mt. Timpanogos in the summer, busy in the Bishopric, enjoyed snowshoeing in Yellow Fork Canyon!

Shanna (age still 29): Smiling teacher of darling preschool kids, trying to keep up with a very busy toddler, enjoying texting her oldest daughter on her new cell phone (gotta keep up with the times), so happy to be serving in the YW Presidency!

Sage (age 12, almost a teenager): Talented dancer in many areas of dance including a ballerina on toe shoes, surviving middle school with a 4.0 GPA, enduring piano lessons, enjoyed her first Girls Camp last summer.

Tanner (age 10): Started drum lessons and thinks he wants to start a band, enduring piano lessons, a well rounded sports player in soccer, basketball, and flag football, an expert Band Hero drummer and quitarist!

Brynn (age 6): One of the stars of her soccer team, little gymnast doing cartwheels and walk-overs around the house, finally began taking piano lessons after begging for it for over a year, and has a smile that melts your heart.

Grace (age 20 months): Loves to run around the house, in the yard, down the street, and in the chapel! Is off the charts for her height and in the low percentile for her weight (she burns everything she eats right off), loves to dance to music, has a giggle that brightens your day, and is a miracle to our family!!

Sherman & Jocelyn and Family: We have had a calm year. For the first year since marriage we haven’t moved, changed jobs, baptized any children, had any new children, or even received new church callings. Nothing has really changed for us this year. I guess we’re officially old now.
I am still building my optometry practice in Draper. I’ve been there two and a half years already. My accountant is proud of me for digging it out of debt. Now I just need to figure out how to pay myself enough to transition from 6 days a week of work including moonlighting at other offices to 2 half days of work including free golf with drug reps. Some day. I’m still a cubmaster and I’m certain I’ll be released soon as I’m starting to enjoy it.
Jocelyn has been trying hard to make this year interesting for our family. On Christmas Eve last year she had surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. Many months later and one miscarriage later, however, Jocelyn is now pregnant in the 2nd trimester. At least 2011 will be more interesting to write about next year. Jocelyn is still a counselor in the primary presidency and is already stressing over the primary’s sacrament meeting program.

Braden is 9, and in the 4th grade. He is doing really well, and growing up a little too fast for his mom’s likes. Landon is 7 and is the 2nd grade. He is still in the Chinese immersion program, and amazes his parents daily at his ability to speak Chinese. Both Braden and Landon took karate this past fall and loved it. We hope to be able to continue with that in the near future. Madalyn is 3, and is our little princess. She keeps us smiling. She loves music, dancing, and playing with her brothers.

Brian & Becky and Family: This was a wonderful year as Brian and Becky completed their first full calendar year married. We happily found out in March that we were expecting our first child. Consequently, Becky was sick for the better part of the year, which limited a lot of what we could do. Still, we did enjoy doing some activities such as going to Hebgen Lake in Montana and later a weekend in St. George. We celebrated our first year anniversary at the plush Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake (5 star), which was a marriage gift from a relative of Becky’s. Brian still works for the State of Utah in the Unemployment Insurance offices as a claims auditor. He earns the big buck (I meant to not pluralize this) in finding ways to deny people benefits. Becky worked the entire year, as in years past, as a dental assistant for her father. At the end of the year she decided to stop working full-time in order to care for our newborn baby. Born on December 3, Ella Lucille Peirce weighed in at 7 lbs and 11 ounces, and was 21 inches long. Because Ella’s heart rate was low, and Becky’s contractions were not strong enough, the doctor decided to do a c-section. Needless to say, Becky’s hopes of recovering quickly were dashed. We are loving our sweet little baby girl who, by the way, is the most beautiful baby ever! Really!!! We’re trying to learn how to live on no sleep. Yet we think parenthood rocks!