The 1st of Random Posts

Dear Family,


If you have arrived at the blog in search of the "Our Family Circle" newsletter post, just scroll down a bit and you will find it.


In the mean time......I was a little surprised to learn that some of you want to keep the blog active in some fashion. While we determine exactly what the blog's function will be in the future.....perhaps you will indulge me a few random posts.  AND, if YOU have something you feel should be posted on the blog, by all means let me know.

SENIORS 2012 PLANNING MEETING

The Aunts & Uncles met a week ago yesterday at Susan's and Jack's in Bountiful for our annual planning meeting. All were present with the exception of Jean and Rex who are currently serving as a full time missionary couple in Cleveland. They were and are remembered in our prayers and we are very grateful for their example!


I did not take notes during our meeting, so I hesitate to report the resulting plans for 2012. If Kay & Ned send that information to me via email I will add it to this post.


I can tell you however that Thomas's new enclosed deck was beautiful, incredibly comfortable and functional, with elegant cloths and centerpieces on each table! AND the food was outstanding! Harold and Diane made oh-so-good scones, Lon and Steph brought the best hot chocolate ever, Kay & Ned provided an incredible egg casserole.....for which I would love the recipe, JoAnn & Earle provided a beautiful and nutritious fruit tray, Richard and I provided the essential chocolate candy without which no Hinckley gathering is complete.  Did I miss anyone?


However, my purpose in making this post is to share the photos I took.  

Enjoy!

Love,

Aunt Louise

February 1, 2011- February 1, 2012

Announcing the END of "Our Family Circle" on-line! But NOT the end of the printed newsletter.


Dear Family,
Our purpose in trying the newsletter on-line last year was to save printing and shipping costs. But in the end it seems that the printed version is still the favorite, so this will be the last on-line version of "Our Family Circle." Another reason we tried doing the blog was a feeble effort to participate in the technology that is available to keep in touch. However, as one of you stated last year in an email to me, most of you prefer the facebook approach. This opinion was verified by the fact that only a few of you actually posted comments last year on the blog. And since not posting the newsletter to the blog will save me a few......okay, perhaps several hours of additional work, I'm okay with going back to just the printed version of the newsletter.  But it was a good experiment, and we will finish out the "era" in good style by putting the newsletter on-line this last time.

Another "last" with this newsletter is my message/editorial at the beginning of each newsletter. We will still have a message–but from now on I will be sharing that responsibility with my siblings. What a nice change that will be! 

AND from now on, everyone will send their write ups to one person in each of the 8 families who will be responsible for proofing/editing and forwarding them on to me in one email or two at most. That should greatly reduce the virtual piles of correspondence in my in-box.

I'm open to other suggestions for improving the newsletter as well. For example: Are the activity pages worth the the time and effort? How important is it to you to have color pictures vs. black and white? Should we limit how many pictures or how long the write ups are? Are the statistics on the front page about births, missions, etc. a feature you care about and want to keep?

We may be ending the newsletter on-line, but I'm wondering if we might want to keep the blog active for other purposes. Any suggestions?

Love, 

Aunt Louise

Remember Who You Are

Mother and Father Hinckley would often remind their children (and the missionaries as well) to.....“Remember who you are and act accordingly.” This counsel, originally given to members of the Church by President David O. McKay, is as relevant today as it was half a century ago....perhaps more so. Who then are we? 

First of all, we are spirit children of our Heavenly Father – sons and daughters of God. Just knowing that can have a powerful influence on how we conduct ourselves, and should help drive away discouragement and feelings of despair.  After all, His love for us is perfect. He wants us to succeed more than we do.

Secondly, we are followers of Jesus Christ. When we are baptized, and every time we partake of the Sacrament, we declare our willingness to take upon us his name, and in so doing commit ourselves to do all that we can to be counted among those whom he will choose to stand at his right hand and literally partake of exaltation.

And FINALLY, we are children of earthly parentage with brothers, sisters, and extended family that love us and who are directly affected by the choices we make in life. Some of us were named after beloved family members or distant but revered ancestors; and all of us either share the Hinckley name or have married into this Family with it’s rich heritage. 

The Priesthood and Relief Society manual for the year 2012 contains the teachings of the 8th President of the Church, George Albert Smith. In the first pages of the manual is the oft repeated story of a dream that came to him when he was seriously ill, even close to death.  In his words....

“I found myself standing with my back to a large and beautiful lake, facing a great forest....I realized, or seemed to realize, that I had finished my work in mortality and had gone home....I found a trail through the woods....after I had walked for some time.....I saw a man coming towards me....I hurried my steps to reach him, because I recognized him as my grandfather [George A. Smith]....how happy I was to see him coming. I had been given his name and had always been proud of it. When Grandfather came within a few feet of me, he stopped....looked at me very earnestly and said: ‘I would like to know what you have done with my name.’ Everything I had ever done passed before me—everything I had done....I smiled and looked at my grandfather and said: ‘I have never done anything with your name of which you need be ashamed.’ He stepped forward and took me in his arms, and as he did so, I became conscious again of my earthly surroundings. My pillow was....wet with tears of gratitude that I could answer unashamed. I have thought of this many times....I have been trying, more than ever since that time, to take care of that name. So I want to say....Honor your fathers and your mothers. Honor the names that you bear.” 

We all love the memory of Father and Mother Hinckley, and honoring the Hinckley name not only connects us to them, but to generations past, and blesses generations yet to come. May we each have a clear understanding of who we are and the great privilege that is ours to belong not just to this earthly family, but to be children of our Father In Heaven.


"Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; – Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents......and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.  Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them. – Helaman 5:6-7

“a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” – Proverbs 22:1

Please....“Remember who you are, and act accordingly.”

Love, 

Aunt Louise

Activity Page

Cannon Conection 2011

KAY & NED – In 2011, we could tell we were getting older, with the growing number of funerals, birthdays, 50th anniversaries, and senior-couple mission calls.  Kay’s first two dental implants were another sign.  Our extremely young ward keeps Kay busy in Primary as music leader, and Ned (not so) busy in the high priest leadership.  We love our callings.

Kay continues teaching at Northridge HS, and warns prospective teachers that training courses never end -- so don’t think college is the end of it.  On the positive side, she feels rewarded when students return to visit and show their appreciation.  Everywhere we go, she sees her students, who are always happy to greet Mrs. Cannon.  Ned enjoys being self-employed, learning technology involved in his business, and creatively applying it to serve clients.

We enjoyed activities with loyal old friends from our previous wards, including a stroll and picnic in Memory Grove, visits to the Church History Museum and Gilgal Sculpture Garden (very “interesting”!!), a challenging hike in Liberty (Ogden Valley with 80-year-olds).  Kay is grateful for her girlfriends and DUP sisters (she has participated in the same DUP camp for 15 years, despite our many moves).

Some highlights: our spring-break retreat in the Brigham City area, trilobite-digs trip with our posterity, 40th-anniversary trip to New England and visit with Angie’s family in PA, and their visit here for Christmas.  Our family gatherings brought us much joy.  The extended-family activities were wonderful, creating precious memories.  The Cousin Connection, including Ralph as an honored family member, was especially gratifying.

We were thrilled with Rex & Jean’s mission call to Ohio, the state where Ned’s mother grew up (high school years).  In 2010, we found and visited Janath Russell’s old family home in Columbus, and made a goal to return some day to visit Kirtland.  (How about a Hinckley seniors trip there? :-)

It’s a good thing our children are writing their own reports, as we are tempted to brag about their many accomplishments and lives of service.  We’ll just cheer them on and say, “keep up the great work!”

FORTY FIRSTS FOR KAY & NED

(Highlights of the 40th-Anniversary Trip)

1) Visiting all six New England states, plus New York and Pennsylvania, in one trip.  2) Riding on top of double-decker tour bus of Manhattan and Bronx.  3) Surviving scary dark streets of Queens (NYC) – walking between hotel & subway.  4) Ground Zero site of construction after 9/11 terrorist attack in NYC.  5) Tour boat to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Museum.  6) Genuine New York style pizza in NYC.  7) Experiencing a Broadway show – the “Jersey Boys” musical.  8) Finding a way home after taking wrong subway in Manhattan at night.  9) Realizing our rental car was not the best model for NYC traffic and sight-seeing.  10) Museum of the Moving Image in Queens NY; (don’t be fooled by tricky parking signs!)  11) Mailing a “donation” to a good cause, hopefully helping the dedicated, deserving NYPD.  12) Wrong lane (pass card only) entering turnpike (toll road) leaving NY, Friday rush hour.  13) Spending hours going a few miles in NYC outbound traffic through Conn. Friday night.  14) Finding far-out Eugene O’Neil’s home in a thunderstorm after it closed.  15) Mystic Pizza in Mystic Conn. – best pizza ever!  16) Attending a session in the Boston Temple; (hard to find, but worth the hunt.)  17) Walking all 4 miles around Walden Pond and Thoreau’s cabin site.  18) Rededication of Longfellow Ward chapel in Cambridge MA.  19) Homes and haunts of Emerson, Alcott, Hawthorne, and Thoreau.  20) Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord MA.  21) Concord MA sites of early Revolutionary War battles.  22) Salem Cemetery and memorials for 20 alleged witches hanged.  23) House of Seven Gables tour, where Hawthorne wrote the book.  24) Enjoying the Marginal Walk on the south coast of Maine.  25) Dinner at Barnacle Billy’s where Pres. Bush (sr.) dines.  26) Visiting Portland Head Light and Portland Observatory.  27) Staying in a 1940’s cottage by the sea in Rockport, Maine –cute for a couple!  28) Lighthouses everywhere along NE coast; saw Columbus’ ships replicas sailing.  29) Penobscot Marine Museum – a dozen buildings, including an old church.  30) Staying night at The Moorings (Hinckley home) in SW Bar Harbor, Maine, by the Hinckley Yacht Co.  31) Touring beautiful Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Mountain.  32) Chart House Restaurant in Bar Harbor (pron. Bah Hawba), with steak & lobster for dinner.  33) Birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Sharon, Vermont.  34) Finding (despite inadequate signage) the AP Restoration site & cemetery above the Susquehanna River.  35) Home of Emily Dickinson by Amherst College.  36) Visiting Angie & Chris and Nina at home in Elk Lake Resort, PA –BBQ heaven, thanks to Chef Chris.  37) Valley Forge National Historical Park in southeast PA.  38) Spectacular Longwood Gardens (started in 1700 by the Peirce Family, who bought from Wm. Penn.).  39) Walking historic Philadelphia on July 4th weekend, including Independence Hall and fireworks.  40) Driving down Coney Island’s main street filled with celebrators and police at 2 am – no hotel!

Conclusion:  For tips on celebrating your big anniversary, contact Kay, and find out how to really “pack it in” for unstructured fun and adventure! 

ANGIE & CHRIS MEE – Here we are, nestled in our humble abode, contemplating the year that has passed. Screaming baby noises fill the air, ringing throughout our very essence…our souls…and the one device that makes the incessant screaming worse is Mom’s electronic amplification machine.  In other words, her baby monitor.  Oh, but let us not forget to count our many blessings.  We received a “multiplicity of blessings” this past year, the greatest of which was the birth of our adorable little girl, Miri May Mee on October 1st.  With a head full of jet black hair, a happy smile, and big dark eyes, she captured our hearts.  It was love at first sight.  Nina was thrilled with her new baby sister, patting her on the face and trying to poke her eyeballs out.  She has since learned to treat her more gently.  Fortunately, during our Christmas visit to Utah, we were able to hold Miri’s baby blessing in Mom and Dad Cannon’s home.  They were thrilled to meet their newest little grandchild.  It was truly a memorable and spiritual event for all the cousins, aunts, and uncles who attended. We spent Christmas Day in the airport making the long journey back home to Waymart, Pennsylvania.  Other trips from this past year included a weekend in Maine.   As we planned the trip, we were concerned with our car choking on its own smog pipe.  The car burned oil at the rate of 5 quarts per 350 miles! We decided it was cheaper to feed the beast than to purchase a new vehicle.  Thankfully our car survived, and it was a delightful trip, besides the times Nina tried to eat sand.  In June, Mom and Dad Cannon stopped in for a visit!  Chris served up gourmet, charbroiled, edible delights on his propane Weber knock-off grill.  We loved seeing them! Chris and Mom Cannon totally dominated in Scrabble against Angie and Dad Cannon.  Later in the summer, Chris, as ward mission leader, organized the annual Missionary Open House Carnival, which happened to be the same weekend as Hurricane Irene.  The day started out beautifully, but about an hour into the activity the rain came pouring down.  Ward members and visitors took shelter underneath a couple of tents and were forced to socialize with one another.  Needless to say, the rain brought us all closer together.  We enjoyed a rare Pennsylvania snowfall before Halloween.  We took Nina out for her first trick or treating experience.  She was the cutest little cow on the street.  Thank you Nina for getting us a big bag full of candy.  As Young Women’s president, Angie organized the greatest, non-Santa Claus ward Christmas party ever! It was a lovely, spiritual event focused on the birth and life of Christ.  We spent New Year’s Eve watching movies and eating fat free/reduced calorie junk food (ya, it wasn’t very good).  As we count our blessings, we are amazed by our Heavenly Father’s love and generosity, especially with the latest breaking news that Chris received a new position as accountant with the Bureau of Prisons in Phoenix, AZ.  We are excited to move across the country once again and experience a new adventure.  We’ll let you all know how it goes!

KATIE & JARED COSTLEY – This year hasn’t been too eventful for the Costley family, but it has been a blessed year.  We are living in Layton and enjoying living only five minutes away from grandpa and grandma Cannon.  This year we hope to find our first home to buy in the area.   Jared is still working as a project manager in the F-16 department at Hill Air Force Base and hopes to stay there for many years.  He has been working towards receiving an MBA and so far he’s been a straight A student.  At the moment he’s taking a Macro Economics class which keeps him busy doing homework most nights of the week.  Both of us will be glad when that class is finished.  Jared has been the assistant ward missionary leader for the past year and a half and has made many friends with investigators and less-actives.  It’s been a wonderful experience for both of us.  Although Jared is a busy man with his family, job, school and church calling, he always makes time to play a little basketball and watch a few Jazz games.  Katie feels lucky to have a wonderful, well balanced man.  

Katie has loved every minute while staying home with the twins, Jonathan and Jeremy.  We feel so extremely blessed to have our two beautiful boys. They are now almost eighteen months and are very active little guys.  They are learning a new language called twinese.  They seem to enjoy talking to each other in this strange language, but it would be nice for mom and dad if they would start saying English words as well. Katie hasn’t had very many opportunities to get out her paints this year, but she has found opportunities to read books, keep up on politics and world news, learn how to index for family history and practice the piano.  Jared feels lucky to have such a supportive, compassionate and devoted   wife and mother of his children.

QUINN & BARBARA – Our life has been busy, busy, as usual.  I’m sure you can all say the same thing. 

Our big news from last year was that Quinn was accepted into pharmacy school!  He was invited to interviews at almost all the schools he applied to, chose to attend three of the interviews, and was accepted into all three schools he interviewed at, one of which was the University of Utah (which is not an easy pharmacy school to get into!).  He felt prompted to accept the U’s offer, which he did.  We moved last year to a house much closer to the U and Quinn began the pharmacy program last August.  He will have three years of classes and one year of rotations before he graduates as a pharmacist.  His first semester was very tough (so tough that some students wanted to drop out; Quinn wasn’t one of them).  But he studied hard, plugged through it, and did fine.  The Pharmacy students have been told that the first semester is one of the hardest.  It’s nice to know that things should get a bit easier.  Even though the semester was so demanding and busy, Quinn still made time for his family.  He did his best to spend a couple of hours each evening and Saturday with us, which we (especially me) very much appreciated.

I mentioned that we moved (again) last year.  Between school and jobs we have yet to live in one place for more than 2 years during our 10 1/2 years of marriage, and most of the places we’ve lived have been somewhat small.  This time we moved into the largest (about 2400 square feet) and nicest home we’ve lived in.   We are in the East Millcreek area, not far from where Quinn grew up.   Quinn can hop on a bus that stops close to our home which takes him straight to the U.  We do miss our old ward and our old view of a field of cows (often some calves too) right out our old apartment windows, but overall we are very happy with our new home and neighborhood; we’re glad we’ll be able to stay where we are for at least three and a half more years!

Our oldest, Dallin, turned 8 in November.  He was very excited to be baptized and his baptism day was special.  About a year ago he set a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon before he got baptized (this was his own idea).  He needed some reminding through the year, but he did achieve his goal!  He is still very interested in science, maps, and geography.  He just finished his science fair experiment (with Quinn’s help) of extracting DNA from things.  He extracted DNA out of strawberries and split peas (you can see the DNA because there is a lot of it). 

Gabriel turned 6 in November.  He is full of energy and enthusiasm for life.  He still loves anything to do with trains.  He is a good engineer when it comes to building the tracks; he puts tracks together in very creative ways and builds elaborate bridges by using other toys to support the tracks.  He is in Kindergarten this year and tolerating it.  He would rather be at home playing all day.  He does like going to PE at school.

Camille is now 18 months old.  She feels like a big girl (most of the time) and insists on being treated like one.  For example: she often protests being put in her high chair and even a booster chair at the table.  She prefers sitting in a big chair like the rest of us do, even though her chin barely comes up to the edge of the table.  She also feels like a big girl at the playground.  She has no fear of climbing right up to the highest part of playgrounds and sliding down the biggest slides.  She’s also pretty fearless when it comes to climbing other things, which makes us nervous at times.  She adds new words to her vocabulary every day.  It’s fun to see her personality come through more as her ability to express herself increases.  She’s a darling little girl and a social butterfly who wins the hearts of almost everyone she meets.

We know that we were very blessed this past year and are grateful for our blessings, our Savior, the gospel, and our family!

SPENCER & ANN – 2011 for our family was our most difficult year ever, but has yielded a multitude of blessings.  After nearly two years waiting, we were obliged to be invited by the country of Ethiopia to come and finalize the adoption of Alem (6yrs), the sister of our previously adopted son, Habtamu Ty (9yrs).   She is vibrant, smart, and waaaay too cute, and is rapidly attaching to us as parents and the family.  With seven kids, we had to modify our suburban to seat more people. With the new fourth row seat we can comfortably seat eleven.  (So if my math is correct, we can have two more kids.  Right?...)  Our oldest child Bryon (14yrs), now in High School, has been feverishly studying his Utah Driver’s License study guide.  Last night I reminded him that only Eagle Scouts get to drive in the Cannon home.  Leverage…  It’s the best thing ever invented. Thanks Mom….  Preston (13yrs) is a budding singer.  He is currently getting training from a professional opera singer in our neighborhood and though he won’t sing in front of anyone, (just like his dad) he has a remarkable talent we hope he will share more openly someday. Emma’s (11yrs) gymnastic career has been put on hold while she recovers from a foot surgery.  12-16 weeks at minimum.  Her upbeat spirit and positive outlook on life is always refreshing.  Porter (6yrs) seems to have obtained my fishing gene.  I swear this kid could catch a fish in a rain puddle. I attribute it NOT to some kind of luck, but to his persistence in keeping his line in the water.  Good life advice if you ask me.  Grace (2yrs) is the crown jewel of our family. Her nickname is “Lady Chatterly” due to her incessant jabbering and desire to remain the center of everything.  Spence is still working with Publishers around the globe, helping them get their content into an e-Book format and Ann is keeping everything running smoothly at home.  The opportunity we had last September to see all of our cousins together again was truly precious.  It was a simple reminder of the impact a worthy mother and father can have on generations to follow.

CURTIS & TRICIA  – 

Caleb (13)
Elijah (12)

Hyrum (10)

Vera (8)

Jaynie (4)

Brigham (3)

All school kids

ACROSS

1. Very obedient and likes to play 'bad guys'

2.  Switched from being a carrier to a mailhandler, escaping

dogs, harsh weather, ridiculous time limits, and not enough

hours

3.  Can fix any Rubik’s cube mess in 48 seconds, can play any Primary song or hymn on the piano

DOWN

1.  Second mother to preschoolers, fast piano progress, got baptized

2.  Sewed quilts, curtains, stained our furniture, railings and mantel, found awesome tenants for our basement/WV house, teaches piano, preschool, and Sunbeams

3.  Has a pogo stick record of 10,000, is a pro roller blader, handstander, and natural piano player

4. Pulled staight A’s first quarter and not much different this quarter!

5.  Played the main character in ‘Polar Express’ and ‘Jungle Book’, and was a brother in ‘Joseph’

6.  Loves babies, preschool & helping, and is excited about everything!

Crosby Chronicles 2011

RICHARD & LOUISE - Along with the birth of little Gwen Garner, and the baptism of George Lamb, one of the highlights of 2011 for us was our family trip to Nauvoo. It is something we have dreamed of for years, and the reality of which far surpassed all we had imagined. As we walked the streets of Nauvoo we couldn’t help thinking of those early saints, and especially our ancestors who long ago walked those same streets in faith, served valiantly, and from which they were expelled for the sake of their testimonies and commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Among those ancestors were Charles Taysom, James McBride and Ira Nathaniel Hinckley on my side; and Lorenzo Brown, Francis Crosby, and Jesse Wentworth Crosby on Richard’s side.

President Gordon B. Hinckley once said: “It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer in his own life.”

May we always remember and honor the lives of these beloved ancestors, by emulating their examples of righteous commitment to the Gospel for which they sacrificed so much. And as we do so, perhaps future generations will wish to walk in our footsteps.

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime
And departing leave behind us
Footprints in the sands of time.
                                  – From Longfellow’s Psalm of Life 

Among the highlights of that trip were being present to watch our men folk baptize, and confirm our 4 oldest grandchildren for the dead in the Nauvoo Temple and later being able to stand in the Celestial room with our children and their spouses.

On the home front–Richard and I continue to serve as ordinance workers in the St. George Temple, teach Marriage & Family Relations in the ward, and have also been called to teach Temple Preparation classes. Had the economy not tanked a few years back, I think Richard would have been retired by now, but he keeps hanging on valiantly....while I on the other hand thoroughly enjoy being an at home grandma and having the freedom to pursue my art interests.

RACHEL & RICH GARNER - Change is the word for the Garner family in 2011. Miles turned 2 at the end of January (and will be 3 by the time you are reading this) and we celebrated by having a car birthday party. We purchased our first vehicle, a used 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, and are still twitching from having to write the biggest check of our married lives thus far. The best part of this year was welcoming Gwendalyn Louise Garner on March 22. She weighed in at 9 lbs and 3 oz and 21 inches long. She is joy personified and has made our lives richer than we thought possible. It’s wonderful to learn that your heart can hold infinitely more love than you imagined. About 2 weeks after she was born, we were kindly kicked out of our apartment at the storage units and we found an apartment back in Rexburg across the street from a park, which we love (aside from paying rent again). We spent a lot of time outside this summer trying to soak up all the sun Rexburg could give. We especially spent a lot of time in our garden and got a lot of yummy food to put up, both from our efforts and from kind neighbors with too much fruit! We got to vacation with the Crosby side in Nauvoo Illinois which was a huge highlight. We took a major leap of faith when Richie quit his job working construction supply and started his seminary student teaching. It’s been going great so far and Richie is in love with teaching, we just hope we get a full time job out of it. We’ll most likely know in April if we’ll be hired. We potty trained Miles which proved more intense than we thought. He’s doing great now, but I’m pretty sure I’d rather go through labor again before I’d choose to potty train another child. Ugh. Miles also started Joy school and has been enjoying that. Gwen is cruising right along and growing up WAY too fast. We’re hoping that 2012 will be a little less busy, but just as happy. Love to all!

ADRIENNE & CHRIS LAMB – 2011 has been a good and busy year for the Lamb family of St. George.

Chris continues his work managing a sleep lab for a local doctor and working at the hospital on a weekly basis. He spends his nights and weekends working on his Masters in Nurse Management. He will be done with that in March of this year and we are all looking forward to that accomplishment!

Adrienne continues her work with the kids at home. Other than taking care of home and kids she enjoys going to the gym each morning and reading. One of her new favorite authors is Georgette Heyer.

George’s major milestone this year was his eighth birthday and baptism! It was wonderful to see him take that step and share it with the family that could be here with us. He is in 3rd grade. He loves video games and bey blades. He continues to learn the guitar and has enjoyed being on both baseball and basketball teams.

Paris is our 1st grader. He is six and is growing like crazy. This past year he started piano lessons and is enjoying that. He also had fun in sports both in basketball and soccer. He loves to play with his friends especially with his bey blades.

Erma is 4 years old and into everything girly you can imagine. She loves dress ups and now barbies. This past year she began preschool and enjoys that. Some of her accomplishments include pumping herself on the swings, riding her bike without training wheels and loving, helping and driving her brothers crazy.

John is 2 years old... need I say more? He is a fun, energetic and competitive little boy. He loves balls and has recently developed a passion for the Cars movies.

A highlight of this year was a trip with the whole Crosby family to Nauvoo. It was a long trip in the car with 4 little ones, but it was an adventure that we will never forget! Chris and Adrienne also had fun making a quick trip to SLC to see our Hinckley Aunts, Uncles and Cousins - thank you to the Cannon Family - It was awesome! We look forward to 2012 and all the adventures it will bring especially that of the arrival of our 5th baby in July!

BEN & BECCA CROSBY - The Ames, Iowa Crosbys. We have had a productive year, but, thankfully, not as chaotic as years past. Perhaps the biggest news is that we are expecting our fourth baby. We are especially excited this time, because we plan for this one to be our last. So we are trying to enjoy the process more. We won’t learn for another few weeks whether it is a boy or a girl.

Ben is plugging away at a job he loves. Being a professor is everything he hoped it would be. This semester is his busiest for a number of reasons, but mainly because he is in charge of the 700-student introductory course in the speech program. He enjoys it immensely, but he looks forward to a quieter schedule beginning next year. He is still the Teachers Quorum adviser in the ward.

Becca is about to complete her first year as an officially employed RN at the hospital here in Ames. She works on the cardiac floor, dealing with patients who are usually aged and often the victims of bad habits: smoking, bad diet, etc. Now that she has some real-life experience in the field, she is more confident and able to enjoy her work. She only works about two nights per week, so she is grateful that nearly all of her time remains at home where she can enjoy the kids and her rediscovered love for the piano - an instrument we finally bought after years of waiting. She serves as the enrichment coordinator in Relief Society.

Isabel, our 9-year old and third grader, is an tremendous resource to her parents and a voracious reader. We love to watch her devour books. She has also made huge improvements this year in math. After helping her through violin lessons a couple of years ago, we worried when she expressed interest in playing the piano. We thought it would bring more massive battles and floods of tears, but Izzy has taken to it with relative ease and open enjoyment.

Theodore is 5 and will start kindergarten in the fall. He has become enormously competitive, a development we both welcome and resist. He is taking to sports, so we look forward to enrolling him in some official league sports soon. In the meantime, he plays in the backyard with Dad. He is learning to read, and he loves school. We hope it lasts. Overall, we are grateful for Theo, because he is such a good, even mannered kid. He really makes life at home more fun and relaxed for us.

Adeline is approaching 2. This year, she finally decided to walk, and now of course she is climbing up onto everything and everyone. Her job, as she sees it, is to spread noise, mess, and stink - and to look good doing it. But overall she remains such a patient and easy kid (knock on wood). She has developed close relationships with her two siblings, and we love to watch them spend time together.

RUSS & NATALIE CROSBY - I recently turned 38. I am going gray much too quickly. While life is incredibly stressful, I am grateful to be experiencing it. Natalie is 34 and is aging much more gracefully. Her stress comes from a different source; 4 daughters and Josephine is the cherry on top. Jo is 2 years old and is our toughest child by far. It’s no contest. When happy, she is much too cute. I adore her big brown eyes and the imperfect ‘perfect’ gap in her two front teeth. Tess is 5. She is our comedic relief. She is overly emotional, dramatic enough for Hollywood, fiercely protective of her sisters, hates meat, loves animals, future PETA president and cheetah enthusiast. Liesl Jayne is 7 and will be baptized in May! While she has a pension to tease Tess incessantly, she adores her role as big sister and trailblazer. She loves learning how to read and how to play piano then teach her siblings by first ‘showing off’. Truth be told, Liesl is her Dad’s daughter! Zadibug is our oldest at 14...soon to be 15. No, she is not perfect. But, I feel the Lord blessed us with her first to ease us into parenting. Zadi has been given some amazing traits such as patience, love for others, quickness in forgiving, joy in serving, authenticity and testimony of the Savior just to name a few. To her credit, she is cultivating those gifts now. She recently obtained her patriarchal blessing.

Our life revolves around raising this family in turbulent times. It is not easy. We’ve taken refuge in Logandale and have been here for 6 years. We would be fortunate to raise each child here...then move away to a bigger community.

I find employment at Sunwarrior as C.O.O. I work long days then usually give another hour or so to my calling in the bishopric. I thank the heavens for my wonderful wife Natalie who does so much for our family and home. She is our cornerstone.

JENNIFER & MIKE WALLACE - This has been a memorable year in many ways. Moments after Taysom’s high school graduation, the tornado sirens went off. Although there was a little rain and humidity, it didn’t seem like anything serious. The sirens didn’t stay on for long, but as soon as we found Taysom among the masses of high school graduates, we quickly found our cars and headed home. The weather changed dramatically on our short 8 mile ride home. As we pulled into our driveway the sirens were going off again, but this time the wind was whipping, the sky was eerily dark- and rain and hail were pounding the ground. It would be over an hour before finding out that an EF-5 tornado had destroyed 1/3 of Joplin.

Summer came early and was filled with many service projects. Our stake decided to press forward with the Nauvoo youth conference, and we did manage a quick trip to Nauvoo for the Crosby family reunion and loved every minute of it. Taysom and Tucker went and stayed in Iowa (with Ben and Becca) and pollinated corn - first official job for both of them.

Mike and Ilah go to school in a warehouse. Mike is still teaching 8th grade science and coaching 7th/8th football and 7th grade girls basketball and 7th grade boys basketball. Ilah was on his team this year and is now the manager for the boys team. Mike has her practice with the boys team since he needs some extra people. She is a tall, beautiful, athletic young lady. Oh, and she got her braces off! After participating in the musical ‘Annie’ last year, she is looking forward to trying out for East’s school play, ‘Cinderella’ this week.

Tucker goes to school at the mall in the old ShopKo building. He continues to play football and basketball. His football team got to play at Arrowhead Stadium and was featured on ESPN. They didn’t have that great of a season so we’re counting on basketball. He is currently working on his Eagle project which he is doing in conjunction with a service trip he is taking through HEFY to Tonga. He is also serving as VP for his seminary. He keeps all of us laughing and knows how to enjoy life.

Henry is now in middle school - which he loves. He participated in several clubs before trying out for the school play, “Into the Woods”. He is Rupunzel’s prince and gets to sing “Agony”. He has taken over Tucker’s trumpet and is enjoying beginning band.

Taysom finally earned her Young Womanhood Medallion. She spent the fall semester here in Joplin working full time at Chick-Fil-A, teaching the 7 year old primary class, and spending lots of time with her YSA group. She even got to go to Kansas City a few times for some swing dancing weekends. She is now at BYU Idaho and was called as the gospel doctrine teacher. I can hardly believe that we have one in college. I am so thankful that Rachel and Richie are in Rexburg! I don’t know what I would have done without Sara and Aunt Jessie and Uncle Don my one year at BYU.

Thomas Times 2011

Sue & Jack:  Jack and I are both enjoying reasonably good health despite our age.  Knock on wood.  Since being released from the Primary, I have been called by the Stake to be on a committee to write the Stake’s 50 year history.  I can’t quite get my mind around it.  Jack and I are also serving as ward employment specialists.  Kind of low key.  We are fortunate to have very few people looking for work. 

I continue to be active in DUP.  For years I have been the lesson leader.  I enjoy meeting with these incredible ladies each month.  But we are getting older and a little ‘funny’.  It’s harder to get things done when most of us can’t hear or see.           Recently our community was hit with hurricane force winds which blew down many trees.  One of our neighbors lost three century old trees, one of them falling in our cul-de-sac blocking any exit or entrance.  Another neighbor had a blow over into a neighbor’s yard, narrowly missing her home.  The tree was absolutely beautiful and had been there for eons.  I am saddened by the loss of it, but at the same time it really opens up for us an incredible view of the valley.  We experienced no damage to our home or property.  However, we were without power for several days.  This gave us pause to think about our level of preparedness and to give thanks for blessings.  We certainly take our comforts for granted.   It was very touching to see the community respond to the call to forego church on the following Sunday to help clean up the mess.  I’ve never seen so many trucks on roads in Bountiful as we saw that Sunday -- all full of refuse being hauled to the dump.   Because of this unified and concentrated work, on Monday you wouldn’t have known there had been a wind storm -- just a few small evidences. 

We are so grateful for our extended family and the wonderful example you are to us.  We are especially grateful for  the example of Jean and Rex.  They are going to make exceptional missionaries.  It was so nice to have you in our home to wish them farewell.  Our prayers are with them. 

We are so grateful for the many activities we have enjoyed with you this year:  the Red Robin dinner with Louise and Richard; the advent of the new family blog;  JoAnn and Earle’s 50th Wedding anniversary at Lon’s and Stephanie’s (how we loved the slide); the Cousin Connection and Ralph’s new marker; the girl’s luncheon at Mimi’s after seeing Janiel’s triplets; the recent after Christmas breakfast buffet at Grand America; and the blast Jack and I had with Kay/Ned and Jessie/Don last summer on the Front Runner.  We are deeply grateful to be associated with the finest people in the world.

What a marvelous family.  I know that Mom and Dad are proud of our efforts to stay together.  Let’s keep it up.  May God bless you and keep you this day an always.    Jack and Susan 

Evan & Sabrina: Evan has finished his prerequisite courses for Physician Assisting school and will be applying during the summer to various programs.  Early this year Don Jr. introduced Evan to a PA at the Huntsman Cancer Institute who does research.  Evan has been mentored by this PA and the two will be publishing a study regarding PAs in Dermatology later in 2012.  He loves his job at Orchard Cove Rehabilitation Center and working as a lab instructor in the Weber State University Anatomy Lab.  Once the Stake Presidency got word that he was the father of new twins, recently laid off, back in school, and seriously underemployed they decided to release him as president of the Elders Quorum to spend as much time with his family as possible.  His wife Sabrina is very grateful.

Sabrina is a miracle worker.  She had twin girls on March 11th.  We named them Scarlett and Stella. She continues to work part time as a Labor and Delivery Nurse at MckayDee hospital where she is loved by her coworkers.  Managing a home of 9 is her specialty.  The family runs because she does.  Between helping with the school play, working as a chauffeur, and cheering on kids at various sporting and clogging events, she has little time for any extra circular activities like breaking her arm while ice skating which she did on New Years Eve!!!  She had surgery to repair the break and she is currently trying to manage without her full compliment of appendages. 

Bennett (12) was recently ordained as a Deacon.  He is very excited to pass the sacrament and work in his Duty to God and Scouting.  He loves soccer and has made some great friends at school.  He won the school geography bee and is in the school play.

Ethan (10) continues to do very well in school, church, scouts etc.  He and Bennett also have a paper route and have learned that paying attention to the little things translates to bigger things like generous tips.  Their service is top notch.  He recently took second place in the school spelling bee as a 5th grader.   

Clara (8) was baptised by her father in September.  She is a delight and outgoing and has lots of friends.  She likes to cook and is a big help with the twins.  Clara likes that Stella looks just like she did when she was a baby.   

Henry (6) is the twin’s favorite.  When he walks in the room they light up.  He is doing great in Kindergarten and has learned to read really well this year.  Henry has a good ear for music and is excited to start piano in a couple of years.  He is a great clogger.  He is a wonderful young man with a sensitive heart. 

Jack (2) is the 5th kid and the one just older than the limelight stealing twins.  So you’d think he’d just be lost in the mix.  Nope.  This kid is often the tail wagging the dog in our family.  He demands attention and if you don’t give it to him he may just haul off and whack you; just ask......well, any of us.  He speaks remarkably well and uses that ability to let you know where you stand in his world (usually somewhere subservient to him).  He is great though.  He tells us he loves us all the time, and he loves “peanutbutterandjelly” sandwiches multiple times a day.  

Scarlett (10mo) is wonderful.  She is growing well and smiles with delight when Mom or Dad come home.  She is very curious about the world a round and seems as though she may be walking soon. 

Stella (10mo) is sweet as can be.  She loves to hear her own voice and can scream “conversationally” very loud.  She has a coy little look that she gives you when she knows you’re paying attention to her. These babies have been nothing but a joy and though there are two of them, they have been our best babies ever. 

We all have testimonies.  That’s important.  It helps us get through the tough times.  We do our best to follow the Lord and live up to the examples of our parents, aunts and uncles, and Grandma and Grandpa Hinckley.  What a legacy.  What a family circle. 

Amie & Chris: The Johnson’s have had a pretty crazy year with outside pipes bursting, inside water leaking, a roof torn off on the only night that there was a storm in that month, and multiple large appliances all breaking at the same time.  Whew.  It’s been a year.  But this is nothing compared to the great things that have happened.  Rex is 5 and in kindergarten.  He is doing well and having fun.  Reed is almost 2, smart and fun.  We are so pleased with both our children.  I (Amie) am no longer working so I get to take care of the kiddos and and house and cat full time.  Chris is working as an internet marketer and going to school.  We loved the Cousin Connection and learning more about Ralph Johnson.  What a wonderful story to add to the cannon that the Hinckley Family has created.  We are happy and healthy and are looking forward to many great things this year.

Alisha: I can’t believe another year has gone by. As I look back over the year, I was appalled at the fact that nothing of much consequence has happened in my life. So here is my life in a very small nutshell (because that’s all it will take).

• I still work two jobs: Reading Horizons as the general manager and I still moonlight at LDS Family Services as a therapist/superhero.

• I still live in Bountiful.

• I finally took the plunge and have started attending a family ward.

• Still no special guy in my life, so if you have anyone who is available, I’m game... mostly.

• I am the 4th Sunday teacher in Relief Society where I get to teach from the Conference talks.

• Still no debt.

• As part of my job at LDS Family Services, I was asked to submit my class materials for an anger management course I teach to the church curriculum department. I haven’t heard anything yet, except that there is no other material like mine, so it looks good for special review. I still teach the anger management class and totally love it.

• I finally took a short vacation to take in a Shakespeare play and to spend a few hours in Zion’s.

That’s about it for the last year. I wish everyone the best for the next year.

Alonzo: Having recently graduated from culinary school, I find that my sleeping schedule has returned to normal.  I had completely forgotten what it feels like to have eight solid hours of sleep!

Graduation went very well.  I feel accomplished, relieved and a little melancholy.  I truly miss my friends and classmates as well as the structured method of learning.  But now onto real life!

Shortly before graduation, I started looking for work as a restaurant manager in the Salt Lake area, with no luck.  So, I stared looking elsewhere for an opportunity to put my talents and education to work.  Where did I end up?  Probably the last place I would’ve ever seen myself in...  Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.  For those of you who have never been to Lava, it is a very small town, population of 600!  It is a spitting image of an old west town, complete with cowboys, more bars than grocery stores and the occasional horse and carriage.  It is a completely different lifestyle than I am used to, but you know what?  I kind of like it.

My new position at the Riverside Inn is Restaurant Manager and Chef de Cuisine.  In short, I am in charge of the restaurant operation, the banquets and the occasional night of cooking in the restaurant.  My coworkers are delightful.  That’s the neat thing about small towns.  People’s individual personalities are more apparent.

Other than working a lot, I have recently adopted a kitten.  She is awesome!  Her name is Athena.  She loves to play whenever I am home.  Her favorite toy is the laser pointer.  She goes crazy when we play with that!

And no… I am not dating.

Love you all, Alonzo

David and Merica: Hi Everyone -- We had another good year. Dave is still teaching 8th grade science at North Davis Jr. High. It’s a tough area but Dave is so patient and good with the kids there. Like everyone he has his good days and bad, but overall he enjoys it there. Dave is also in his second year of his doctorate degree. His is studying curriculum and education at Utah State University. He works with the scouts in our ward and is an excellent father.

I spent the first half of the year sick with our third baby. Our little Emily was born July 15th 2011. It was a difficult pregnancy but worth every minute. I love having a little girl. I have totally spoiled her and she has Dave wrapped around her little finger so tight he almost can’t breath. I spend most of my time doing the typical mommy things; cooking, cleaning, and getting James to school etc. I am still serving in the Relief Society presidency. It is a big time commitment but I love getting to know the sisters.

James (4) is doing well in his special education preschool class. His language is starting to take off, and he is doing very well academically. He still has a very difficult time relating to people, but with hard work that will come too. He will start kindergarten this fall. Matthew (2) will start preschool this fall. He is a very loving little guy who is so excited about the world and everything in it.

We loved seeing so many of you at the Cousin Connection this year and hope to have many more in the future. We wish you all a Happy New Year!

Erin & Ben: Ben and I are doing very well. We still live in our beautiful home in Farmington and we were pleased to welcome Parker Thomas Chipman into our family in June of 2011. 

Parker is amazing! He is seven months and crawling all over the place. He recently learned to blow raspberries and is starting to pull himself up into standing positions. He is irresistibly cute. We are very pleased with his personality, he likes everything and everyone. He cries very little and laughs a lot! He is also very full of energy, it’s impossible to keep him still even when he sleeps he twitches his feet and hands almost constantly. As soon as he can walk he is going to have his parents chasing him all the time. Well at least it will be a good exercise program for us.

Ben has just passed his two year mark with L-3 Communications and is still loving his job. He says there is always a lot of work to do but that he doesn’t mind the work as it means job security, a precious thing to have these days.

Erin is loving being a stay-at-home mom. It’s a lot of work but it’s wonderful work and so much fun. She was recently called to serve in Young Women as an adviser and she loves it. She thinks it is her favorite calling so far. 

We all enjoy being together and playing games. We’ve decided not to have a TV in our home, too expensive and distracting, so we play a lot of games to relax and keep our selves entertained. Some of our favorite games include Race for the Galaxy, Shadows Over Camelot, Thunderstone, Small World and Pirates Cove. All great family games for eight and older. Though we’re thinking for Parker’s sake we’re going to add in Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and some Hi-Ho-Cherry-OH!