I have found myself regretting not sending a family update in our Christmas cards. I sort  of thought everyone would be too busy to want to read an update…but then I got other  updates from the people I love and really enjoyed reading them…even the really long ones. So behold, my best solution: a blog post year in review.

We got to go on several fun trips this year, including Zion, Phoenix, and Oregon. But I think we’d all agree the highlight was our very first camping trip to Lake Powell over Labor Day weekend. Our campsite was only accessible by boat, which meant we had a whole hillside and canyon to ourselves. The water was warm and we had so much fun exploring the myriad of slot canyons and waterways. We were so pleased with how well the boat did hauling all of our camping gear and us all over that we decided to rename it. While our little Bayliner may not be fancy, it is perfect for us and we are so thankful for the adventures we’ve gotten to take with it.

 

Jennika turned 10 and decided to grow several inches this year. She still really loves dancing and is starting to enjoy playing the piano more and more. She danced in the Nutcracker this winter and really loved it. She was a party girl, which meant I got to learn how to roll her hair in curlers and she got to wear them for 6-12 hours before every performance!
She proved (once again) that she is a tough girl, getting nine stitches in her eyebrow after a run-in with a post and then later in the year a nasty and deep cut on her foot after stepping on a broken bottle in a river.
She continues to enjoy school and as a 5th grader also enjoys getting to rule the school. Her skills in speaking Mandarin continue to grow and we continue to be impressed and jealous.

Korban is now 8 years old and also decided to add a few inches to his height this year. Despite growing like a weed, he still has not lost any of this baby teeth, and therefore had a case of what’s commonly called Shark Tooth. His front adult teeth were starting to come in behind his front baby teeth. He thought this was super cool, especially the name, until he learned he would have to have his baby teeth pulled! He endured the process (twice!) really well and we are hoping all his other baby teeth will loosen and fall out naturally.
He loves all things Lego, Star Wars, and baseball. He cheered his heart out for the Dodgers during the World Series and I think we may have a lifelong Dodgers fan in the making.
As a red belt, Korban continues making steady progress towards earning his black belt in Taekwondo. It is amazing to see how much his skill, balance, and coordination has improved since he first started.
Korban also made a big decision to get baptized this year. This was huge for him since he does not particularly enjoy getting up and speaking in front of people. He was very nervous but stayed strong and faithful. I think it will be something he always remembers because it was a hard thing for him to do.

 

 

Kris has become quite a craftsman, building a new bed frame for us and a desk for himself. He has also started a new project outside, re-siding our house.  He still loves hiking, running, and skiing back country but hasn’t has a lot of opportunity to do the latter this winter due to low snow pack. He continues to work as a software engineer analyzing medical studies for Doctor Evidence. They were excited to play a key role in the American Heart Association’s new blood pressure guidelines released this year.

I learned how to back-country ski this last winter and absolutely loved it. I also spent many hours hiking in our beautiful Wasatch Mountains. This Fall I took a part-time job at the kids’ school as a reading interventionist. I am really enjoying helping 1st-4th graders improve their reading skills.

Thank you for reading this far! I hope the end to your 2017 is sweet and that 2018 is full of good things.