I got this written in time to e-mail, but I have yet to do it. Oh well, after Christmas people will have more time to read it anyway, right? Here it is a little earlier for those of you who actually read my blog. :) Merry Christmas!
I have decided this year not to kid myself and think I’ll send out Christmas letters via snail mail. So, I’m writing this e-mail update knowing completely well that I probably won’t get to “real” mail until my youngest gets into kindergarten. As of now, that’s three years away … but that is bound to be pushed back at some point …
This year has been a great year for the Brown Family! We have been blessed in so many ways, and we have had a very enjoyable year. We started the year being able to visit Paul’s brother and family in Phoenix. We had never been there before (except for Paul, who was born there), so it was a new, fun adventure. We especially enjoyed visiting with those cute Arizona Browns. A few of us got to enjoy the wonderful Easter Pageant there at the Mesa Tempe. It was awesome. We also got together with all of Paul’s siblings in August when his mom got married, which was a fun whirlwind vacation for us … especially since our kids stayed home. :)
In October we got to go on an awesome trip to Disneyland that was more fun than we can even express. BOTH boys were chosen for Jedi training, and they got to fight against Darth Vader. Seriously, how many young boys actually get to fight the real Darth Vader? I thought it was a total miracle for them both to be picked, and it was only one of the many fun, exciting things we did on our vacation. We can’t wait to do it again one day!
In any case, here are what our family members have been up to this year:
Paul earned his Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer this year, which is something he’s wanted to do for years. We are so happy for him! He found a great “boot camp” program in Phoenix and signed up for one that was during his birthday. He passed all the tests with flying colors – Happy Birthday! Anyway, he came determined to find a better job. Actually, he applied with only two companies, and he had two offers within weeks. He started a new job with TA Instruments in June. (It’s some company that makes microcalorimetry products or something like that I don’t understand.) He is their sole IT guy in Utah, which means he actually has a desk/cube now. We feel very blessed that it happened so quickly and that he really enjoys new things to do. His new job is a lot less stress and a lot more money – not a bad combo!
Denise has been busy doing the same ol’ things: toting kids to plays and soccer (no coaching this year), doing a gazillion loads of laundry, trying out new recipes, and trying to figure out how to best raise these great kids of mine. I am still very much enjoying scrapbooking and writing random nothings (usually) on our blog. This is also a great place to see awesome pics of our kids. :) I also stay busy with cub scouts, PTA, and other random “mom” things.
Becca has been very busy improving her thespian skills this year. She was in the chorus (singing/dancing extras) in her school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She also earned a spot on her school’s Shakespeare competition team, which enabled her to go down to Southern Utah University for a competition in September. She is very much looking forward to next year’s school play – Mulan, her favorite Disney movie. She enjoyed a short stint in the Mia Maid presidency (14- and 15-year-old girls) at church, which she enjoyed. She also was able to vicariously perform the baptism for her great-, great-grandma for whom she is named. That was an awesome experience for her. She is mature for her age, and we’re very appreciative that we have such a cooperative teenage girl. :)
Tyler LOVES soccer and got to play in both spring and fall. He also lost his first tooth this year, much to his excited surprise. He lost another one this past weekend, so he is in heaven with two teeth out. (Don’t mention to him that most 2nd graders have lost a lot more than that, but they also got their baby teeth sooner than he did!) He is such a sweet boy, and he is loving being able to read his Star Wars books on his own.
Zachary started kindergarten this year and is doing great. I was worried about him being too shy, but he’s being brave and actually talking to his teacher. She is impressed with how much he knows, so we’re glad he paid attention when Tyler was learning. He is still a great little artist, but his imagination is a little too great for his own good – he still has quite a few nightmares and doesn’t like to be on a different level of the house than anyone else. We’re hoping he outgrows this phase soon without growing out of any artistic abilities.
Shayla is as adorable as ever. She isn’t talking much, but we figure it’s because she sees no need to talk. Having five other people in the house to cater to her needs doesn’t require much talking! :) However, to make sure she can talk when she’s ready we have her in a program that is supposed to enhance her speech and pronunciation. She also LOVES to count (she can count to 12 … although it’s only intermittently correct) and trace anything and everything (yes, she’s moved beyond the boring ol’ hand tracing). She still has her adorable red hair (for now), and you can’t believe how many strangers stop us to comment on how beautiful it is. We feel blessed to have such a sweet, easy-going two-year-old. (Knock on wood quickly! :)
As mentioned, we have been blessed beyond measure this year and are very grateful. We always love the Christmas season and how wonderful people are to each other. We are grateful most of all for the precious reason for the season – not only for His birth, but for His life and example, His commitment through great suffering and trial, His resurrection, and His teachings that guide our lives and decisions even now, more than 2,000 years later. Our lives would not be the same without His powerfully wonderful influence and care. Merry Christmas to you. We hope your year has been one of peace and that you have a great 2009.
This year has been a great year for the Brown Family! We have been blessed in so many ways, and we have had a very enjoyable year. We started the year being able to visit Paul’s brother and family in Phoenix. We had never been there before (except for Paul, who was born there), so it was a new, fun adventure. We especially enjoyed visiting with those cute Arizona Browns. A few of us got to enjoy the wonderful Easter Pageant there at the Mesa Tempe. It was awesome. We also got together with all of Paul’s siblings in August when his mom got married, which was a fun whirlwind vacation for us … especially since our kids stayed home. :)
In October we got to go on an awesome trip to Disneyland that was more fun than we can even express. BOTH boys were chosen for Jedi training, and they got to fight against Darth Vader. Seriously, how many young boys actually get to fight the real Darth Vader? I thought it was a total miracle for them both to be picked, and it was only one of the many fun, exciting things we did on our vacation. We can’t wait to do it again one day!
In any case, here are what our family members have been up to this year:
Paul earned his Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer this year, which is something he’s wanted to do for years. We are so happy for him! He found a great “boot camp” program in Phoenix and signed up for one that was during his birthday. He passed all the tests with flying colors – Happy Birthday! Anyway, he came determined to find a better job. Actually, he applied with only two companies, and he had two offers within weeks. He started a new job with TA Instruments in June. (It’s some company that makes microcalorimetry products or something like that I don’t understand.) He is their sole IT guy in Utah, which means he actually has a desk/cube now. We feel very blessed that it happened so quickly and that he really enjoys new things to do. His new job is a lot less stress and a lot more money – not a bad combo!
Denise has been busy doing the same ol’ things: toting kids to plays and soccer (no coaching this year), doing a gazillion loads of laundry, trying out new recipes, and trying to figure out how to best raise these great kids of mine. I am still very much enjoying scrapbooking and writing random nothings (usually) on our blog. This is also a great place to see awesome pics of our kids. :) I also stay busy with cub scouts, PTA, and other random “mom” things.
Becca has been very busy improving her thespian skills this year. She was in the chorus (singing/dancing extras) in her school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She also earned a spot on her school’s Shakespeare competition team, which enabled her to go down to Southern Utah University for a competition in September. She is very much looking forward to next year’s school play – Mulan, her favorite Disney movie. She enjoyed a short stint in the Mia Maid presidency (14- and 15-year-old girls) at church, which she enjoyed. She also was able to vicariously perform the baptism for her great-, great-grandma for whom she is named. That was an awesome experience for her. She is mature for her age, and we’re very appreciative that we have such a cooperative teenage girl. :)
Tyler LOVES soccer and got to play in both spring and fall. He also lost his first tooth this year, much to his excited surprise. He lost another one this past weekend, so he is in heaven with two teeth out. (Don’t mention to him that most 2nd graders have lost a lot more than that, but they also got their baby teeth sooner than he did!) He is such a sweet boy, and he is loving being able to read his Star Wars books on his own.
Zachary started kindergarten this year and is doing great. I was worried about him being too shy, but he’s being brave and actually talking to his teacher. She is impressed with how much he knows, so we’re glad he paid attention when Tyler was learning. He is still a great little artist, but his imagination is a little too great for his own good – he still has quite a few nightmares and doesn’t like to be on a different level of the house than anyone else. We’re hoping he outgrows this phase soon without growing out of any artistic abilities.
Shayla is as adorable as ever. She isn’t talking much, but we figure it’s because she sees no need to talk. Having five other people in the house to cater to her needs doesn’t require much talking! :) However, to make sure she can talk when she’s ready we have her in a program that is supposed to enhance her speech and pronunciation. She also LOVES to count (she can count to 12 … although it’s only intermittently correct) and trace anything and everything (yes, she’s moved beyond the boring ol’ hand tracing). She still has her adorable red hair (for now), and you can’t believe how many strangers stop us to comment on how beautiful it is. We feel blessed to have such a sweet, easy-going two-year-old. (Knock on wood quickly! :)
As mentioned, we have been blessed beyond measure this year and are very grateful. We always love the Christmas season and how wonderful people are to each other. We are grateful most of all for the precious reason for the season – not only for His birth, but for His life and example, His commitment through great suffering and trial, His resurrection, and His teachings that guide our lives and decisions even now, more than 2,000 years later. Our lives would not be the same without His powerfully wonderful influence and care. Merry Christmas to you. We hope your year has been one of peace and that you have a great 2009.
1 comment:
What a fun update. Thanks for sharing.
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