Computer Errors & Family Newsletter

I had this awesome, thoughtful post I was going to publish yesterday. Unfortunately, BlogSpot was giving me an error message. Now, I can't remember what I was going to post about.

Here's a copy of our family newsletter for 2013 instead:

Another year has come to a close. With the busyness of December I decided to send out New Year's letters instead of Christmas letters. It has given me something to do while the kiddos are on Christmas break and enjoy their Christmas presents. 

We have a lot of interesting experiences this year and are looking forward to more in 2014.

In February we decided to redo our kitchen and repair the damage to the floor from a builder's flaw. We were able to complete the project which included stripping and refinishing cabinets, grinding down the floor to make it level, tiling the floor, ordering and installing countertops, and surviving the whole process in 10 weeks. I am loving having almost twice as much counter space for cooking and baking as well as enough storage space to keep everything organized.

At the end of the summer we signed up to have Benjamin participate in 3rd Grade tackle football. He loved being a part of a team and the camaraderie that came with being part of a team of 23 boys who practiced three days a week and had games every Saturday for three months. It was fun to see him conquer such a challenging sport with enthusiasm.

In October, we found out Michael's company was closing the Utah office and we began the search for a new job. Luckily, he found one here in Utah so we weren't blessed with the challenges of moving to find a new job. He is liking his new job with Mastery Connect more and more.

Our children have also done some great things this year.

Bekah turned 6 in April, finished half day Kindergarten, and now goes to school all day. Homework wears her out but she always has something new and exciting to share with us that she learned at school. She makes friends easily, loves dressing up and doing girly things like make up and playing house, and her favorite color is still pink. Pink everything!

Benjamin turned 8 and was baptized in May. I can't believe he is old enough to be baptized! We are proud of his decision to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his efforts to be more Christ-like. He started Cub Scouts and earned his Wolf badge in September, just 4 months after his birthday. He is constantly reading and full of energy. We can't seem to keep his active mind occupied with enough good things because he is always hungry for more.

Ryan turned 3 in October and keeps me company while the other two are at school all day. He is a good shopping buddy. He decided in the middle of football season he was big enough to use the potty and I am excited for no more diapers at our house! He knows his colors, is learning his numbers, and keeps track of where everyone is at all of the time. He is happiest when we are all together even if that means he has to share Mom and Dad with his brother and sister.

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Michael, Charlynn, Benjamin, Bekah, & Ryan