Happy New Year!

“It is proper during this season when we commemorate His birth that we remember the Lord Jesus Christ in reverence and with love. He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. He has brought meaning to our mortal existence. He has given us the gift of eternal life.”
-Gordon B. Hinckley

Dear Family and Friends,

Greetings! We hope this finds you happy and well. What a wonderful time of year it is!

Ellie was born on April 27 this year, and what a blessed little joy she is! I’m telling you, this gal was born happy. She has brought such happiness to our lives. Today she was jumping around in her little door jumper, smiling and laughing proudly. Cutie. Her bright smile makes me so happy. I catch a glimpse of heaven when I look at her. She only just recently relocated from there!

Some time ago I walked into the living room, and Amelia had tucked her little dolls in ‘bed’ on the floor with Ellie’s play mat. I looked around, and there were little beds all over the room. She does this on a regular basis now. She also says the funniest things. Nowadays, if she gets an owwie, she’ll come in and say in her cute little voice something like, “Mom! The floor said, ‘come over here and slip! Get a booboo!” or, “The chair said, ‘come get a bonk!’ and I said, ‘no!’, and the chair said, ‘heh, heh, heh!’” You should hear her ‘mischievous’ voice. She’s a riot.
We haven’t had to go to the ER in over a year, and what a welcome change that is! She has clinically outgrown her peanut allergy, but we haven’t dared give her nuts yet. Her allergist also believes she’ll soon outgrow her dairy allergy, and she’s now able to eat fish. We had salmon for dinner. Mmm. We were told there’s only about a 20% chance per allergy that she’ll outgrow them. All of her allergen levels have gone down, and some have disappeared, so we feel extraordinarily blessed. Now we avoid all dairy and egg, but maybe someday she’ll get to have chocolate chip cookies!

Ellie appears to have some food allergies, or at least sensitivities. We won’t know for sure until she is tested when she’s a little bit older. We know what to look out for now, so I feel much more prepared.

It was Matt’s turn for a near death experience this year. He had gone into the VA for a GI scope. This is a routine, non-invasive procedure. I’ll sum up the ensuing suffering by saying that 5 days later he was at work and had to tell his boss, “I think I need to go to the ER.” By the time he got there (again, VA) he was almost in need of a blood transfusion. They had clipped him during the GI scope and he had nearly bled to death. He lost quite a bit of weight and was in the hospital for 3 days. He is NEVER going back to the VA! After recovering from this harrowing incident, Matt has decided to go to grad school! He took the GRE and will be applying for a mechanical engineering master’s program.

I have tried to keep busy this year. Recently I’ve taken up the ukulele and can be heard plucking stirring renditions of “Happy Birthday to You.” I just got some Hawaiian ukulele music books from the early 1900s with high ambitions of one day being able to pay the hukilau song. Our family also has taken up rockhounding! So far this year we have found a glamorous array of geodes, agates, apache tears and topaz! Not to mention radioactive fluorite from the West Desert (we decided to let the U of U geology department keep that lucky find).

So that is how we are! We are so grateful to know each of you. Our lives are enriched and blessed by each family member and friend, and we feel so very thankful to have you. May your Christmas be a memorable one, and this coming year full of happiness and achieved goals.

Most sincerely,
Kathryn, Matt, Amelia and Ellie


Amelia's first written words: "To Dad"