Hawaii-December 2008

Earlier in 2008, our Nanny girl graduated from The University of Utah with a degree in Accounting. We are so proud of this monumental accomplishment after years of sacrifice and hardship! Way to go Nanny!

As a result, Doug suggested a trip to Hawaii! I was missing Nicole, Zach and Boston, my cute grandson whom I am smitten with! It was a dream come true!...despite it being rainy season in Hawaii, Nicole and Zach being right in the middle of a move to a new home, Nanny catching a nasty cold and it being right in the thick of the Christmas holiday...I had so much to do! As I look back, yes, there were some kinks that had to be sorted out, but I am so appreciative of Nicole and Zach's amazing hospitality! Thank you to you both for your kindness to us!!!! This middle-aged Granny loved being with both of her grandchildren at the same time and was so delighted by their individual personalities shining through!

A big THANK YOU to Doug for his generosity and the financial sacrifice that he made so that we girls could be in such a paradise with loved ones who are very missed at home! Again, THANK YOU to the Reich family for their loving hospitality! Though some of us are separated by an ocean or several hundred miles, I think of my children and I just can't help but feel such a warm joy and feeling of gratitude for their presence in my life! I adore and love my family and the great man that initiated it all by asking me to share with him in such an amazing journey! I love you, Doug!!!

The Holiday Season

Both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seemed to fly by so quickly! Where did the time go? Though all of our family were not able to be with us, there was time to pause and reflect on all the blessings in our lives...particularly the gospel of Jesus Christ and our precious family. How much we love and adore each one of our adult children and little grandchildren! We are so proud of our kids and the wonderful choices that they are making in their lives! Every opportunity for personal growth is a success and they have set their lives on a course that will allow them to realize so many goals and dreams!

We love y'all and wish you continued happiness in all that you pursue! May you know just how blessed our lives have been because of you! And as the new year approaches, may 2009 be even brighter and happier for each one of you! Happy New Years!! We love you!!!

Love,
Mom and Dad

Baltimore & Washington, D.C.

As if our time in southern Utah, California and Mexico wasn't enough, Doug and I flew back east for some business/pleasure. We stayed a night in Virginia and were able to meet up with Doug's brother Don and his family for dinner. We sure enjoyed Don, Lisa and Mikaila's company and appreciated their making time for us!

Doug had a conference in Baltimore for several days, so I went exploring and visited some highly recommended sights, did some shopping and made my way to an incredible Barnes & Noble on the Harbor! There were so many old buildings and warehouses that were converted in to shopping or museums...It was really impressive!

Washington, D.C. is one of our favorite places to visit. We love the Smithsonian Museums along the Mall and never tire of seeing it all. For several years, the Museum of American History has been closed for renovation and it was just opened the day prior to our visit to D.C.. Doug and I raced through to try and see it all before catching our flight home that evening. It was all an exciting adventure!

Mexican Cruise

As a slightly belated 45th Birthday celebration, Doug surprised me with a Mexican Cruise in November on a Carnival Cruise Ship. We ported in San Diego, California, and had such a blast! Neither of us had ever vacationed on a cruise ship so everything was total indulgence! There was so much to do, shows to see, sun tanning, eating, visiting sights in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, reading, people watching, more eating, moonlit strolls on the upper deck, late night eating, movies to view, fine dining, shopping, making new friends, and yes, Eating!! I highly recommend a cruise for every couple! I wanted to introduce Doug and I as "Jack and Rose" just to see who would catch on, but in the end, I forgot! I don't mind getting older but I detest losing my memory!

Prior to and just after our cruise, we were able to spend some time with our eldest son, Joseph, and his adorable wife, Stephanie, which was such a treat! We even caught the game cheering the Utah UTES on to victory over San Diego @ San Diego. What a remarkable season for the UTES! We hope they shine in the upcoming Sugar Bowl game!

Oliver's Swimming

Over the many weeks, Oliver's strength, endurance and swim times have steadily improved. He has worked hard and his focus has been to make the qualifying times to compete in Region and in State in the Breast Stroke. In his swim meets, Oliver has frequently competed in the 50 Freestyle, 100 Breast and was even asked to swim Backstroke. He even participated in a late night meet where he swam the 200 Breast. Much to Oli's dismay, his parents have enthusiastically reported to his siblings on how well Oliver is swimming, recently placing 1st on the heats that he has competed in over the past number of meets. We are so proud of Oliver, and while hindsight is wonderful, we should have known he would love swimming so much...We recall our years in Texas where Oliver spent most of his summer days in our backyard pool. He was like a fish that had to be baited out of the water! Good Luck, Oliver, as you push on to place a seat in Region and State Competitions 2009!