2023

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z1vkCQnxBoJUbSKQ9

(Link to 20 minute end-of-year slideshow)

Hello and Happy Holidays to all our friends and family. We hope and pray that this post finds you healthy and happy and feeling blessed. We are all blessed to have Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer as we remember His birth this time of year. 

2023 was a year of high highs - We have dreamed of getting a cabin for decades and were finally able to make this dream a reality this year - a 744 sq ft 1968 off-grid cabin up by Brian Head! And McKinley auditioned and made it into the Honors Performance Series, she's performing at Carnegie Hall in February! And low lows - GG Tew died in February (obituary https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/deseretnews/name/louise-tew-obituary?id=51453983) , and Uncle Joseph died in a tragic way at the beginning of October (https://www.ksl.com/article/50745246/man-shot-killed-by-police-during-domestic-violence-call-in-taylorsville?fbclid=IwAR19LseDqnxLrTg28UwbhxB_wfkSCkkyYjjxUwasUaSNJYt9aXzcuUE5Kas) (obituary - https://www.starksfuneral.com/obituary/3448-azhrsq8nwq). We are grateful that Bekah and her children are a part of our family now and we love them so much. 

Some memorable 2023 moments for the Hamiltons:

-In February, we went to the huge Bear Lake Cabin that holds lots of memories for our family. We had a wonderful time playing in the snow, eating yummy food, watching movies (Narnia!), playing games, and just enjoying each others' company. 

-In April, for Spring Break, we traveled to Texas to spend some time with Jason's family. We celebrated Noelle's birthday and Easter while we were there and enjoyed our visit with our Texas family very much! 

-June was a very busy month for most of our family! Jason, Heidi & the 3 olders went on a Pioneer Trek in Wyoming with the ward. Jason & Heidi were "Ma & Pa" and the 3 olders were all in different "families." We battled mosquitos and mud, but it was a neat, memorable experience and we loved it! After that, Heidi & the 3 olders headed to Heber for girls camp and enjoyed being together. 

-July, Heidi & the 3 younger ones spent some time in SLC with her sister & the girls had fun with their cousins before we dropped Kezia & Macie off for Oakcrest. 

-Labor Day weekend was spent at Brian Head (and when we first saw the cabin!) at a condo and we very much enjoyed the sweet moments there. We understand and feel the importance of every second spent as a family on this last year where we're all together under the same roof as a family before McKinley leaves us next year. 

JASON:

-Jason still works at APHIS and very much enjoys his work and co-workers. He now works from home 3x a week and goes into the office 2x a week. He took a couple business trips this year - one to Denver to learn about drones & one to Nashville. 

-Jason is now the Temple and Family History Leader in the Cedarview ward & likes his calling very much!

-Jason watched the littles while mom & the olders were at girls camp, which happened to be over his birthday (that has happened multiple times). Noelle woke him up and told him to check the news and he was surprised by a "FOXSNOOZE" newscast all about Jason's birthday. It was fun making it & Kezia did an amazing job with the editing :) 

-We are grateful for Jason's handyman work as he re-built the railing for the cabin loft & is in the process of making a new loft ladder as well. 

-Jason spoke at Joseph's funeral. Joseph loved him so much and Jason will miss their phone calls. 

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: Going to TX to see his family & interview his dad & aunt and going to Trek

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Trip to Europe with Kezia

HEIDI:

-Heidi's Young Women President calling was time-consuming for the first half of the year - Traveling Tabernacle, SNAP activity, trek activities and meetings, and girls camp activities and meetings. She tried to soak up every minute, though, because she knew changes were coming... and they did. At the end of the summer, Heidi got called to be a Temple & Family History coordinator - it's the first time Jason & Heidi have been in the same calling for a long time, so it's been good. Together, they have come up with a whole curriculum for a youth family history class, which has been fun. 

-Heidi started working in the temple baptistry on Friday mornings from 8-11:30 and has really enjoyed serving the youth and getting to know the temple workers. 

-Heidi has spend a lot of non-calling time in family history this year - interviewing her mom and dad at the beginning of the year and compiling a bunch of family history stories at the end of the year. She also took a name to trek and learned the stories of Mary Ann Barton, who is buried in Summit. 

-Heidi trained with & ran (sort of - Kezia took off after a mile) the Cedar Half in September. We had some beautiful - and difficult! - training runs, but Heidi loved every mile with her daughter. 

-The cabin was chiefly Heidi's dream and it consumed MUCH of her thoughts & time from September to November. Cleaning, de-cowboy-ifying, organizing, painting, taking stuff down, bringing stuff up, etc, etc. It's been a LOT of work & she is really looking forward to the time we can relax without so many things on the to-do list, but she LOVES being up there. It is truly soul-filling and beautiful. She hopes the cabin will be a much-needed SLOW DOWN place that our family & friends can enjoy, too. 

-Heidi is still involved as the secretary for the Share Board. She also continues to go to hospital calls when she can to help comfort those families who have lost a baby, and also to make hand and foot molds, etc. 

-Heidi still loves to hike and to read and do the girls birthday books (digital scrapbooking). She also make funeral slideshows for both Grandma Tew and Joseph this year. 

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: Sister Wellness retreat in March where Trisha & Heidi snowshoed & sledded & got to see a moose!, being there right after Althea was born to hold her and kiss her, also getting to hug her brother & congratulate him on being a daddy, being up at the cabin!! little getaways with her sweetheart, like St. George Anniversary where we got to see beautiful flowers and a tortoise. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION:  Mc - Carnegie, Europe trip with my Kezia, enjoying the cabin this summer CA Senior trip for McKinley. Hoping to do more family history and read more books. More HIKES!

McKINLEY:

-We now have an adult child! So crazy! McKinley is a senior and turned 18 in Sept. Right now, McKinley is taking online classes through Iron Online and taking Orchestra & Seminary at the high school. Mom enjoys spending more time with her - especially to go for a walk or do yoga together :)

-Big music year for McKinley! She got a 1 for both her solo (Vocalise) and her quartet performance at State. Her orchestra got a 1- for their piece at State. She also got superior at Strings Festival. Someone (not sure who still!) nominated McKinley to audition for Honors Performance Series - an elite group of musicians who perform at Carnegie Hall. After a lot of practicing, recording an audition in Mr. Sorenson's studio, and submitting all she needed, she learned a month later that she was accepted! We put together a Gofundme for her & are so thankful for all the financial support she's received. She's excited for this once-in-a-lifetime experience in February! 

-McKinley accomplished her friend group goal of going to all the dances her junior year! She also has fun going on dates with lots of different guys 😊

- McKinley is part of the school swing dancing club & has a lot of fun with that! 

-McKinley's best friend Karmiyah got married this year & is expecting a baby boy! 

-McKinley did a lot of things to earn money in the summer - she dog sat (actually, house, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a rabbit) for dad's co-worker for 10 days! We sure missed her (especially at 4th of July), but she earned some good money. She also was able to baby-sit and dog sit. She kept looking for a job & finally got one at the Pizza Cart at the end of the summer. She really likes her boss and co-workers and is thankful to begin saving money for her mission. 

-McKinley applied to a few colleges this fall and has been offered the Presidential Scholarship to Utah Tech and the Fellows Scholarship to SUU. Decisions! 

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: Going to solo & ensemble with her friends - Calli, Jacie and Irene. Dances. Girls camp. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION:  Carnegie, deciding on a college, Graduation, Maybe friend senior trip?, Capitola, Dating, Mission. 

IRELAND:

-Ireland started a job at DQ on Main Street in February so it's almost been a year! She doesn't always love to work, but she loves the paychecks. Ireland is our fashionista/skin care girl and spends a lot on her skin and clothes! But she's also saved over 2k for her mission find,  too 💓

-Ireland worked really hard on her solo & ensemble piece (Romance). Randy Allen accompanied her and she got a 1- at State! Mr. Sorenson got her to agree to move to Symphonic Orchestra for her junior year. She agreed, but it required her switching her B day at Launch to A days. 

-Ireland participated in the science fair - the only one from Launch who did so. She did a project on plastic-eating microbes and she'd been working on it for many months. It paid off - literally! She won the "Regeneron Biomedical Science Award" and $375! Ireland also received the "complex problem solver award" from Launch at the end of the year :) 

-Ireland turned 16 this year and dad took her on her first official date :) She got to have a party with her friends at Lake at the Hills and our house. She got her permit and is working on getting her driving hours so she can get her license soon!

-She had fun with Jonny Lee for Homecoming :)

-Ireland is learning Chinese again this year and loves the culture (and thinks Asian boys are hot :) 

-Ireland has been loving watching Marvel movies with dad and she still loves to read with mom - we finished Jane Eyre this year and loved it! We also went to an Emma musical at the Shakespeare Theater and watched Michael's Jane Eyre play. 

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: solo & ensemble, Trek & Girls Camp, HOCO, Ember

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Getting driver's license, solo & ensemble, 3-6k saved for mission

KEZIA:

-Kezia is 14 years old and in 8th grade. She's involved in student council and continues to play the violin in orchestra. 

-Kezia was the narrator/snow princess for the Frozen CCCMT play. It required a lot of memorization and lots of dance moves, but she did a great job & was so beautiful in her costume!

-Kezia got Superior at Southern Utah String Festival for her Etude and Devil's Dream pieces. 

-Kezia continues to love baking and has worked to really get macaroons down. She made a bunch for Karmiyah's wedding (all different colors & flavors!) and they were awesome! 

-Kezia was the Dean's big helper for making sure people had their trek clothes ready to go. She sure did a great job with her trek outfits!

-Macie Mitchell & Kezia spent a few days in SLC together before they headed to Oakcrest (a 7th grade girls camp). Kezia had some amazing experiences there and we hope they are memories she'll never forget. 

-Kezia and her friends (Berkley, Ivy, Macie, Aubrey, and Tessa) like to attend the temple frequently :)

-Kezia participated in cross-country again this year and did great! She was 3rd place female and fast!

-Mom and Kezia (usually ;) had a good time training for the half-marathon. Kezia left mom at mile 1 and kept up with Eli Starr for most of the 13.1 miles, coming in at 1:40:58, 1st in her age group & 45th female!

-Kezia was mom's BIGGEST helper with the cabin! From choosing colors, to layouts, to cleaning, to painting Kezia is the best! Mom is so grateful for all her help!

-Kezia continues to earn money with lemonade stands, babysitting, dog sitting & selling dog treats. She has been saving for a long time and was able to pay for her ticket to Paris! She has also been all over Airbnb so we can get our Europe trip planned. We're close! Mom and Kezia are even reading Les Miserables & hope to finish before we leave. 

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: Oakcrest, Bear Lake, helping at the cabin

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: French bake sale, finishing Les Miserables, Europe Trip!!, Capitola, Enjoying the cabin, passing the AP Spanish test, driver's permit, job?

LINK:

We still love and talk about our duder-dude almost every day! The word "Link" is pretty popular and we'll never stop thinking about him and smiling when we hear it. Link would be 11 this year and we continue to be involved in Share in remembrance of him. Love you Link! 

NOELLE:

-Noelle is 9 years old and continues to be in dual immersion - 4th grade with Senora Engst and Mrs. Vanardsdale. 

-Noelle was a rock troll for the CCCMT play & it was so fun to watch her! 

-Noelle had a fun soccer season - her team did a great job and won almost every game!

-Noelle is a natural swimmer & glides so well in the water. She might join the swim team soon!

-Noelle's friends are Adeline, Katelyn, Jordan, and Brinley.

-Noelle's favorite YouTube channels are Skip the Tutorial (a Minecraft channel), Dude Perfect, Mark Rober, Game Theory, Ryan Trayhan, Moriah Elizabeth, Film Theory & Food Theory. 

-Noelle has been a voracious reader this year and has enjoyed McKinley's library of Brandon Mull books. She's read the entire 5 Kingdom Series, Candy Shop Wars, and Fablehaven. She also has read most of Roald Dahl books, Hoot, and Frindle. And many many more! She got the Golden Eagle (highest) Reading Award this month! Noelle is also starting to write her own book in Google docs. 

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: Going down the big yellow slide at the Aquatic Center for the first time, Valentine's box, CCCMT, speed boat, helping at the cabin, swim lesson

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: 5th grade, double-digits, soccer, 2-mile runs, Capitola, McKinley getting graduated

OAKLYN:

-Oaklyn is 7 now and in the 1st grade. She got to start dual immersion this year and Mrs. Vrska and Senora Sanchez are her teachers. She's really enjoying learning Spanish! She even earned the "Catch the Vision Award" 

-Still our social butterfly, Oaklyn always wants a friend over and Charlotte Price, our backyard neighbor, is still her go-to since they can hop the fence and play. She also loves Brielle Judd, Amor, Link Vogel, Macie Durbin, and so many more :) She also loves going to SLC and hanging out with her cousin Rachel. 

-Oaklyn was a rock troll in CCCMT Frozen and didn't know all the dancing but she was still adorable :)

-Oaklyn learned how to tie her shoes this year :)

-Oaklyn is getting to be a great reader like her sisters and flies through her "book-in-a-bag" books. 

-Oaklyn is crafty and loves Perler Beads, painting, drawing, coloring, and making creations. 

-Oaklyn still loves swimming & even went off the high dive multiple times!

-The tooth fairy has been busy this year at our house! Oaklyn has lost 6 teeth!

FAVORITE 2023 MEMORIES: Swim lessons, birthday parties

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Try dance/tumbling, 

2022

13 minute end of year slideshow

Hello & Seasons Greetings to all, Christmas 2022! Looking over the past year, we know we have so much to be thankful for and we know for whom we look to for all our blessings - our Savior, Jesus Christ, He whose birth we celebrate.

Here are some memorable Hamilton family moments for 2022:
-All FIVE girls were in CCCMT's Babes in Toyland mini-play. They were so fun to watch!

-In March, we made a trip up north and had fun going to the Hogle Zoo with the Simons and hanging out with them. Mom and dad also went on a date with the Simons, Norton's, Joseph, and the Potts to a restaurant and an escape room. Lots of fun!

-For Spring Break, the girls voted to buy some kayaks vs. going somewhere, so we had a fun stay-cation. We read a lot, baked a lot, and had a fun day with the Ruperts going to Toquerville Falls and playing in Quail Creek.

-A lot of time, effort, and money was spent in our backyard this year, putting in four garden boxes and doing some leveling and clean-up. We planted the metal waist-high garden boxes with fruits and vegetables and enjoyed a bounteous harvest!

-Summer was busy busy! End of May to June, Heidi, Jason & Ireland went on Ireland's 14 year old trip to Ireland and Scotland, right afterwards a trip to Vernal for a Richardson family reunion, July was girls camp for a week and the Potts family retreat at Downata in Idaho, and August was FSY for a week.

-Fall was back to school. All FIVE girls going to school full-time! We also went camping at Yankee Meadows for Labor Day and had a great time!

-December has been our medical month - Heidi had sinus surgery, Jason had a colonoscopy, Heidi, Jason & Noelle had a vision appointment, and McKinley & Ireland are supposed to get their wisdom teeth removed.


JASON:
-Jason continues his work at APHIS and really enjoys his co-workers, work environment and really enjoys their mission.
-Jason is a primary teacher and co-teaches with Alan Davies. He's had a great time and is excited to have Oaklyn in his class next year!
-Heidi & Jason had a lot of fun going to see Josh Turner at Tuacahn, what a fun night!
-Heidi & Jason had a couple fun getaways this year - a day for Heidi's birthday, a couple days for our anniversary (in Cedar), and a couple days in St. George in November. All were lovely!
-Jason had a Family History miracle he has been praying for, for quite a while! He has been involved in genealogy since he was in his 20's. He is not a pro by any means, but loves to connect to those on the other side of the veil. While we were in Cambuslang Scotland, on the outskirts of Glasgow (for Ireland's trip), he found a minute to get into Family Search. While in there he found a note or a message from a long lost cousin, actually his dad's first cousin, that was sent 2 months previous. John Hamilton, reached out to Jason as he had seen that Jason had posted photo's about Jason's grandpa Hamilton and family. Jason's Grandpa Hamilton and John's dad are brothers, both have passed on, but the hearts of their "fathers" have brought them to know each other and have enjoined family lines. John and Jason have spoken on occasion and hope to maybe meet each other in Texas at a future Hamilton Family Reunion. With John's help, Jason was able to "link" his family past his Great Grandpa Hamilton in Mississippi where he was stuck, back to Scotland, where he always felt his Hamilton family hailed from. He has since found out that his family on that side fought for freedom along side William Wallace!
-Jason's Aunt Lynette passed away in October and Heidi & Jason went to Vernal to spend time with family and honoring her memory.
-Jason found out he is really far-sighted & so much so, the doctor chuckled to know Jason does not "love" to read, as according to the eye doctor, his eyes have to work 2-3 times as hard to compensate. He may need readers soon and the doctor confirmed what Jason's Dad said, that the Hamilton left eye, is worse than the right.

FAVORITE 2022 Memories: Seeing Richardson Family at the reunion this summer, outdoor adventures and hikes - at the lake at the hills, Toquerville falls, hidden haven, etc., Ireland and Scotland with Ireland and Heidi, also spending 1-on-1 time with Heidi ;-)
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Help Ireland learn to drive, plan a date with Heidi once a month.



HEIDI:
-In February, Heidi had the 3rd 40th sisterhood getaway. They went to Vegas and enjoyed a hotel and went to see Menopause the Musical. Then they hung out in St. George for more sister fun, food, crafts, and conversation. Unfortunately, it ended up also being a COVID party as Heidi, Trisha, and mom (and eventually Tiffany) ended up with COVID :(
-Much of Heidi's time continues to be taken up with her Young Women President calling. The girls decided to have a garage sale fundraiser for girls camp. LOTS of work, but thankfully successful. Camp was also a lot of work, but really great and she loved spending time with the girl.
-Heidi has been very involved in Share this year, helping with the walk and wave of light, as well as going to the hospital to help families that have lost babies. She's learned how to make molds and support those families going through this difficult time.
-With all five girls going to school, Heidi has had a bit more time during the day, though never enough ;) She has really enjoying going back to the gym, going on more hikes, reading and writing more, and keeping the house cleaner. She also helps out in Oaklyn's classroom once a week & has been helping her friend, Diane, at her Kanarraville glamping resort.
-We invested some of the SUU rental money this year, so we'll see what happens, but Heidi is continually on the lookout for cabins. So far, still too expensive though :(

 
FAVORITE 2022 Memories: Sister get-together, getaways with her sweetheart and getting to see where her Grandma Dorothy lived in Belfast, Ireland and seeing all the gorgeous natural beauty of Ireland and Scotland.
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Another race with Kezia, time with family, family history and temple work, and Trek! 



McKINLEY (17):
-Our McKinley is 17 years old and a Junior this year!
-In Babes in Toyland, McKinley played Jane and even had a love interest! She had fun and hopes to be able to one more play while she still is under 18!
-What a cello year for McKinley this past year! She got a 1- on her State solo & ensemble piece, The Swan, at State, her orchestra got a 1 on ALL their pieces at State, a Superior at Southern Utah Strings Festival, she played with Orchestra of Southern Utah, and even did a couple musical numbers in sacrament meeting. She is so accomplished and we LOVE to hear her play!
-Dances! In March, McKinley went to prom with Aiden Bell. In September, she went to Homecoming with Hayes Longhurst, and in November, she took Derek Wood to Sadie Hawkins :)
-McKinley went to the Piano Guys with mom, dad and the Potts in April. Super fun!
-Summer highlights - McKinley was a YCL at girls camp and had a great time and was so helpful and important to the success and spirit of camp! She also went to FSY for the first time & had a blast rooming with Emily Graff and being in the "Preach my Gospel" group. She learned so much and grew spiritually - she met some great people, some of whom she still texts. She was also a huge help with the girls while mom and dad were in Ireland. Not fun to do in the summer but she also took the ACT and did great!
-A couple high school parking lot fender-benders this year. One was the other girl's fault, the next was her fault. Thankfully, no one was hurt and not much damage (nothing would really look obvious on that van anyway) ;)
-McKinley's BFF Karmiyah, ended up getting a BF & going back to Parowan HS & decided to graduate a year early, so it's been tough to find time to hang out, but she loves to anytime she gets! Her other friends she sits with at lunch are Tsadakah, Peshanie, Jenzie, Ari, Eliza, Karlie, and Sabrina. She also still loves hanging out with Emma Manley when she has the chance!
-McKinley's Junior year schedule is pretty intense - 4 college classes, including AP Calculus, History 1700, English 1010, and Spanish 1010. She is super busy but doing well!
-McKinley is in a missionary prep class 2x/month and enjoys learning and being with her friends :)
-McKinley has been reading the Anne of Green Gables series this year in her "spare" time (which is really mostly just school breaks) and is loving it. It's been fun for mom to talk with her about them.
-After she came up with a contract, and we made a few adjustments, McKinley now has social media on Facebook and Instagram! She has only made one post on Instagram, but she enjoys seeing what others are up to and catching up. She also has Marco Polo on her phone and enjoys visiting with friends - and mom - on there :)

FAVORITE 2022 Memories: Girls camp, FSY, and Prom :) Orchestra trips & Piano Guys, Date with Derek Wood, spending time with friends
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Trek & Girls Camp, CCCMT, job? Senior Year. The summertime!

IRELAND (15):
-Ireland is a Sophomore this year and continues to enjoy Launch HS (B days) and going at her own pace. She is taking Anatomy and Physiology this year and it's been tough but she's done well. Ireland's friends are Delilah, Mahina, and Annie. And she is texting at least 3 different guys right now :)
-This was Ireland's first year doing CCCMT and the director wondered why it took her so long! She immediately put her in a lead role playing the toymaker and a gypsy - did SO great! She really had it down so well and was so fun to watch!
-Ireland did a duet with Samantha Gardner for solo & ensemble this year & did great!
-Ireland is very creative - she is gifted in so many areas, including music, poetry, art and dance (as seen below)!
-Ireland and Scotland! We went for almost 3 weeks and it was really amazing. Ireland wished it wasn't so rush-rush from place to place, but we really did see some breath-taking amazing sights and it was neat to go to "her" country.
-Ireland enjoyed girls camp and especially FSY. She roomed with Annie Rupert and was in the "Go and Do" group. She grew so much spiritually AND got the best dancer award at the dance - who knew!!
-Mom & Ireland continue to enjoy reading Jane Austen (and the like) books. Right now, they're reading Jane Eyre. We usually read for a bit after she gets home from Launch, since she gets home before her sisters.
-Ireland is in concert band this month and also taking private flute lessons with Tanisa Crosby. She's excited for solo & ensemble next year!
-Ireland's favorite music artists right now Ed Shereen, Shawn Mendes, Claire Rosinkranz, Tate McCray, Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Lauren Daigle, Adele, Olivia Roderigo and Sam Smith

FAVORITE 2022 Memories: Being in CCCMT. Her favorite Ireland memory was the Gap of Dunloe, she loved the donkey cottage and the Cliffs of Moher & Giant's Causeway. In Scotland she liked the castles - especially the one with the hot tub. And she liked the church airbnb & hiking the Old Man of Storr.
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Driving, taking a college class, dating & dances :) Going to the Bear Lake Cabin. Getting a job!



KEZIA (13):
-7th grade this year has been a lot of homework - especially since she takes online health because of Spanish. She also does yearbook club for advisory and orchestra.
-Kezia was called to be the president of her young women's class this year and, though it's kept her very busy, she's done a great job!
-This year's CCCMT play was Kezia's favorite. Why? She got to play Roderigo, who was Gonzorgo's sidekick and Gonzorgo was Lauren Burgess, an awesome girl in our ward and good friends with Kezia. Kezia had SO much fun with the songs, dances, and stunts.
-Kezia is taking private violin lessons with Marin Colby and has grown so much! She is first chair in her intermediate orchestra and is sounding wonderful!
-Kezia is blessed with great friends that invite her to do awesome things! Here's just a few: House of Jump in St. George, a dodgeball tournament, rappelling, swimming at the Hobson's, Anne of Green Gables marathon, and going to the Piano Guys! Some of these friends are Macie Mitchell, Sophie Burgess, Berkley Roundy, Deni Delcore, Lori Bailey, Sarah Simmons, Tyler Bird, Ephraim Hardy, and Kylan Fielding.
-Kezia unexpectedly got a cat at the end of 2021 - Haylee! She is an energetic and fun cat and Kezia has had fun with her.
-Baking! Kezia has done a lot of it this year from English Biscuits to French Macarons, she has been practicing and delivering some yummy treats! She is working on perfecting the recipes to have a bake stand next year.
-Kezia decided to jump into cross-country at the end of the summer and she competed in all the races & did so well! She was usually about 7 minute miles and in the top 5 girls coming in. Mom and Kezia did a 10k trail race in October and Kezia was 2nd overall and 1st female! She got a $100 gift card for the St. George running store.
-For her birthday, mom and Kezia painted her room a bluish-gray.
-Kezia, once again, proved how amazing and creative she is by hand-making her Halloween costume - Sophie Foster. Sophie is her favorite character from the Keeper of the Lost Cities books and even through she didn’t end up getting brown contacts for her eyes, everything else was spot-on! Danell even helped her sew her cape and do a cool button.
-Kezia has almost $700 saved for her goal to go to France! She is an in-demand baby-sitter, she sells dog treats and baked goods, and whatever else she can do to earn money :) She is an entrepreneur by heart.

FAVORITE 2022 MEMORIES: CCCMT play & Piano Guys. Cross-Country races.
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Bear Lake Retreat, French bake stand, CCCMT play



LINK:
-Link would be a whole DECADE old this year! We continue to remember and honor him through Share and on his special days as well as doing family history and service. This year we're doing acts of service, recording them, and putting them in his stocking. We LOVE that Oaklyn made a really good friend in kindergarten this year, his name is Link, and we get to hear his name often. Link's most prominent love note this year was the ladybug. We saw them everywhere! And even Oaklyn's soccer team were the ladybugs! :)


NOELLE (8):
-Noelle is 8 years old and in 3rd grade. It's the first year she's had boy teachers (Mr. Neibur and Sr. Gabonal) and she really enjoys them. She even earned the Catch the Vision award and she has finished Lexia at the beginning of 3rd grade, even though it's supposed to go all the way through 5th grade! She continues to learn Spanish and do well.
-8 years old! A big year for miss Noelle-my-Belle! She got to have an Encanto Birthday party with lots of friends and she got baptized in May with lots of family coming to celebrate her - and have a yummy nacho bar :)
-Noelle went snow skiing for the first time this year and like the rest of her sisters, her daddy taught her how to ski and really did well & enjoyed it!
-Noelle was in the Babes in Toyland play and had a lot of fun!
-Soccer continues to be Noelle's first love. She plays almost every day at recess and she did great in her spring soccer season. Way to go Noelle!
-Noelle's dream came true by getting a cat after Christmas last year. Her name is Maylee. While she is not as friendly as her sister, Haylee, she is a sweet, but shy kitty and Noelle loves to try to get her to purr.
-We got Noelle back into swim lessons in the fall & she did really great! Progressed a lot and had fun.
-Noelle still loves to play Minecraft and watch Youtube videos about Minecraft and she also likes to watch Mr. Beast, Mark Rober and JK Studios, Tuttle Twins & Studio C. Also, of Daily Dose of Internet and Odd 1s Out and Ice Cream Sandwich.
-Noelle & Oaklyn still love playing outside with their friends, the Sundquist boys, Mateo and Charlotte and riding bikes around the neighborhood.

FAVORITE 2022 MEMORIES: CCCMT play, her 8th birthday party, Downata, swimming & soccer
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Doing CCCMT, Get better at soccer, learn new things



OAKLYN (6):
-Some firsts for Oaklyn this year! She was in the CCCMT play and she did soccer and swimming! In all this, her favorite part, of course, was meeting new friends :)
-Another first was starting Kindergarten. She is in all-day at East and has really enjoyed it. One of her favorite friends is a boy named Link. We just love that she is friends with him and we have met his family. They've even had some playdates. Oaklyn also likes to play with Amor and Izi. She really is a leader and a friend to many of her classmates. She also still loves neighborhood friends - Charlotte, Macie, Tucker, and Brielle. She still is very much a "mom - can I have ____ over today" girl.
-Oaklyn is getting better & better at reading and is solid on all the BOB books and knows over 50 sight words.
-Oaklyn had some really rough sleeping nights for a while. We decided to try to see if she could earn a kitty that projects stars if she stayed in her bed for a certain number of nights. She did it! And seems to be a better sleeper overall.
-For screen time, Oaklyn likes to watch YouTube magnetic balls, Mark Rober, and funny animal videos. She also likes to play Minecraft.

 
FAVORITE 2022 Memories: Going to the zoo with the Simons, going on all the waterslides at Downata, and learning to swim!
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Another play, soccer, tying shoes, starting dual immersion.

2021!

2021: Even though we still dealt with a lot of fall-out from COVID, including some friends and their loved ones passing away from complications of COVID, we are thankful that much of life, though not all, has returned to normal. In March we were able to return to church in person and temples were opened via reservation. The girls were able to go back to school in the fall with masks optional. Jason & Heidi got their COVID shot and we’re thankful we can test at home now & we’ve had to do that multiple times. Some other Hamilton Highlights for 2021:

* For our Spring Break, we tented it at Lake Powell for a few days. It was windy and we found sand everywhere, and we mean EVERYwhere! But we made some fun memories and enjoyed our time together!

*Our summer vacation was Yellowstone! Both sets of grandparents joined us and while we didn’t enjoy the traffic (crazy traffic coming out of the park one night - 2 hours), we DID enjoy exploring Bear World, hanging out at our Island Park rental cabin, seeing LOTS of wildlife (including a first bear-in-the-wild experience!), going to see Mesa Falls, seeing LOTS of hot pots and geysers, and just being together. 

*Summertime was also full of youth activities - youth conference @ Snow College (fun flashback memories for Heidi!) and girls camp on Cedar Mountain. 

*For Fall Break, we headed to a condo at Brian Head for a couple days. It was chilly! But we loved taking a minute out of our busy lives & spending time together!

 

A few more tidbits:

-We FINALLY finished our in-ground trampoline in June - hooray! The girls have had soooo much fun jumping on it and from the block wall onto it.

-July saw HEAVY rain in Cedar! Our flooding wasn't bad, but many of our neighbors were hit hard. We spent weeks filling & moving sandbags and helping those whose homes were damaged by the storms.

-In August, we sold our SUU rental, hoping to one day get a cabin in the mountains

-In September & October, the 3 olders and mom and dad took the Emotional Resilience class & we learned lots!

-LOTS of inside updates in Oct/Nov - new LVP flooring throughout the upstairs, new carpet downstairs, mom painted the kitchen cabinets blue!, and we painted the upstairs & downstairs walls as well as the base & case & we replaced all the base upstairs in the common area. Lots of time & effort, but we’re loving the results! 

 

JASON: Jason continues to enjoy his time at APHIS - learning new things and meeting new people. He also gets to go up in a chopper every once in a while, and also shoot guns, so he doesn’t complain about that! Jason got released from Elder’s Quorum Presidency at the beginning of the year (after 7+ years), but soon after took the calling of supporting Heidi in her new calling as YW president, which keeps her really busy & he’s great at helping with the littles. He also joined an axe throwing league and got fairly proficient at hitting the bullseye. Jason helped a ton with getting the trampoline in and he also helped with the interior home updates at the end of the year! 

FAVORITE 2021 Memories: Yellowstone, Pine Valley Romantic get away, spending time with family

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Help Ireland learn to drive,  plan a date with Heidi once a month.

 

HEIDI:

-At the end of March, Heidi was very surprised when she got called to be the Young Women’s president after being the 2nd counselor for a couple of years. It has been a humbling, teaching experience, and she has much more to be taught, but she is really loving these girls and so grateful for the amazing ladies she works with in this calling. It’s been a sacrifice in time and mental/emotional/spiritual energy, but she is grateful for this opportunity. It’s also fun that Trisha (her sister) got called not long after her, and it’s been fun to bounce ideas off each other and commiserate/support each other!

-Heidi has also been pretty involved in the Share Board - in supporting Share’s events, board meetings, support meetings, and going to the hospital

-Wow, over a month straight of painting, painting, cutting, painting was enough to make Heidi not want to see a paintbrush or roller again for a VERY long time, but she really is loving seeing the updates every day!

FAVORITE 2021 Memories: Birthday getaway to Pine Valley Guard Station was magical, getting close to a bear in the wild at Yellowstone was epic, planning/surprising/embarrassing McKinley on her 16th birthday was so much fun, and watching my girls really excel at their music is so wonderful. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Heidi hopes to do a race this year (for real this time!) :), She also hopes to get the garden in order and the backyard cleaned up from the trampoline. In her ideal world, they’d be able to get a cabin at Brian Head or Duck Creek, or at least some land and an RV :) She is SOOO looking forward to the Ireland trip as well! LISTEN is her word for 2022

 

McKINLEY (16):

-In September, McKinley turned the long-awaited 16 years old!!! She got a decent helping of surprises & embarrassment, as mom threw a surprise birthday breakfast for her, then there was a huge sign at the seminary that said “Happy Sweet 16 McKinley!” with a couple pictures of her - one when she was about 3, and the other a recent photo. Mom also made her a dating advice/idea book from her cousins, aunts & grandmas. Dad took her on her first date - complete with a dozen roses, a fancy italian restaurant & a real diamond “Link” ring :) McKinley also got her drivers license that day & it’s been so nice to have an extra driver, even though she has to drive the beat-up minivan around (including to school) :)

-McKiney is first chair & section lead in her symphonic orchestra & just recently auditioned & made the Orchestra of Southern Utah. It was so neat to see her perform The Messiah! 

-McKinley was an apple seller in CCCMT and it was so fun to see her perform! 

-McKinley had a summer job cleaning Elena Reed’s Airbnb unit. It was hard work, but she was able to work it around our many vacations and youth trips. 

-16 also means dating! McKinley has been out on a date with Henry Rupert and she also asked him to Sadie Hawkins, doubling with Emma Manley. Mostly, she just likes to hang out & watch a movie, play a game or just talk. 

-McKinley took a hefty load this year for school, taking 2 concurrent enrollment classes: Popular Music in America, and Anatomy & physiology. It has been demanding, but she has done well. 

-McKinley still loves reading whenever she can get the chance. Brandon Mull is still a favorite & she really enjoys reading (and suggesting edits to) Henry Rupert and Addison Bealer’s books. 

FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Girls camp, youth conference & Karmiyah is going to CHS again!

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Summer job, more musical opportunities & maybe more dates.

 

IRELAND (14):

-Ireland is growing up fast! She has really practiced & gotten good at doing her make-up and she’s still  quite the fashionisha of the family!

-Ireland started HIGH SCHOOL this year! She is trying something new - she goes to Launch High School (an entrepreneur-focused school, at the district building by the middle school) on her B days, where she takes her core classes like math & LA, and then she goes to CHS on her A days, where she takes her electives, like band, Seminary, and things like Web Development. She is a fan of Launch and the structure and their less-strict rules.   

-Ireland is still doing well with the flute & took private lessons until summer came. She made the concert band at CHS and has enjoyed it! She had her first taste of marching band this year and it was fun to see her in a couple parades!

-Ireland was able to re-start gymnastics after a year and a half of the gym being closed, but after a few months, she decided that it was time to move on to other things. 

-Ireland still LOVES her nugget puppy - Ember, even when she’s naughty :) She still holds her like a baby and coddles her, but Ember loves it all!

-Ireland - along with McKinley - got to clean Elena Reed’s Airbnb in the summer-time to earn some extra money. She had good investment intentions, but she couldn’t resist spending it on clothes! She really loves Shein.com right now :)

-Ireland still is mom’s Austen reading companion. They love to pop some popcorn and sit down to read. Right now, they’re reading Northanger Abbey. The only Austen book Ireland still needs to check off is Mansfield Park. 

FAVORITE 2021 Memories: 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Ireland is registering for the Congressional Medal of Honor! It’s a big deal and is going to require tracking a LOT of hours for Physical Activity, Personal Development, Community Service, and planning her trip! It’s exciting! Ireland is, of course, also looking forward to her IRELAND TRIP this next year! And getting her drivers permit :)

 

KEZIA (12):

-Kezia got to start Young Women’s at the beginning of the year! Mom was over her group until she got called to be the president, but it has been a lot of fun! Kezia is the 2nd counselor in her presidency and Sue Vernon is over her group. 

-Kezia got to attend the temple for the first time in May this year & it was so special! It was just mom, dad, Kezia and a bunch of temple workers. She had it all to herself since we’re on the reservation system now! It was really neat & she did great. 

-Kezia finished elementary school this year & started middle school! She misses seeing a lot of her friends from elementary school, but likes middle school, too. She is still in the Spanish Immersion program, so she gets to see some of her friends there. 

-Kezia was one of the orphan girls - Kate - in CCMT’s Annie play and she did so well with the singing and dancing. We loved watching her perform!

-After MUCH thinking, praying, and pondering, Kezia decided to play the violin instead of doing percussion. She took lessons for a bit and has improved so quickly that her teacher included her in the more advanced class performance. We can’t wait to see and hear more!

-Kezia loved her time with her chinchillas, but eventually let them go due to allergies. 

-Kezia has a love for reading - still especially Harry Potter - but she’s read lots of other books this year, including reading Narnia with mom, The Ickabog, the Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, and The Janitors. 

-Turning 12 means a birthday party! Of course, it was a Harry Potter Party!  It was quite elaborate and involved a custom video invitation, inviting like 20 people, booking the church for the event, getting the Beast Pizza, having homemade root beer, dividing friends into Hogwarts Houses, doing challenges, watching a HP3, and mom making a custom butterbeer cake!  

-Kezia has turned into quite the in-demand babysitter! We knew she would be with how good she is with her sisters :) She babysits frequently for the Durbans and she also has babysat for the Tryons. 

-Kezia is still our wonderful gift-giver and service-giver and laugh-giver and we are so thankful for her in our family!

FAVORITE 2021 MEMORIES: The Temple, Girls Camp, the Potts Retreat,her Harry Potter Party, Yellowstone & Brian Head for fall break. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION:Another fun girls camp, a dog?, making intermediate orchestra, 

 

 

LINK:

-Link would be 9 this year. He continues to send us love notes and watch over us all. He was with us in Yellowstone! From Kezia finding forget-me-nots to seeing a rainbow on our last day to seeing a car with a LINK license plate, we felt him close, and continue to feel him close in our lives. Mom continues to honor and remember him by helping those who have lost babies in our community, and we all are Linking our family together when we are able to go to the temple and take family names!

 

 

NOELLE (7):

-Noelle performed as one of the orphan girls in CCCMT’s Annie & she loved meeting new friends and being on stage!

-Noelle also did soccer for the first time this year -  almost all the girls on her team were in her school class, so it was like a bonus recess with her friends :)

-Noelle & Oaklyn have a lot of neighborhood friends, and when the weather is good, they are at the Sundquists, or the Petersens, or Brother Watson’s to get ice cream sandwiches, or Bernice’s to see her cats. Or they are just riding all over on their bikes :)

-Noelle still loves Minecraft, Lego Marvel, and Mr. Beast on youtube.

-Noelle is still a terrific reader & is getting long chapter books in her book-in-a-bag & more advanced spanish books, too! Together, mom & Noelle have been reading the Narnia books, which  we both love! 

-Noelle started 2nd grade this year & loves school. She has done so well & got the “Catch the Vision” award for her kindness and listening to the teacher. 

-We love Noelle’s notes, drawings, and stories and she is cute about writing goals and schedules.

-Noelle loves her glow-in-the-dark glasses & we only had to replace one pair this year! 

FAVORITE 2021 MEMORIES: CCCMT play, her birthday, and her recent late-over with her friends. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Doing a play, getting a birthday party, getting baptized & confirmed, tying shoe laces! 

 

 

OAKLYN (5): 

-5 years old and this girl continues to be so naughty and nice. She is a character, though, and we wouldn’t change her!

-Oaklyn often disappears. We have to do a neighborhood check - Prices? Sundquists? Watsons? Petersens? Bernices? She makes the rounds and sometimes walks right into houses! She really does think she owns the neighborhood! Good thing we have amazing neighbors :)

-Mom really had an internal debate/prayer-wrestle about whether to send Oaklyn to Kindergarten or preschool again. In the end, we decided to keep her in preschool for another year & let her be the oldest in her class. Oaklyn LOVES preschool and her teachers and friends. Recess is her favorite and she points out her favorite tricycle every time we go to school. We’re carpooling with Tucker Riddle this year, 4x/week, & it’s so fun to hear their conversations on the way to & from school. 

-With afternoon preschool, mom & Oaklyn have had fun mornings. For mom & Oaklyn time, she likes to do puzzles, color, play with play doh, and sometimes dress up the dogs :)

-Oaklyn still seems to have the worst immune system of any of our kids and if there is any kind of runny nose going around, it’s pretty much guaranteed that she will catch it :(

-Oaklyn loves to sing and we LOVE to hear her sing!

FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Sleepover at Rachel’s house, going on rides at Bear World, hikes with mom & Dani Hillstead in the fall, and any time there’s swimming. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Soccer, writing full name, swim lessons, zip zippers. 

2020 Happenings!

(9 minute end-of-year slideshow)

2020! What a year! COVID has really taken over!  It took over all the news headlines - international and domestic, caused the cancellations of concerts, and even moving school and church to home! It also made it very difficult to buy toilet paper - And we ended up grinding our hard winter wheat for flour. Wow - what experiences we've had this year!  We learned and grew a lot. This was also the year of racial protests and a crazy presidential election year. I think I speak for Earth in general when I say that we are thankful 2020 is finished and we fervently pray that 2021 will have brighter headlines. We pray for those affected by this pandemic - so much more than we have been. We hope that you will find peace and hope through the Christmas baby himself - Jesus Christ. We testify that His peace passeth all understanding! 
Even with all the COVID craziness, we did manage to do a few things this year.

* For our Spring Break, we kept close to home and went to a cabin in Brian Head. It was muddy and slushy, but we had fun doing puzzles, watching movies, going sledding, and just in general having new scenery from our quarantine home.
*In July, Jason, Heidi, and McKinley went on the first of our family's 14-year-old trips. We spent 10 days exploring, oohing, and ahhing over the majesty of Denali and Alaska in general. See McKinley's section for more details. We all agree mask-wearing was worth that trip :)
*In August we had a combined Potts/Tew retreat at Bear Lake (courtesty of GG Tew) where we spent a week in our swim suits :) We had so much fun wakeboarding, paddle boarding, kayaking, skiing, tubing, catching frogs, roasting s'mores, playing games & visiting with cousins. It was awesome last-minute getaway before school started.

*In October, we had a super-fun trip to Lagoon! 

A few more highlights for our year:
 -Jason started a new job with APHIS (still under USDA)
-After lots of time (plus blood, sweat, and tears) and a zillion trips to Home Depot, we finished our basement rooms, changing Ireland's old room downstairs into a kitchenette/living room. And changing the large unfinished room downstairs into a bedroom for the renters, another bathroom for the girls to use downstairs, and a real bedroom for Ireland (she's been in a makeshift bedroom for 3 years now). We are SO THANKFUL for all the help on this one! It's SO nice to have the apartment all set up down there. There is a cute couple renting from us now :)
-We added another furry member to our family in November! Ember is Ireland's long wished-for puppy and she is fluffly and tiny and adorable :) 

JASON: As mentioned above Jason started a new job with APHIS. He still works in Cedar City and now is a part of the APHIS, Wildlife Services, Aviation Training Operations Center. They are under the USDA and they are the Federal group that takes care of the feral animal issues (feral swine, coyotes, etc.) from the air. He does budget and finance for the group and is enjoying the change as well as the new folks he works with. The group he works with trains Pilots and Gunners all over the nation at the Cedar City Training Operations Center.

 
Jason has also been quite handy around the house this year as well! He helped his brother frame, a friend plumb and a neighbor do the electrical in the un-finished rooms space we had. The end product was the finishing of 2 bedrooms and a bathroom as well as changing one room into a kitchenette/living room in the mother-in-law. He was also super sexy working in the back yard on a tractor this summer digging a hole for an in ground trampoline. He also replaced plenty of sprinkling pipe and drip house. He also fixed or replaced the following in our house: kitchen faucet and garbage disposal; fixed toilets including snaking multiple times; installed new window in front door; fixed 2 door hinges that were pulled out on 2 doors; replaced stackable washer/dryer inlet valve; fixed main washer/dryer door latch, struts, drain pump and re-attached balance weights; replaced computer graphics card and manipulated the BIOS to make it work; etc. – the things you do to save a penny!

 
He has also enjoyed seeing his wife 😉 and girls more while working from home more during COVID and counts his blessings to be living in Cedar City and to have the job he has. He is still in the Elder’s Quorum Presidency and enjoys his calling.

 

He has been enjoying spending time with his older girls too recently – watching Star Wars, Marvel, Mandalorian and some other fun movies with them. He loves to see the accomplishments and fun crafts his younger girls bring home and show him at dinner. He loves to see them succeed and is enjoying that Noelle is learning Spanish this year. He frequently speaks Spanish with 1 of his 3 girls learning Spanish throughout the week (Noelle, Kezia & McKinley).

 

-Jason turned in to quite the hippie this year, growing his hair almost past his shoulders before cutting it really short before he started his new job. 

HEIDI:
-Heidi learned a lot this year about resiliency and creativity with stores not having what she needed.
She bought personal bidets :), she stopped going to the gym when it was closed and didn't go back - she's been running and working out to youtube videos at home, she even has dyed her own hair! (we'll see how long that one lasts) :)
-More real life education for Heidi this year has been learning how to make a colored cement pathway with a stamp, install LVP flooring and using a paint gun! 

-Heidi is now the offical Secretary on the Share Board. It's been a hard year for Share with cancelling our May walk because of COVID and restrictions in the hospital, but she is thankful to still be involved and hopefully make a difference. 

-Heidi got to be interviewed for a podcast this year called A Light in the Darkness. She got to share Link's story and it was a stretching, but wonderful experience. 

FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Mom LOVED the trip to Alaska - she's never been in the summer & it was Ahhhmazing! She also really enjoyed the family's time at Bear Lake. 
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Mostly, Heidi is just hoping COVID will be gone by this time next year! But, in addition, hopefully doing a race next year & maybe taking a community class! More hiking & trail running. Also, praying we can finish our backyard trampoline & garden area! It would also be great to paint the cabinets and do the flooring upstairs. We'll see!

McKINLEY (15):

-McKinley continues to excel in cello and made the CHS Symphonic Orchestra! Her CMS Orchestra also made State & got the highest marks possible! She continues to take lessons with Jessie and we love to hear her play! :) She also continues with piano and plays in seminary and accompanied Kezia singing Gethsemane in the primary program. She also got a ukelele for her birthday and plays it and the guitar :)

-McKinley played Ms. Teavee in Willy Wonka and had fun meeting new friends and singing fun songs!
-This was the year we've looked forward to for so long! McKinley got to go to Alaska! We were very unsure about everything right up until the end if we were going to go or not with all the COVID restrictions. We had an Airbnb host cancel our booking because of COVID, and we had to take a COVID test before we went and wear masks for much of our trip, but we REALLY enjoyed it! We did a flightseeing and bus tour of Denali, which were both awesome & we saw grizzlies among other awesome animals. Jason & McKinley did a deep sea fishing halibut trip in Homer, and we did a Kenai Fjords cruise in Seward which was amazing & we saw orcas, whales, sea otters, puffins and so much more. Overall, we just loved being together in a beautiful place. What an adventure!

-McKinley's adventures continued after she got home with starting high school! She really loves taking seminary, and she enjoys most of her other classes too. She gets overwhelmed sometimes, but so far has done really well!

-Some of McKinley's friends this year: Ella, Karmiyah (who moved to Paragonah this year :( ), Emily (new girl who moved into Karmiyah's home), Emma (Beacham and Manley), Lizzy Arnel, the Ruperts, and Blythe. 
-McKinley still wants to be a teacher when she grows up!  

FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Alaska! State Orchestra, finally going back to school, late nights hanging out with friends - playing guitar and ukulele. 
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Dating, driving, and maybe a job! 

IRELAND (13):

-Ireland continues to do well with flute and is taking private lessons now. She made 8th grade Symphonic Band!

-Sadly, COVID really cut out Ireland's gymnastics goals and dreams. They closed the gym in March and it doesn't look like they'll be opening it till at least next fall :( It's so sad because Ireland made the rec team & would have had a team leo and everything. She's been trying to stay in shape with strength traning and flexibility at home. 
-Ireland still wants to be a lawyer when she grows up - and make lots of money. 

-Ireland has had quite a year! Big changes! First, her real room got finished and it's awesome! She chose her paint, her chandelier, and she helped choose her flooing and lay out her closet. Her room is super-stylish and lovely! 

-Second, after some struggles in 8th grade, and some answers to prayers, we decided to homeschool Ireland for most of the day. She still goes to Chinese and band, but comes home and does LA, Math, Science and History at home. It's been nice to get more mommy & Ireland time and her stress levels have gone way down. We are playing it by prayer as far as when she'll go back, but she'll stay at home for the rest of 8th grade. 
-Third, Ireland is SO happy to FINALLY get her furry best friend Ember! Daddy and Ireland drove all the way to Wyoming to get her! Ireland really loves coming home from school & having her to give her hugs and kisses. It hasn't been easy for her being a puppy parent, getting up at night with her and cleaning up messes, but she says it's all worth it :) 
-Ireland's favorite friends are Mahina and Sam and Annie. 
FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Starting flute lessons with Twila, Lagoon, Ember, and her room :)
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Gymnastics and Seminary :) 

KEZIA (11):
-Kezia performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream for Cedar City Junior Ballet in March. It was right at the start of all the COVID craziness and we are SO thankful she still got to perform after 6 months of hard work! She did a wonderful job! 

-Kezi was Violet Beauregarde in CCCMT's Willy Wonka this year and got really good at chewing gum! 
-Kezia is queen of her elementary this year in 5th grade Dual Immersion. It was kind of a crazy start with getting a new Spanish teacher only 2 weeks before the year began (her friend Sophie's mom) and her english teacher needing to take time off for military duties, but now things are going well and she is enjoying her year, even with having to wear a mask to school. 

-Kezia has REALLY gotten into Harry Potter this year - reading, and re-reading the books up to book 4 and watching the movies. She was Ginny Weasley for Halloween this year, complete with a red wig, Ginny's specific wand, and a broom. 
-Kezi continues to be an outstanding student, her teachers always rave about her. She has worked hard on her math skills this year and is down to 1.5 seconds per fact.
-Kezia's friends are: Addy Price,  Macie Mitchell, Sarah Simmons, Ivy Hawks, Lori Bailey, The Ruperts, and Sophie Burgess.
- Sadly, Kezia's chinchilla Fox died this year, but she still has her chinchilla named Coyote and he's getting more friendly and willing to come to you. We're still working on teaching him the Macarena :)
-Kezia still takes piano from Jessie, working to do percussion in middle school next year

-Kezia sang a solo for the primary program this year. She sang Gethsemane in Spanish and English and it was beautiful!
-Kezia still says her dream is becoming an author. She wrote a story called Jessie this year about a girl with plant powers - it's great!

-Kezia is still our silly and kind girl. She loves funny things and is always doing nice things for others 

FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Summertime fun, including doing lip syncs with Addie on the fence, the Willy Wonka play, camping, Bear Lake - hanging out with her cousin Love, going to Lagoon. 

GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Start Young Women's & going to the temple, do percussion, do another CCCMT play, have a Harry Potter 12th birthday party. 

LINK:
-Link would have turned 8 this year and gotten baptized on his birthday. The week before his birthday, we saw 2 rainbows & had multiple people text us rainbow pictures. Then, on the day of his birth, he sent us snow to remind us he's already pure and white and waiting patiently for us. We love him SO much and are so thankful for his love notes and watching over us. It was so neat to share his story on the podcast and re-live the tender moments. 

NOELLE (6):
-Noelle did the Midsummer Night's Dream Ballet with Kezia this year. She wasn't fond of the rehearsals, but she really loved being on stage! 
-Noelle finished up Kindergarten online and started 1st grade! She is in dual immersion and really loves learning spanish words! It's fun for her to be in the same school as her big sister, Kezia, even if it's just for one year. She is one of the very top readers in her class and she reads scriptures with us in the mornings. This year we read The Secret Garden, The Indian in the Cupboard, and mom is currently reading Heidi with her. The transition to the long 1st grade days was pretty rough for Noelle. She really struggled the first month or so, but has gotten a lot better. 

-Noelle is also a great writer and loves to write notes to people & write in her journal. She's also a great artist and we love all her drawings!

-Noelle is also a great builder & makes wonderful Lego creations or just any kind of building out of anything!

-Noelle has a love for cats :) We had some neighborhood cats this summer that would come into our yard and let Noelle love on them. She really enjoyed that time, she just had to make sure that she washed her hands or her eyes would swell up! She says when she grows up, she's going to be a crazy cat lady and a crazy dog lady! 

-Noelle sang I Feel My Savior's Love with 2 other girls for the primary program this year and she did SO good! What a beautiful voice and spirit she has. 

-Noelle has also really gotten into Minecraft this year! She knows lots of strategies and tricks to making awesome Minecraft creations. She was a Minecraft girl for Halloween! 
-Noelle's special friends are Molly, Carolina, Andy, Baylee, Katelyn, Henry, and the Ruperts. 
FAVORITE 2020 Memories:Noelle LOVED Lagoon & didn't stop talking about it for weeks :) She also loved going camping and asks to go a lot. Bear Lake was another favorite memory - she LOVED the frogs and even kayaked all by herself! 
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Tie her shoes by herself, ride her bike more, and swimming lessons! 

OAKLYN (4): 
-My goodness, this girl has kept us on our toes this year. We don't call them Fearsome Fours for nothing! She has made SO many messes, wasted SO much toothpaste, TP, baking ingredients, you name it. We think she definitely would have done better as an only child as most of her naughtiness comes out when her sisters get home and she has to share mom's attention. Good thing she's also SO sweet and constantly tells us that she loves us and she loves to cuddle and give sweet hugs. 
-Oaklyn and Charlotte Price are like 2 peas in a pod. She lives over the back fence and now that Charlotte & Oaklyn are big enough, they love to come see each other. We have tried repeatedly to get Oaklyn to ASK before she goes over, but sometimes she just can't wait to see Charlotte & jumps over & walks right in! 
-Oaklyn has been putting a backpack on for the past couple years when her sisters go back to school, wishing she coudl go, too. This year she was SO excited to be able to be a big girl and go to school! She started preschool at South Preschool with Mrs. Shirley (same teacher that Noelle had) and she is loving it :) She goes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and wishes she could go all day every day. Preschool has been wonderful because with no gym daycare or Grifols daycare to go to. 
-Oaklyn's favorite shows right now are Bo on the Go, PJ Masks, and Oomie Zoomie :)

-For mommy & Oaklyn time, Oaklyn still loves playing with blocks and doing tea parties and playing with her "cooker", but she's been more into playing barbies/ponies lately. 

-#4 is the year of the birthday party! Oaklyn invited all her friends and their families to the park for a water slide/jump house event! It was a lot of fun and Oaklyn got lots of fun gifts. 

-Oaklyn has come to an awareness of fear. She fears strangers and monsters and darkness. She would have a lot of nightmares and mom and dad had lots of sleep-deprived nights trying to help her. We decided to add primary songs to our nightly routine of books, scriptures, prayer & good-night songs & it seems to have helped. 

-Oaklyn is still very friendly with anyone and everyone and can start up a conversation in a moment's notice. 

-Oaklyn's special friends are Charlotte Price, Tucker Riddle, and her preschool friends - Lillia, James, Brookelyn. 
-Oaklyn learned how to ride a bike without training wheels before she even turned 4! It's fun to watch her go! 

FAVORITE 2020 Memories: Oaklyn enjoyed Bear Lake and Lagoon this year! 
GOALS/ANTICIPATION: Write her name and letters more clearly, learn some sight words, and take swimming lessons.