2008 in Review!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

We hope this finds all of you healthy, happy, and loved. 2008 was a great year for the Hamilton family and as we look back, we can't help but feel overwhelmingly blessed and humbled. We are so thankful for our family, friends, each other, our home, food, job... the list is endless.

Jason is still self-employed and working with Summit Financial. He is still in Scouts and enjoys riding his dirt bike, watching Fringe, fishing when he can, and being with his family. He has one more semester of school left to get his MBA and we are so excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Heidi is at home with the girls and enjoys their sweet, funny, strong personalities. She completed her 4th triathlon in June and enjoyed a half marathon in August with her dad. She is the nursery coordinator, which means she takes care of substitutes, roles, snacks, and singing time for the ward's 4 nurseries. It can be overwhelming, but it's a lot of fun, too. Heidi also stays busy with the neighborhood preschool and teaches 5 little 3-year-old every 4th week. Heidi still enjoys doing video editing and slideshows. She also got into the blogging world this year and updates it regularly. You can see it at: http://www.jhhamiltonhappenings.blogspot.com/

McKinley is a ball of fun, questions, and imagination. She loves preschool and asks about every day if it's a "preschool day." She knows how to draw some of the letters, recognize many letters (including all of the letters in her name), most all of her colors, most of the shapes, and is becoming a pro at gluing, cutting, coloring, and painting. She truly loves all her "preschool pals" - Jack, Hendrix, Alyssa, and Amanda. She also LOVES to spend her Wednesdays with her closest cousin, Michael. We sometimes joke that they are twins separated at birth. McKinley's favorite shows are Max and Ruby, Blues Clues, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Curious George. She loves her Disney movies, too, and watches them frequently. She is more imanginative with every day and is herself less and less now-days - as of late she has been Ariel, a dog, a cat, and Mickey Mouse. She loves to hide and play outside. She also loves her sister and they play (and fight) very well. We love you sweet pea!

It is hard to fathom how much change can happen in a year for a baby. Ireland will be 18 months next month and we are amazed every day at how much she is growing, learning, and engaging. She is still small (in weight) for her age, but her personality is VERY big! She has a big vocabulary and between words and signs, she usually gets her message across. She is very good at saying please and thank you and gives the most heart-melting smile when she wants to. She loves to color, play and laugh with her sister, eat cereal, play with dolls and stuffed animals, watch Signing Time, and push anything she can find. She also is an adorable dancer and has started to talk on the phone more. Love ya Ireland!

Here, in picture and words, are some noteable events from the past year. Enjoy!

JANUARY

• Jason drove down to Colorado Springs to help Cindy and her family move back to Salt Lake
• Richfield to celebrate Hayden's 1st birthday
• President Hinkley's death
• Preparations for Trisha's wedding, including a big family shower @ the Hamilton home and a fun sister shower @ the Olive Garden
  
  

FEBRUARY

• Trisha became Mrs. Darrin Simon on February 1st at the Salt Lake Temple.
• Valentines @ Al Forno's and then out to a Vocal Point concert
• Living Planet Aquarium

MARCH

• Heidi's 29th birthday - complete with a surprise afternoon at the movies and a BBQ w/ friends!
• Benson's cabin -snowmobiling, sledding, etc (Heidi had to stay home w/ strep, though)
• FHE/St. Patrick's Day/Easter Egg Hunt @ Grandma Potts
• "Power in His Touch" performance
• Easter dinner @ the Hamiltons w/ the Edwards (the Potts were in St. George)

APRIL

• Downtown FHE - picnic and giving out food to the homeless
• Kalli's play
• Jason & Heidi took a week-long vacation to Kauai (with 1 day in Oahu). It was WONDERFUL! Trisha, Mom, Cindy, and mostly Dave & DeeAnn helped with watching our sweet girls. Thanks again!

MAY

• Return from Hawaii - lots of hugs, gifts, and souveniers.
• May 12 - Jason & Heidi celebrate their 8th anniversary
• May 22nd - our friends from Park City lost their little (almost) 2 year old little girl, Lucy, from an accident when she chocked on an apple. We went to the hospital and then the funeral. We still pray daily for comfort amidst their deep loss.
• Mothers Day Retreat in a Park City condo!
• Memorial weekend in Mapleton Canyon

JUNE

• Grandpa Tew's 80th birthday celebration (Heidi put many hours into his birthday slidehow)
• Father's Day/June birthday celebration up Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Heidi's 4th tritahlon - Provo. She did the Olympic distance this year. It was hot and challenging, but fun and rewarding.
• Jason turns 31!
• South Jordan and Herriman city days

JULY

• 4th of July in Richfield - parade, fun, food, fireworks.
• Ireland's 1st birthday! She had really bad mouth sores, so she was not happy most of the time, but we had a fun party and were glad we could celebrate it with family!
• Combined Joshua/Ireland birthday party at the Simons
• Jason helping tile Grandma's basement apartment, so Cindy could have a better floor
• Spruces with the Coltons, Potts & Edwards

AUGUST

• Potts Family Reunion at a cabin in Timberlakes - by Heber - and water skiing at Jordanelle
• Cascade Springs - up American Fork Canyon
• Jason's 10-year mission reunion
• Dad, Heidi & his co-worker Ron Houston run the Top of Utah half marathon. Finished in 1:45
• Watching the Olympics - especially gymanstics and Michael Phelps

SEPTEMBER

• Labor Day weekend in Richfield - by Fishlake with the Hamiltons. Both girls and Jason sick with the stomach flu
• McKinley turns 3 years old & celebrates @ Chuck E. Cheese!
• Tundra's sever hypothyroidism diagnosis and medicine
• Grandma & Grandpa Potts take McKinley to the circus!

OCTOBER

• Our neighbors and good friends lose their babies at 20 weeks. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
• Scarecrow Festival at Thanksgiving Point
• Last-minute trip (via Priceline) to Tennessee to go visit our best friends - the Bensons. Lots of fun - Ripley's Aquarium, Gatlinburg, Lollypop shop, mini-bowling, games, fun, talking, etc.
• Herriman, ward, and preschool Halloween parties

NOVEMBER

• 24-hour vacation from Saturday to Sunday. Trisha watched the girls and Jason & Heidi went to Park City for some eating, Christmas shopping, movie-watching, and game night with some friends we hadn't seen in a while!
• Grandpa Potts donates his kidney to Uncle Richard
• Thanksgiving at Grandma Potts and then to the Twilight movie
• St. George Hamiltons come up for the day

DECEMBER

• Ride w/ Mrs Claus and yummy goodies at Gardner Village
• Jim Brickman concert at Southtowne Mall
• Watching Michael & Joshua for 2 days so Cindy could have a "mini-vacation"
• Christmas breakfast with Santa @ the ward. Edwards come too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!