Every year seems to fly by faster. It's hard to believe 2010 has come and gone. It was a year of great changes for our family. Jason worked at Wells Fargo in Park City, then Zions in Salt Lake, and we sold our home and moved from Herriman to Heidi's parent's home in Murray. Things are still tight, but we feel like the decisions we've made this year were inspired and we're at peace with where we're at, even though it's still a time of transition.
What have we learned this year? That home is where the heart is (whether in Herriman or in Murray or our next adventure), to cherish the ones you love (Kezia's Primary Children's scare, losing Aunt Althea & Grandma Stewart), to enjoy the simple things (when you're frugal, you get to be creative!), to be open to inspiration (moving and doing homeschool), and most importantly to TRUST GOD. He really does know best.
We truly hope your Christmas season is overflowing with joy and peace. We would LOVE to hear from you and catch up! Here are some updates on each one of our little family and a photo scrapbook of the year.
JASON: Jason felt very blessed in April when he got a job offer from Wells Fargo in Park City (after being unemployed for a full year). He worked hard, but his boss was difficult to work with and many people were leaving the bank as a result of her poor leadership. After a few months, we felt it was right to start looking for jobs again. In July, he got a job offer from Zions Bank in Salt Lake City. They called when we were at the Primary Children's ER with Kezia, so it was a stressful decision, but we prayed about it and felt good, so Jason went ahead and accepted the job. Jason has worked there for almost 4 months. He has done a terrific job. His boss is wonderful to work with. The Lord has blessed him at Zions with great success and he has met all his targets and he enjoys the people he works with. We are very thankful for this job - and at the same time, we know the pay and location is not going to work for our family long-term, so Jason is currently job-searching again and we're hoping for something that will allow us to put down roots. Jason has enjoyed a few fishing trips this year, and riding his motorcycle. He also enjoys spending time with his girls - especially dates with his daughters.
HEIDI: Heidi also feels very blessed & watched-over. Moving was a difficult thing to go through - packing everything up and leaving dear friends, but she enjoys being close to her parents and is thankful for their hospitality. She was busy this year doing races - a sprint-distance triathlon at Echo Reservoir in July, another sprint-distance in Richfield with her sister-in-law, and a half-marathon with her dad in August. It was great to get out and push herself. She even shaved 3 minutes off her last 1/2 marathon & completed it in 1:43. Heidi enjoys reading and has read some really great books this year. If you're interested, checkout goodreads.com & find her profile! At the end of October, after much prayer and contemplation, Heidi decided to homeschool McKinley. She just missed the deadline for Kindergarten this year (Sept 9th) and Heidi felt she needed more than just a regular preschool could offer. Heidi homeschools with her sister Cindy & while it's not easy sometimes, it is truly rewarding & amazing to watch McKinley's ability to learn. Heidi still enjoys blogging and updates fairly regularly: www.jhhamiltonhappenings.blogspot.com
McKINLEY: McKinley turned 5 years old on September 9th & she's SO excited to be a WHOLE HAND! As mentioned in Heidi's profile, McKinley started homeschooling in November. Most days, she really enjoys it and asks her mom for MORE homeschool! She can read at a 1st grade level and is right-on at the Kindergarten level for math. She's good at adding & subtracting up to 10 & is currently working on skip-counting. Her writing is getting better all the time and she is so sweet to display her writing skills with all the sweet notes she writes. From get well cards, to Happy Birthday signs, to writing Christmas songs, and love notes, McKinley loves to write. She is also amazing at memorization and has successfully memorized Alma 36:38 and 2 Nephi 19:6. McKinley is such a wonderful big sister. She tries to help her sisters and teach them right from wrong. She loves primary and her teacher, Sister Short. Her friends in the neighborhood are Jamie Goddard and T.J. & Dallas Daylia. She still talks often about her friends in Herriman, Jack & Lizzy and Lizzy and McKinley are pen-pals & send cute letters in the mail. McKinley has also loved being closer to her cousin, Michael. They could play all day. And she has been so excited to homeschool with Tiarra. She really looks up to her. McKinley did dance and tumbling for a short time with her preschool and hopes to take it up again next year. McKinley lost her first tooth last month (actually now both bottom teeth are gone) & she loves showing off her gap!
IRELAND: A year older (3 years) & she still seems to have no bounds to her energy and mischievousness. She still can't seem to walk anywhere - she's always running, jumping, and exploring. She is someone who truly finds an adventure everywhere she goes - she's full of life and love. We LOVE her cute little voice and her enthusiasm about so many things. She is such a ray of sunshine. She still naps 2 or 3 times a week, which is nice, but it's also nice that she can be out and about & we don't always have to worry about making sure she gets a nap. Ireland started preschool this year & she is really loving it. She gets to go to The Little Blue Schoolhouse with her cousin, Joshua. She wants to go every day and is learning a lot. She can recognize most of the alphabet now & is better about remembering things she did in class. She has also loved nursery this year. She's had terrific teachers & looks forward to going each Sunday. Ireland loves to dance (she wore a red leotard/tutu for Halloween & wants to wear it EVERY day), run, kick a ball, and sing. We're having a hard time deciding which lessons to put her in!
KEZIA: Our sweet Kezi-boo turned one in October! It was an eventful first year of life for Kezia. A homebirth, difficult recovery for mom, and then a 4-day stay at Primary Children's Hospital in July, where we found out she has SVT. SVT is a heart condition where her heart has an alternative electrical pathway and will speed up randomly - she hit almost 300 bpm at the hospital (normal is about 120). She's on medication and seems to be doing well now. She just really took off on walking, but seems to want to go straight to running so she can catch her sisters. She loves dancing, laughing, smiling, talking (she knows about 20 words), signing (she's up to about 15 signs), and watching or petting animals. Her favorite thing is to turn on Signing Time. She just gets SO excited, almost hyperventilating, saying "Signing Time!" and waving her arms around. She also gets SUPER-excited when she sees daddy, grandma, grandpa, chocolate, or ice cream :) We can't imagine our family without her beautiful blonde hair, huge blue eyes, and scrunched-up-nose smile.
January:
-Our niece, Tiarra, was baptized!
-Our niece, Kalli, turned 12 & we went with her to her first temple trip!
-Sleepover with Edwards cousins
-Visiting with the Hoffmans, Matthews, and Simons.
-Jason interviewed with Redmond
-Mom & Dad bought Heidi & Jason ski tickets & watched the girls for the day!
February:
-Prenatal Forum reunion to see Sherrie Price.
-Visit from Grandma & Grandpa Devenish -out to IHOP
-Stake Valentines Dance
-Dillons over for Sunday dinner
-Jason's Scout Klondike - our girls' camp-in
March:
-Grandma Potts' St. Patrick's Day Party
-Trip down to St. George - visiting the Hamiltons & celebrating Heidi's 31st birthday. Jason's high school buds were in town & they came, too.
-Jason got an offer from Wells Fargo in Park City!
-Park City friends over for a fun get-together
-Visiting the Engman's
-Put our home up for sale
April:
-Celebrating Peter Jackson's 1st birthday in Park City
-Happy Easter! -and general conference
-Swim day @ the S. Jordan Rec Center
-Speaking in church
-Showing our home
May:
-Herriman ward fiesta!
-Mother's Day dinner at our home.
-Game night with the Bensons who just moved back to Utah!
-Celebrating our 10th anniversary. Went out to Chilies & had a relaxing night at home.
-Sold our Herriman home! and moved in with the Potts in Murray (AMAZING moving help from the ward!)
-Memorial Weekend - Mapleton Canyon with the Tews.
June:
-Zoo with the Bensons
-BBQ at the Matthews with our old neighbors
-Jumpin' Jacks with the Bensons
-Visiting with the Checketts! Going to Toy Story 3.
-Father's Day in the Canyons
-BBQ w/ the Stocks & Bensons
-Welcoming Parker Simon into the family!
-Aunt Deb's house for Taylorsville Days food & fireworks
-Happy 33rd Birthday Jason!
July:
-S. Salt Lake Freedom Festival
-4th of July celebration in Richfield and also celebrating Ireland's 3rd birthday!
-Heidi's Sprint Triathlon @ Echo Reservior
-Living Planet Aquarium
-Girls started swim lessons
-Primary Children's with Kezia for 4 days
-Grandma & Grandpa Potts took McKinley & Ireland to R.Burton's farm in Idaho while we were in the hospital.
-Jason's job offer for Zions' Bank!
August:
-Parker's Blessing
-Potts Family Staycation, involving pedicures, shooting, shopping, game night, Kearns Rec Center, WJ Park, family pictures @ Murray Park, This is the Place Park, Zoo, Snowbird, Aquarium, Lion's House, Discovery Gateway, Hansen Planetarium shows, and Thanksgiving Point.
-Heidi - Red Hills Triathlon in Richfield with Kim
-Heidi - 1/2 marathon with dad in Logan
September:
-"Gathering" to honor Aunt Althea's life.
-Digging up the stop & waste in the front yard.
-McKinley's 4th Birthday!
-Ireland & McKinley both starting preschool!
-Vernal for Grandma Stewart's funeral
-Heidi - slideshows for both memorials
-Benson's cabin
-Family pictures
October:
-Sick girls for the first part of the month
-Brent's birthday party
-Jason & Heidi take a swing dancing class
-Kezia turns 1!
-Combination ward Halloween party/Birthday party for Kezia & Logan!
-Raking leaves
-Happy Halloween! We did the James & the Giant Peach theme. Heidi was the peach, McKinley was the spider, Ireland was the ladybug & Kezia was the centipede. And Jason was James. Sort of.
-Wheeler Farm with Trisha
-Richfield to visit the Devenishs, Reeds, & Sorensons
-Visit with the Warrens & Matthews
-Downtown to deliver turkey boxes to the homeless shelter & see the Church History Museum.
-Heber to visit with the Hoffmans
-Thanksgiving
-Sledding
-Girls night seeing Tangled
December:
-Festival of Trees to see the tree that a co-worker did for Aunt Althea
-Ward Christmas Party - seeing Santa
-FM100 concert w/ Trisha & Parker to see Eclipse
-Downtown to see the lights & then out to Hires Big H to eat
-Gardner Village to see the Elves
-Making mints with the Simons
-Grandpa Potts took the girls to see Elmo live!
-Jason's work dinner
-Making toffee at the Johnson's
