Christmas letter 2023

 Hello Friends and Family, 

You are welcome to read this epistle, or you can skip to the end where I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Ryleigh- What a whirlwind it has been for this girl. Ry started out the New Year in her externship at Southwest Children’s clinic. She loved it there and has developed a love for helping people live healthy and be well. She worked at Twisted Sugar as a baker. She was the president of the Youth advisory council at Primary Children’s Hospital, and finished serving in that capacity after 5 years on the council and 2 of those as president. She graduated in May, which was tricky because she was enrolled in High school, SLCC for JATC as a medical assistant, and the U for the French Bridge program, and finished out and graduated after 4 years in Seminary. The week of HS graduation was even busier because she started a job at Oakcrest girls camp near Heber Utah, and received her Mission call to France, Lyon; French speaking. She had to come home from camp to graduate, then head back up to work. She spent all summer at OakCrest cooking for the girls and helping wherever she was needed. It was truly an awesome way to spend the summer. Plus, she got to do all that with one of her very best friends. BONUS!!!  We went to New York for Ry’s senior trip. The trip was her Christmas present last year, so she had been thinking about and planning it for so long. Jeff, Ry and I went to a baseball game (NY vs Boston), saw Wicked on Broadway, saw some amazing sights, and went shopping. Ry started HomeMissionaryTrainingCenter in Oct, she did that for one week and then flew to Preston, England to finish her MTC experience, was there for 2.5 weeks (because she was already fluent in the language) Then went to her first area in the mission, St. Etienne. She is doing well and loving her comp and has lots of friends to teach. We miss her every minute, but know she is doing good things and are so proud of her. 

Alex- Is doing great. His health has been good and he continues to manage it mostly on his own, with some parental guidance and support. I don’t know many 16 year old kids who can do a doctor appointment intake form, go back for blood draws without their mom, fill meds boxes, and speak frankly to doctors and specialists. He has some major life skills. 

Alex got his driver's license and drove the last part of 9th grade. He was the only student to drive themselves to school. It was pretty hilarious when he asked the principal where he should park, and she asked him, “like your car”? Yep, yep, his car. Incidentally, on his way home from work one day, he had a big drink that spilled when the lid popped off and sloshed everywhere. He was looking down, mopping up the mess, when a roundabout sign jumped under his car and got stuck. Thanks to great neighbors (bless you both) and daddy, we got his car back to working order, with a few prayers and a bunch of zip-ties. Alex rode his 4th year on the Mountain bike team, is part of the Youth advisory council at PCH, is a peer tutor in class and a buddy for CHPALS (a club for kids with special needs and their peers) at school. He has done lots of speaking events for Primary Children’s as an advocate for the hospital.  He worked for Jeff this summer at the shop, and is currently working at Chick-fil-A. He is also busy with church callings and activities. 

Eden- How she got old enough for Jr High is astounding. She works for Jeff at the shop, babysits/puppy sits when she can, has tried her hand at grooming another family's dog, is playing the piano, and recently found a new passion of singing and theater. She had a small solo in the school play “Spamalot” as a Laker Girl. She is doing choir and wishes to take voice lessons. Eden is a straight A student. Or tries very hard to be. She bought her own pass to Lagoon last summer and loved going with her friend group. That was money well spent, she tried to go as often as parents could get them there. If we would let her, she would spend every weekend playing with friends. She loves shopping for decorations for her room. Eden has the curliest hair out of the girls and will actually wear it curly. This is her very first year on the Youth advisory council, but she loves it and hopes to continue. 

MayLee - May is also in good health. She is in the 5th grade. May loves piano and Hip hop dance class. She has developed a love for art and is working on an art journal with me. She also entered the reflections contest and is moving onto the next stage. May’s French is really awesome, she is the one who will actually try and teach Mom and Dad a little bit. She loves playing with friends and having playdates. She works for Jeff at the cabinet shop cleaning the showroom and breakroom. She is involved in Activity Days for church. May loves reading and going to the library, which is perfect because I have a buddy to ask to go with me. She has been a really great helper in the kitchen and can make a lot of meals. She even made the yummiest fruit leather from apples from our garden. She did the whole thing from harvest to leather.  

Asher- He is Currently in the 3rd grade. Asher was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in July. He started Activity days at church. He vacillates between liking French and wanting to get out of it. He at least loves science and math, because he could toss out reading. You have to hold still for reading, which we all know he prefers not to do. Asher loves biking, playing with friends, basketball and baseball. He played on a basketball and a baseball team at the same time, but eventually baseball won out. He went to baseball camp at UVU, and went to heart camp with his brother and sisters. It was scary to send all the kids for overnight camp, but they had so much fun, they are all begging to go next year. CrAsher is still doing art as well, he entered a few pieces in the reflections contest and his art will be moving on. He works for Dad at the shop with his siblings and thinks it’s a pretty great gig to earn some money at such a young age. Asher loves to cook, play with friends and loves going on adventures. 

Jeff and Brynn - We spend our time running kids places, cycling, watching kids in events, going to the doctor/specialist/blood draws, running a business, cycling, geocaching, helping out at church, teaching preschool, reading books, gardening, building covered patios in the backyard, fifth-wheeling, mountain biking, cycling, prepping a missionary, cycling, sending said missionary out, recovering from back issues (not related to cycling), cycling, cooking, cleaning, cycling, helping kids with projects, and so much more. 

Milo - This boy is such a snuggle bug. He jumps up on my lap any time I sit in a place he can actually get to. He thinks he is way smaller than his 60 plus pounds. He loves when people visit. He was a hot dog for 3.5 seconds for Halloween. But he loved all the trick-or-treaters 

who came by because they would all give him scratches. He loves outings to Home Depot and the dog park. 

 We love having all of these memories and value being able to do all of it. You can clearly see how much we have been blessed. We try to stay busy to keep out of trouble and because we enjoy life so much. We love this time of year to reflect on the Savior. His birth, life and atonement. We are thankful for all of our friends and family. Merry Christmas and a happy/healthy New year.

Love, 

The Homers