Dear Family and Friends,
I hope this
letter finds you healthy, happy and enjoying the holiday season. This year has gone by so fast and our little
family has had many changes. So here is
a little of what is going on for each of us.
Gabrielle: Our
youngest is a senior, she is at the top of her class academically and is
applying to colleges in Utah. She wants
to go to the University of Utah and study accounting and Asian studies. She still is very active in Karate. She teaches every Monday and Wednesday and
then does her class after. She just earned
her Red/Black belt. So now her training
intensifies as the next belt is Black.
It takes about two years to achieve the black belt at this point. This summer she took a trip to Washington
D.C. to learn about our country’s national security. She had thought she might want to go into law
enforcement, but has found that that really isn’t what she is interested
in. One thing she does want to do is
travel, so she is hoping in the future to do study abroad programs.
Jacob: Last year at
this time Jacob received his Church mission call to Tampico Mexico. This was something Jacob always said he would
do. While there was a lot of preparation
involved, on April 18th we
dropped our Son off at the airport and tearfully watched him head out on his
first adult adventure. He will be serving for two years. Jacob is growing and learning about himself
and he is also serving the people of Tampico Mexico. He has been in two areas so far. The first area he was in was San Felipe
Mexico. It was a very small village,
that did not even have a big grocery store from the sounds of it. He is now in Bosque Mexico. He and his companion are helping to start a
new part of the mission area. While he
is having good and bad weeks, from his emails I can tell that he is really
enjoying this experience and that he is glad that he chose to serve a
mission. I believe he is learning many
life lessons that he would not learn at college. If you would like to read any of his e-mails
just contact me
and I can forward them to you. If you
would like to e-mail him let me know and I can give you his e-mail information.
He sends out an e-mail to friends and family every Monday . I am counting down the days when we actually
get to talk to Jacob; as of right now all we get is a weekly e-mail. Christmas
will be extra special as we get to video chat with him.
Kimberly: I have been
working at Harmons grocery store for almost two years. I had been a front end supervisor; this
spring they had an opening in their accounting department and I asked to be
moved to that position. I have had
enough of being a supervisor. I loved
learning the accounting for the store and really enjoy this new job. I work less with the customers and more with
the money and numbers. My new job has
better hours and a lot less stress. I
have had a lot of free time to work on some of my hobbies and am putting
together some photography books. I am
also planning some adventures for Jim
and I when we become empty nesters which is not that far
away. I think I’m like my daughter- I
want to travel. Even if it is just day
trips, I’m ready to see more of the world around me.
Jim: Right before
Jacob left on his mission Jim changed jobs.
It wasn’t a planned change as he loved his previous job and the people
he worked for, but it was and opportunity that came to him and was just too
good to pass up. Jim now works for Sun
Products, which is the second biggest maker of household soap products. He works graveyard shifts, and fixes their
printing presses and other machines.
Graveyard shifts are hard to adjust to and making it a challenge for him
time to get the sleep he needs, but he does get 3 days off one week and 4 days
off the next week. We get to spend a lot
of time together on his days off. The
extra free time also allows him to work on his old car project and help his
friends with their old cars too. This
winter he plans on getting the house organized as he thinks it will be too cold
to work on his car. Jim went with
Gabrielle this summer to Washington D.C. and while she was doing her weeklong
program he drove up to New Jersey to visit with family and friends. We are grateful to everyone who let them stay
at their houses and visit. We are hoping
they get another trip out this coming year.
We hope you are all
well and wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
From,
Jim, Kimberly, Jacob and Elle.
