The Year In Review

This year has been a year of joy and busyness. If you did get a Christmas card which directed you here, count yourself one of the lucky few whose Christmas card actually got addressed, stamped, and made it to the mailbox today on December 23!!

Jeff has spent the year working hard at SUNY Stony Brook in the Family Translational Research Group doing research on the prediction and prevention of family violence. In his spare time, he's been keeping busy with home improvement projects, as well as plotting Christmas surprises. At the risk of ruining the surprise for the kids, Wii wont mention here what his plan entails, but suffice it to say that Wii are very excited to see their faces on Christmas morning--Jeff especially. He also continues to enjoy his assignment at church on the High Council, and he feels so blessed to associate with the good people he works with in that capacity. To Sara's delight, he continues to enjoy cooking, and he periodically spends a weekend afternoon cooking extra food to put in our new chest freezer -- to make weeknight dinners quick and easy for Sara. What a man!

Sara has been much busier than she'd anticipated since she was called as Relief Society President in June. [Relief Society is the women's service and education organization in our church.] Since she got over the shock (which still recurs occasionally), she's had a blast and has thoroughly enjoyed the amazing women she gets to work with. She loves getting to sit in a spot where she sees all the good that women and their families are doing for each other and it makes her feel so fortunate and blessed. And she is learning a TON. She is still trying to figure out how to balance those responsibilities at church with 3 busy busy kids, a wonderful husband, a Brownie troop, and periodic visits to the girls' classrooms. She is VERY glad that she did not volunteer to be class mom this year.

Hannah has had a fabulous year. She turned 8 in April, and was baptized in June when her grandparents were able to come to Long Island for the event. She is currently enrolled in a scrapbooking class on Saturday mornings, and she has attacked her projects with a vengeance that is impressive. She is also staying busy with piano, LOTS of homework (apparently, 3rd grade is a big step up in this regard), and lots of reading. And reading. Oh, and she loves to read. After Christmas, we are planning to rearrange the girls' bedrooms so that Hannah has her own room, and she is anxiously planning a reading corner for her new room.

Megan is our artist. She LOVES to draw, and if you've read older posts on the blog, you know this. She is currently enrolled in a fabric arts class Saturday mornings, and she is LOVING it. Her teachers constantly comment on her attention to detail and her creativity, and there is no doubt that this is her passion. She spends every free minute writing and illustrating. She is still playing the piano and is also really enjoying school this year. She adores her teacher and says that she is never bored. She really enjoys her schoolwork--I think the fact that her teacher allows her to do book reports on Junie B. Jones doesn't hurt either.

Ali is 3, and has the personality of . . . a 3 year old. She is a joy and a hilarious riot every day. She insists that her name is Ali, not Allison. When we recommend that she eat her vegetables or meat (she is a near-carbotarian) so that she can "get bigger" she insists "I already got bigger!" She is very excited about moving up at church from the nursery into the Primary with Hannah and Megan, and she tries in every way to keep up with her big sisters. She recently stopped napping (to Sara's panic) and wants to play house and do puzzles and dance and sing her own made-up songs all day long. Fortunately, her favorite movie is one that Sara is able to justify periodically when she's desperate for a few minutes of concentration--David Attenborough's Planet Earth episode on polar bears. It must be the polar bears. She is a constant source of joy and entertainment.

All in all, we feel like it's been a fabulous year, full of growth and challenges, and we're looking forward to what the new year will bring. Jeff is officially on the job market; however, due to the economic slowdown, many of the universities to which he has applied have responded in the last week or two with the news that they are no longer hiring due to budget freezes. With so many people we know being affected by the economic crisis, we are grateful that he has a job that he enjoys, that is productive for him professionally, and that he can stay on at if no better options come through this year.

We love the community that we live in and the congregation we are involved with at church, and we feel blessed to have so many associations with people who enrich and bless our lives. We are especially grateful for the Savior, and for His gospel, which fills our lives with hope, joy, growth, and peace. We wish you all a new year full of the same!

With love,
Jeff, Sara, Hannah, Megan, and Ali