This is our annual family letter:
January 2009
Another year has come and gone. We’ve enjoyed many things together as a family this last year and hope you have as well. Here is a brief synopsis of the highlights of 2008:
We’ve taken several family trips this year. We drove to San Diego, California for Danica’s sister Jessica’s wedding in June. They were having a heat wave there and the temperatures were in the 90’s with about the same level of humidity. The heat made the beach nice and pleasant, but formal attire not so much. The little girls looked so beautiful in their white dresses and Stewart so handsome in his black three piece suit. We went to Torre Pines Beach twice while we were there and the kids asked why we can’t live closer to the ocean. We also went to Sea World for a day and the kids favorite part was the killer whale show. Even now you could ask Kaela what the hand sign is to get Shamu to splash and she will show you. She cried when it was over, so we ended up seeing that show more than once.
July brought the Hammon Reunion in Rigby, Idaho. The kids always look forward to this reunion every year and can’t wait to go play with their relatives. There are young children that come every year now, so they get to play with others their age more and more. Their favorite part was the slip-n-slide that we brought and then Uncle Duane flooded the lawn with irrigation water for a water fight.
We also spent several weekends at both cabins with and without friends. We enjoyed the family time and getting to know our friends and their families more as well. Sarah got her first case of poison ivy on one of these weekends. We went for a little walk near one of the Brighton ski lifts and there must have been some somewhere along the path. By the time we got back to the cabin, it was a full blown case and she hadn’t even said anything until about then. Over Labor Day we spent the weekend at the Uinta cabin and actually got a few inches of snow the last day.
Sarah is in second grade this year and loves her teacher. She turned seven in July and has lost most of her front teeth now. At one point we said we weren’t going to carve pumpkins for Halloween, that we would just stick a glow stick in her mouth and let her be a Jack-o-lantern for her costume. She didn’t like that idea very much. She has found a love of reading and of math. (Hmmm, wonder where she gets that from?) She is a joy to have in our family and is good at helping mom do things around the house.
Stewart has had a big year. After last year’s letter, he had to have eye surgery after being bit by a dog. His eyelid had a laceration and they didn’t think he would sit still for the procedure otherwise. That was my first experience as a parent watching my child go through a surgery (rather, I should say, come out of anesthesia). While he was waking up, he was trying to rip out his IV’s, he was mad that he didn’t have his clothes on, and he just wanted to go home. He turned five this year, but He is the size of an eight-year-old and very strong, so needless to say the nurses were very accommodating when I asked them to remove the IV’s. We also found out in the Spring of this year that he has a form of high functioning autism. We are still working with doctors and therapists to come up with how best to help him. He has good days and bad days, but mostly good days as we find his triggers and how best to avoid them. It has also helped to know this makes him special because he sees the world in ways no one else can. Like when his teacher asked him to draw themselves in class, he told her he couldn’t because he was invisible. Or when Grandpa Gardiner said they were going to bless the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, Stewart said, “It’s too late, the turkey is already dead.” Often times he will point things out in ways that I would have never thought to look at them. As we learn more about him and ways to help him, we realize how much he is a blessing to be in our family.
Kaela turned three this year. She loves to wear dress up clothes or her swimsuit and is constantly changing out of her clothes to put a “princess dress” on or her swimsuit. The latter had also helped her become better at using the toilet. YEAH! For now we don’t have to buy diapers. She loves to play house with Stewart and Sarah. Almost every time they play house, I hear someone calling “Mom!” and I will answer and get yelled at because they are playing house. Kaela is very affectionate. She will come up to me just in the middle of playing to give me a hug. Her other favorite things to do are play the computer, color, swim, and go to the park.
Michael is enjoying his first year at ATK Space Systems and they even promoted him to a Level III Engineer in October. He keeps himself busy when he isn’t at work playing Lego Star Wars with Stewart and taking all three out on “Daddy Dates.” They each get a turn by themselves with Daddy and they get to pick the activity they do. They’ve gone to the zoo, bowling, and the movies.
Danica had the opportunity to go to Wood Badge Training for adult scout leaders. She had an “Amazing” experience. She made new friends, learned how to be a better leader, and re-ignited her fire for the Scouting program. She serves as the Cub Master of the local Cub Scout Pack and is also on the basic training staff for our district. She still enjoys making cards with stamps, and her friend Esther even got her to start scrap booking. She also has started a family blog for all our family members and friends who live far away to still feel like they live around the corner. She has cut back on her hours with the Wal-Mart DC. With two kids in school and all their activities and a third a little busy-body-Kaela at home, she enjoys staying home and wants to make it more permanent soon.
We are truly blessed to have family and friends like you. We hope this Christmas Season finds you and yours well.
I am in the process of finding someone to get these printed for me as my printer isn't doing very well with them. (It is as old as Sarah is, so I guess that is to be expected.)
It was so cold this day, when they came in that had welts on their faces. They didn't want to come in that soon though since this was the second time to wear their new boots.
This is the sun peaking through the clouds.
Stewart playing with his dump truck he named "Wall-e"
Sarah & Kaela working together.
the finished snow man!
Sarah and her masterpeice!
smashing the first snow man.
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