Best of 2009

I am way behind on our blog. I just wanted to post some pictures of our favorite things this year. I am also including our Christmas letter for this year with updates about our year.

Happy 2010!

It’s been an eventful year for our family. Here are some highlights:

• In February, Danielle was named the 2009 Utah Young Mother of the Year. She got to meet with the Utah Legislature, Governor Huntsman and represent mothers of young children from Utah. She also represented Utah in the National Conference of American Mothers in Portland in April.
• In April, our family also went to Disneyland! We went with Matt’s school’s choir who performed there. We’re not sure which Ginny loved best- Disneyland, the beach, or having so many teenage girls to play with.
• We enjoyed a fun summer full of swimming, mom and me art classes, canning produce from our bounteous garden and fun visits from cousins.
• Matt started his second year of teaching at Karl G Maeser Preparatory Academy- a charter school in Lindon. He and Danielle went to Cedar City in October to help the students perform and compete in the High School Shakespeare Competition. Maeser students won first place in sweepstakes in their division!
• Ginny started preschool and loves it! It’s hard to believe she’ll be 5 in February and start Kindergarten in the fall. She is a happy, active, curious and smart little girl. (Ginny says I forgot singing and dancing.) We love her so much!
• Danielle is the volunteer director of a local preschool near our home. She also does storytelling once a month at the Orem library. She still works very part-time supervising student teachers at BYU who are going into special education.
• Matt had surgery three times in December for kidney stones. He is fine and doing well. We appreciate all the skilled nurses and doctors who helped him. We just hope not to have to see them again any time soon.
• We had a fun trip with Danielle's family to the Homestead at Midway after Christmas. We enjoyed snowshoeing, sledding, swimming in the natural warm pools and being treated to a massage at the spa. Thanks to Danielle's parents for a great trip.
  

We have been blessed to see what good and loving friends we have this year. We are constantly blessed with love and prayers by so many wonderful people. Thank you for your friendship.