We Wish you a Merry Christmas...

Since we have failed to send out our Christmas cards for the past two years, we thought we'd do something different this year, and catch you all up by way of a family blog.

We didn't ascend any large well-known mountain, earn a Phd in any field, nor write a award-winning novel... but we sure did have a blast playing together, learning together, reading together, and laughing together.

These are the things that each of us enjoy spending our time doing:

Jeremy's first love (besides his wife, of course) is gardening. Due to our local, hungry deer, Jeremy built square-foot garden boxes for us conveniently on our back deck.











Jeremy also enjoys taking his family to all of the local historical sites. His favorite, obviously, is Monticello.





Here's Beth hanging with her good pal,Patrick Henry. "Give me Liberty or give me death!"


This, I know, is not exactly historical, but one of Jeremy's favorite spots.




As much as Beth didn't enjoy camping on the beach in 100 degree, hurricane weather, she did enjoy watching the sun rise on the first morning. It was beautiful... Am I enticing any of you to come visit?






The rest of Jeremy's time is spent playing football with his kids, reading books to them, baking homemade bread (Yes, Beth doesn't know how she got so lucky!), and podcasting for ldsliberty.org






Those that thought that Beth was already a health-nut, would now found a new meaning to the word. Since being diagnosed with Lupus in 2008, she has searched, read, researched, pondered, prayed, and experimented with diet, herbs, and alternative medicine. She is now free of symptoms, and has also cured her asthma and allergies (in which she has suffered since childhood.) Being prescription-drug free (and those who question-- Yes, that does intend to mean-- drugs (in general)--free! =) ), and pain free, and feeling like she (for the first time in her life) can take big, deep breaths-- enjoys researching, learning, studying, and talking with others about health and nutrition.
Here's her stocked herbal cabinet. Ya didn't know she was so granola, did ya?




Teaching her children at home, cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, and building all sorts of cardboard structures fills the rest of her time.







Ethan (9) spends most of his time outside. He loves carving items out of wood, creating outdoor living spaces, and playing with his siblings. He also loves to build with Legos and blocks and, if given free time inside, chooses those activities over cleaning. (I wonder why...?)
























Riley (4) enjoys crafts, painting, creating books, writing, playing with siblings, running with her brother outside, being a princess, and playing with Legos. She also has a killer tackle and can even take down her own father! =)









Luke (1) has become such a character. Today he opened a Chinese fortune cookie which said, "Happiness accompanies you every where you go." This is all too true for this little man. His new little trick is singing to all our Christmas music. "Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh" to Glor-ri-a in Angels We have Heard on High and "Bum Ba Bu Bum..." to the Little Drummer Boy. Luke loves to make silly faces, dance to music, swim, play with his siblings, and "hsil" (wrestle) with daddy.

We miss all of you that are far, and hope to get together with all of you both far and near. Thanks for visiting with us and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May His Spirit be with you today and always. Love, Jeremy, Beth, Ethan, Riley and Luke.
Merry Christmas!