Denali Natl Park (Mount McKinley in background)
Runnin' in the Oklahoma rain!
Merry Christmas everyone! It is time for the merry olde Christmas letter once again. This year has been one of great change for our family! We spent most of it in Oklahoma, were Mike finished a residency program with the army! We loved it there We had a ditch in the back yard that became a raging river at least once a week, due to the record rainfall they had there. We enjoyed the hiking and swimming and worm catching. After every rain the kids loved to go “pick worms.” Little Jace Michael Judi joined our family on June 30th. He is 5 months old and has found his thumb and is as happy as can be, even when he is being mauled by his 3 adoring siblings. Three weeks after Jace came we hit the road for a 10 day drive to our new home in Anchorage Alaska. Speaking of our kids, they have been busy too, spending a few weeks at their grandparents homes in Utah, starting new schools, taking a big 3500 mile road trip, seeing their first moose, fox, porcupine, black bear, grizzly bears, and their first sightings of Mt. McKinley and -3 degrees below zero on the thermometer. They’ve also been keeping us laughing with their little kid observations of the world, here is a sampling of what kept us laughing this year.
The funniest thing Quinton told me this year: “ I can’t wait until summer for two reasons. Number one, Rachel, I hate sitting by Rachel, and two because I won’t have to go to school and did I tell you mom, I hate girls.”
The funniest thing Austin said this year: The kids were at church with my mom, when a brother from the ward approached and said, These kids sure are cute, I’ll give you a load a hay for them! Before my mom could respond Austin pointed to her and said, “I’ll take a load of hay for her.”
The funniest thing Avery said this year: “ Mom, you should have a baby monkey, and then I can have a baby sister!”
The funniest thing Mike said this year, bright and early one morning (actually, dark and early, it is Alaska) “ Hey, Jace slept through the night!”
The funniest thing Maggie said this year: “ Would anyone like to help with the dishes?”
We are so grateful for all our blessings, including YOU! We hope the season finds you smiling, and may you all feel the spirit of Christmas this year. From our home to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Denali Natl Park (Mount McKinley in background)
Runnin' in the Oklahoma rain!
We saw Santa! The kids all told Santa what they wanted for Christmas at the ward party. Avery was terrified last year, so much so that she cried whenever we went to the mall for months after christmas, but this year she plopped right down and told Santa she needed some princess dollies this year. Austin and Quinton each had their turn. The elves gave them giant candy canes, which I think are kinda like a big card board box, I could just get them that for Christmas and they would be happy. Don't you just love the magical look on thier faces?
