Merry Christmas

Greetings and Happy Holidays to you all!

We are grateful for the passage of a wonderful year for us. No new jobs, no new kids, but there still seemed to be plenty of excitement.  Most importantly, we have all been blessed with good, healthy, and happy lives.

Mitch is into his second year with the National Weather Service with the Aviation Unit. It is rewarding work and, depending on the type of weather going on, can be challenging. He is still on a rotating shift schedule, which provides a healthy dose of irregularly to life, but so far, we are managing it very well.  Whenever possible, playing with the kids is on his to-do list. He is also into his second year as Branch President of the Spanish Branch in Anchorage. While his Spanish has improved, his free time has shrunk. We feel very blessed as we serve others in our church and beyond.

Natalie is the busiest and hardest working of all of us, with two little ones, a house to keep, and seemingly endless projects to keep up on. Most of her time is spent feeding someone, comforting someone, cleaning something/someone, and asking someone not to scream or to please be soft. She loves being a mom and is a great teacher and example to the kids. She also serves in the Relief Society in the Branch.  

In November, Mitch and Natalie took a 10 day trip to Ecuador, where Mitch's parents are serving as senior missionaries in Quito. We enjoyed lots of adventures, among which were: visiting the rainforest and the indigenous people; frolicking with monkeys; eating bugs and ants; being crowned "rey y reina" of the jungle; riding in wobbly tram cars over canyons right up to raging waterfalls; sampling various tropical fruits; touring Quito on a double-decker bus and a smaller town on the edge of the jungle named Baños; taking a tram car (teleferico) into the Andes mountains; buying pieces of art for our home; standing on the equator (mitad del mundo); visiting countless historic cathedrals and churches; playing cards with Mom and Dad; and delivering and sorting clothing for missionaries leaving from Ecuador. Two of Mitch's sisters also joined us in Quito. We loved being with family we don't often see!  The best part of all we being a part of Mom and Dad's mission and taking in a truly beautiful land and people.

While we were gone, Natalie's mom and dad were kind enough to stay with the kids. We thought Charlotte and Elliot might really miss us and that it would be hard on them to have us gone so long....nope! They loved being with Grandma and Grandpa.

Charlotte is 3 years old. She is moving out of Nursery at church and into Primary. She is every bit a 3 year old, and often gives us doses of a 4 yr old, or a 5 yr old, or even a 6 yr old. She likes to tell jokes and play with mom and and dad. Elliot is her little buddy. She takes good care of him, especially when her protective instincts kick in. She loves to read books with mom, tell stories with dad, and dance. She is also into fashion...she lays out her clothes most days for the following day, is keenly aware when clothes and accessories are not matching, and, on occasion, picks out clothes for mom and Elliot to wear. She speaks well and often. She has a sensitive heart. Whenever she sees or hears something on TV or in a movie that is intense or unkind, she turns away from it and covers her face. We hope she will always be so discerning of what is good and what is not.

Elliot is almost 21 months. He is a typical little boy in most respects; climbs on everything, bruises himself regularly, and wiggles a lot. He is starting Nursery at church. Elliot also has a sensitive soul. He will often say sorry even when he was the recipient of the offence and likes to give hugs and kisses. While his speech is limited to a handful of words, he is still very vocal. He loves to line up his matchbox cars and tuck them behind the couch cushions. He's also a fan of being thrown in the air, dogs, trains, and people in general. He is a kind little boy.

Finally, we bought a new home earlier in the year. We have put in new appliances and a new floor in the kitchen and eating area, and have plans to paint the cabinets, do a back-splash, and put in a fence and deck outside.  But those projects will have to wait until summer. We are very pleased with our neighborhood and are enjoying making this house our home.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! All our best to you and yours for 2014.

Mitch, Natalie, Charlotte and Elliot