We are so grateful for the many blessings we have received this year. We have been blessed with wonderful children and are thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, which has provided us with peace and joy during the many struggles that life generally brings. We were blessed to take a few vacations to Ohio, Illinois, Mackinac Island and the UP, as well as, having family come to visit us from Utah, Ohio, Illinois and Texas. It was a busy summer, but we had a blast visiting with everyone.
Rachel (3) loves to be mommy’s little shadow, and loves to cuddle and run errands while the kids are in school. She was potty trained in June (no more diapers!!!!), and started three -school two days a week in September. She continues to love pink and playing dress up with her big sisters.
Gracie (4) is quiet and shy with the most beautiful smile. She loves to dress up, play house and wishes she could be a princess in a pink castle. She started preschool four days a week in September and loves every minute. She is always making pictures and crafts for her teachers, and is excited every day to tell us what she did at school.
Joshua (4) is doing great in school, and is always smiling. He loves to ride the bus, and is in a smaller afternoon class this year through the PPI program. He continues to have Botox injections in both legs every three months to loosen up his muscles, and improve his range of motion. He goes to physical therapy 1x per week, and receives services in the school to help stretch the muscles and get the most benefit from the Botox. He dislikes the stretching and visiting the doctor, but works hard to do what they ask him to do. He is determined and hard working in everything he does, especially at keeping up with his brother and sisters. He is never happy to be left behind, and is determined to do what they do, even if it takes a little longer.
Jaxen (4) continues to be on the go, and loves helping around the house. He started preschool with Gracie, and loves to watch other kids to see what they are doing. He is excited to start reading and writing, and can already write everyone’s names, his Christmas list, and mommy’s grocery list mostly by himself. He loves craft and table time at school and is always bringing home different projects to show off. He continues to be a daddy’s boy and wants to be with Ryan anywhere and everywhere he can.
Morgan (6) also loves to be busy and to help around the house. She lost her first two teeth this summer, had her ears pierced and cut her very own hair. She started Kindergarten 2-3 full days each week. She loves writing, coloring and has started to read. She is always asking us to help her spell and sound out words. She loves math and has started to work on simple addition. She had a great time this summer with family, and loves to go to her friends to play.
Ryan and Emily are always busy, but love to be home with our family. Ryan continues to work at HJ Heinz as the Continuous Improvement Manager and is taking on some responsibilities with production. His brother Zach, ended their 6 year business partnership to move to Utah, so Ryan will continue to run the operation until it is sold, which will hopefully be sometime next year. Lastly, he continues to serve our church as the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric and loves his calling. Emily continues to love being a stay at home mom and working two weekends a month at Holland Hospital. This gives her the best of both worlds: precious time with the kids and occasional adult conversation. She is busy getting kids to school and home again, but loves the quiet in the afternoon. With this downtime she reads, cleans, runs errands, and prepares her lesson for the 11 year old class she teaches at church.
We feel very blessed this year for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the guidance and peace it brings into our home. We love this time of year in celebration of the Savior’s birth and all that he has given us. His gospel and the Holy Ghost are truly the greatest gifts in our lives. We hope all our friends and family have a great holiday season and remember the Lord, Jesus Christ in 2011.
Ryan, Emily, Morgan, Jaxen, Joshua, Gracie and Rachel
The MacPherson Family
