Christmas Letter December 2013

                                                                                                                                                                                             December 2013

Dear Family and Friends,                                                                                                                                                                                               Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone!  We are glad to have you as friends and family and hope you are enjoying the season.  We didn’t move, we didn’t have any more kids, we hung around Michigan until August when we traveled to Colorado for a Wells Family Reunion.  LOVED IT!  It was beautiful and the blue skies and mountains were breathtaking.  We spent time on a Cog Railroad traveling to the top of a mountain, toured the Air Force Academy, climbed the incline, toured the Olympic Training Center, tried to camp and make dutch oven dinners but it rained on us and we got out just after they were eaten and before the mud slides.  We enjoyed the taste of bluebell ice cream, played outdoor laser tag and visited the Family Ranch that is no longer owned by family, but went anyway to show our posterity and take family pictures.  The weather was so nice and full of more blue skies.

Chris will still be working at Jackson this coming year.  We thought it was time for a change, but it’s not in the cards yet.  He is making some changes and looks forward to working on some upcoming certifications as well as doing a bit more traveling.  His new calling at church is Music Chairman.  He is doing a fabulous job!  He is getting the choir going and we’ve already had three performances with the biggest coming up next Sunday for our Christmas program.  Not only that, but he’s also leading the choir, planning sacrament meeting music and plays as the pianist in primary, along with twice a month helping with the boy scouts venture crew boys (aged 14-18).  Busy man!

Karen is busy as well.  Still working at Jackson too, but she started working at home in May and has enjoyed being at home and not having to commute to work.  It’s been a true blessing.  She is still in the Primary Presidency, co-choir pianist and most recently called to play as a co-ward organist.  Her students for piano increased from 7 to 12!!  It is something of a challenge with balancing everything else, but she's making it work.

Jonathan keeps up with school quite well.  His load is very heavy for his junior year.  Honors Algebra II and College Prep Chemistry keep him very busy, still managing A’s and B’s in all subjects.    He recently took his last practice ACT before he takes the real thing this spring and has improved his score by 5 points!  We are so pleased with his progress.  He doesn’t have a job yet and drivers training will be coming this summer, but continues to work hard at everything he does.  He is also in seminary but is doing home study and has early morning face time every Friday over the internet with the rest of his class.  His goal is to work on getting his Eagle Project done this Spring.  So proud of that boy!

Mikael just had his karate class anniversary, he has been going a year and is a green belt now.  He still struggles a bit in school, but is anxious for a chance to go to Germany the summer of 2015 with his German class and good grades mean dad pays so he has started getting his mind in gear.  He is still a comical clown and wants to make people laugh.  He is working toward his Life badge in scouts.  This summer he may try to start drivers training as well but still seems unsure. He is also doing seminary at home with Jonathan. 

Chris, Jon and Mikael all did High Adventure for a week canoeing for 5 days this past summer.  Quite a work out.  Chris came home about 15 pounds lighter and they all had arms of steel.  :-) They also went to the Boundary Waters for a week in Northern Minnesota where they portaged and canoed for another 7 days.  They want to go back but leave the mosquitoes at home.  

Weather was beautiful except for the major rain storm one day and the scenery was breathtaking.  Mikael and Jonathan attended scout camp for a week as well and were able to complete a few merit badges each.  Crazy busy summer for them.  Their goal for this coming summer is to attend camp with their cousins in Colorado.  We are ALL hoping it works out!

Elizabeth is as smart as they come and started 7^th grade this year.  She is getting straight A’s even with her crazy cheerleading schedule!  I don’t know how she manages.  Cheer lasted a bit longer this year as she went straight into Basketball cheer where she has learned stunting – throwing girls up in the air, tumbling and how to do a cartwheel.  It’s been a crazy busy schedule, practice and games four days a week.  Her competition was supposed to be the last day of school before break, but school was cancelled and so was the competition.  Elizabeth wasn't completely heart broken as she was VERY VERY nervous, but I think she might try for next year.  She really wants to do high school cheer and has a goal of being able to do a back walk over.  You should hear the noises coming from her room sometimes.  She uses Mikael's karate head gear when she does it, just in case...hahaha!  She turned 12 this October and started Young Women’s and is learning to enjoy being with the older girls.

The snow has finally come to Michigan.  And the ice and rain too!

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you.  May God bless you in all you do!

Love,

Chris

Karen

Jonathan

Mikael

and Elizabeth