Our Christmas letter via the world-wide web...

Season's Greetings!

When I think of Christmas letters, I can't help but think of an episode I once saw of “Everybody Loves Raymond” where the nosy mother-in-law grossly over-exaggerates her family's lives to make them sound considerably more exciting than they are. If you haven't seen that episode, you need to; it's hilarious. Anyways I thought it would be fun to write a Christmas letter this year to share our year's favorite highlights with our friends and family since we haven't had the opportunity to catch up with many of you for a few months. I'll do my best not to pad it with too many exaggerations....

Shae probably had the most exciting year out of all of us! Shae has been an absolute delightful addition to our family! From headstands to walking, to solid foods and whole milk we can hardly believe she turned one year old last week! Girlfriend hardly touched her cake, too. Shae mimics everyone and almost always has a smile on her sweet face. Her first phrases were “Hi-ya!” and “Oh no!” As of late, she likes to grunt like a monkey and blow raspberries for laughs. She is a bright child with lots of love for everyone. We can't wait to see more of her personality emerge in 2009!

Jaakson turned 3 this year and continues to keep us on our toes! We have so much fun watching him learn and grow. He cracks us up on a daily basis with his funny commentaries and has a strong sense of self (to put it mildly). Jaakson loves having a little sister and can hardly wait for her to wake up in the mornings so he can play with her. We're preparing him (and ourselves) for his graduation from nursery to Sunbeams after the new year. We think he'll love it but are wondering whether his teachers will “love it,” too.

Klint has probably had the busiest year in our family. He attended UVU all year for a total of 29 completed credits. Klint's favorite class was Philosophy due to the enlightening reading material he was provided. How he managed to go to school full-time and be the yard foreman for Burton Lumber full-time and NOT have a meltdown, I don't know. But I was impressed. Klint somehow fit our co-ed softball games in once a week, too. His nickname on the team was “Van Dam” because he was pretty, dang flexible out on first base! In June, Klint had his first flight lesson on his 30th birthday. Klint said Davinci expressed it best when he said, “Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you long to return.” In July, Klint and I put his long hair into dreadlocks. He was known as “the guy with dreadlocks” and “Bro. Marley” in our ward (lots of nicknames this year, huh?). Just a week ago, Klint cut his dread buddies off due to their high-maintenance demands. He kept one dreadlock as a momento. R.I.P.

As for me, I laid off the reality TV this year and found more productive things to do with my time. I lost over 20 pounds thanks to Turbo Jam and 24 Hour Fitness. Five pounds found their way back but I'll work them off after the new year....right? After 6 years of anticipation, I finally organized a co-ed softball team. As an added bonus, I finally got to play alongside Klint. (We first met on the softball field). Recipezaar.com helped me graduate from novice cook to a moderately good cook. (Now that explains the 5 pounds). In July we moved to a bigger, nicer apartment and are thoroughly enjoying the extra space! I'm also enjoying working part-time at both David Douglas and Great Clips salons. It's been a good experience at both to further build my speed and experience as well as my clientele and portfolio. Most recently, I was called as a second counselor in Relief Society and am so excited to serve in enrichment! I have a lot of ideas and am learning so much from the other sisters in my ward.

After writing this letter, we've realized how grateful we are for so many reasons. We are grateful for the knowledge that we are all children of God and that He loves us all so much. We are grateful for our health, our jobs, our everyday blessings, and a free country to live in. We are grateful for you, our friends and family. Thank you for your examples, love, and service.
We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Much Love to All of You!

Kylene, Klint, Jaakson, & Shae

Everybody Loves Raymond: Season's Greeting