In case I don't have your updated emails... here's our 2013 Family New Years Letter! (and email me your email address if I don't have you on my list and you want to be!)
Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! We
had a wonderful 2012 and just wanted to share it with all of you!
We started off the year in Las Vegas with Aaron working at
Deloitte. About halfway through the year
we became a family of 5 with the addition of Izzy Jean. Then we picked up and moved back to Utah –
sad to leave family and friends in Las Vegas, but thrilled to be starting our
adventure as small business owners. Aaron is buying his father’s business! We were blessed to be able to squeeze in my
best friends’ wedding, 2 family reunions, 2 Zion trips, beach trips, camping,
biking and climbing in this busy year as well as lots of time with both
families during the holidays! What a
crazy year!
Aaron – Aaron will turn 30 this week and despite the
initial disappointment of with living with his parents when he turned 30, has
redeemed himself by buying us our dream home.
We are hoping to be in by the 1st of March and can’t wait to
put down permanent roots. Networking up
a storm and establishing business systems are keeping him busy in his new
chosen career and he is loving it (look no further for all of your trophy,
award, plaque, t-shirt and promotional product needs)! He spends lots of time being super dad and
telling the world’s best bed time stories, dreaming of road biking in our new
city and loving that we can rock climb at the gym again. Highlights of his year were buying his wife a
road bike, watching me cry when he gave me an address stamp for my birthday
(with our new home address on it) and completing a century ride (100+ miles on
a bike) in the freezing cold and rain.
Britt – 2012 was
a year of blissful baby blur! I spent
the 1st half pregnant and the 2nd half ogling over the
most adorably happy baby who ever lived (who started out as a good sleeper, but
has turned out not to be! – hence the “blur”).
I have enjoyed having Emery as a preschooler and watching her learn and
be the social butterfly she is, and using that time without her to do mommy
school with Van – letter ice cream, mini volcanoes – you name it, we do
it! I still love cooking, working out
and reading and do lots of the first two.
Highlights of my year included a natural delivery with baby #3 (with Aaron
as a professional-quality yoga/labor coach), watching Aaron transition into a
job he LOVES, hiking the Y with the 3 kids and witnessing Emery and Van transition
from just siblings into best friends.
Emery (5) – Our
grown up girl had done great with lots of big transitions this year! Leaving her home and a very special best
friend was tough, but she’s truly risen to the occasion, starting pre-school
with no friends in a new place and then getting to know her whole class in true
Emery style. She’s brought the full
course of female emotions to our family, but we love the sensitivity and caring
that comes with it. Ultra-patient with
her crazy little brother and super helpful with her baby sister, she was
recently dubbed “The Toddler Whisperer” by her mom’s friends. She still loves all things girl, but maybe
loves rock climbing most of all (hooray!).
Endlessly imaginative, she spends hours playing with princesses and
ponies, taking her brother on pretend adventures and singing songs she makes up
at the top of her lungs. Highlights of
her year were starting preschool, a trip with Grandma and Grandpa to see cousin
Miles and his new baby sister, taking dance and gymnastics classes and spending
her birthday in Las Vegas with her best friend.
Van (3) – Van
grew up in 2012 (much to the heart break of his mom)! He started off the year barely talking and
now he’s talking (mostly coherently) in full sentences, cracking us up with
utterances like “I want an iPad [for Christmas]” and “I have slugs in my nose”. His favorite color is red (like a fire truck)
and trucks are still his passion. He is
a loving and sweet kid with endless amounts of love for his sisters and his
grandmas. He loves to take care of his
“Em” and rubs her head when she’s scared at bedtime and he adores his tiny
Izzy. He still has endless amounts of
energy, but as long as we focus it in the right direction he’s a blast! Highlights of his year were learning to swim
without floaties, learning to ride a bike and eating 5 jumbo hot dogs in 1
sitting.
Izzy (7 months) – This roly poly baby is the
joy of our family! She is happier than a
clam, chubbier than a baby hippo and way more lovable than a puppy. She loves ferociously, literally attacking us
all with kisses (including giving her mom hickies on my chin!) and snuggles and
eats up the thousands of kisses she gets all day in return. She loves her brother and sister most of all
and will laugh hysterically for them all day.
Upside down and naked are her two favorite states of being. Mommy’s milk is her one true love – she
scoffs at baby food but shows significant interest in cheeseburgers. Her crooked head and tight neck muscles are
just about fixed thanks to some physical therapy and persistence. Highlights of her year were lots of middle of
the night snuggle sessions, learning to sit up and having everyone rush to her
crib side with huge smiles when she wakes up.
Happy New Year from our family to yours!
Aaron, Britt, Emery, Van and Izzy
