I cannot believe another year has come and gone... This was a year that I kind of dreaded since we would have one less of us here all year. But we managed to have a great year which included watching Luke become the best missionary. Here is a little recap-
Elder Childs- Luke spent all year in New Jersey changing lives. But the life that he has changed the most has been his own. Luke has grown so much and is learning that he can do hard things. He has served in some pretty scary areas and seems to love those areas that most. He made so many lifelong friends and has strengthened relationships with his siblings. We can't wait for Monday's and opportunity that we have to talk to him. We love hearing all about his week and filling him in on ours. We are so proud of Luke and so grateful for the example that he is to all of us.
Harlee- This was a year of growth for Har. She got her license and a job at the jr high school. She spent time with friends and had a great summer. She had a falling out with one of her best friends after school began in August and it was pretty tough. But to watch her stand up for herself is beautiful to see. She has made new friendships with her co-workers and has strengthened her friendships with Nicci and Miah. Har has also strengthened her friendships with her brothers and even met her dream guy Peter with Nash and Gray by her side. She has big plans for 2024 and I cannot wait to see her have amazing experiences.
Nash- This was another amazing year for Nash. He is continuing his straight A's goal. He finished his 8th grade year and is half way through his 9th. He has a great group of friends with his closest friends being Gabriel, Luke, and Costa. He has come to love basketball and as long as there is not snow on the ground, he will spend hours shooting hoops. Nash has gotten so tall and is hoping to pass Luke up by the time he comes home at the end of next year. Nash just got his permit and hopes to work on his driving skills this coming year. Nash is such a great example and brother to his siblings.
Gray- Gray is our social kid with an every growing friend group. He is always having friends over or going to hang out at friend's houses. His best pals are Sarah Sam, Luke, and Cole. He has continued to get amazing grades with only one B+ among all A's in his junior high career. He continues to be such a great brother to Tag. Often when he has his friends over, he invites Tag to hang out with them. He is big on setting goals and is great at following through. He loves to play video games and workout. Here is to another great year for Gray.
Tag- This was a great year for Tag. He finished up his fifth grade year with Mrs. Hurst and started his sixth grade year with Miss Morgan. I cannot believe that he in his last year in elementary school. Tag had a tough few weeks with some bullying but has come through stronger. Tag is a friend to everyone and loves going to school. But even more than going to school, he loves his alone time. He loves playing switch and loves when the other boys are gone and he gets to play on the gaming computer. Can't wait to see what next year brings for Tig.
Joey and I- It was a good year for both of us. We decided in early March that we were going to get healthy. We both lost quite a bit of weight and ended the year feeling fantastic. Joey is still plugging along at Teva. It was a rough year losing employees and needing to take over their jobs until they were filled. He has set up a much better team and is looking forward to getting some of his life back. I switched companies and now work for American Pacific Mortgage. The learning curve has been tough but I look forward to a much better work year next year. Joey is currently serving as an Elder's Quorum teacher and I am serving as the secretary in Young Women's. We look forward to a less stressful year next year and welcoming home our missionary.
