Dear Friends & Family - Merry Christmas!! December 2012
This has been a very busy and wonderful year for us. We are so thankful, so blessed looking back at the year.
Jeff is still working at T-Mobile in Human Resources. Jeff was able to participate on one of the worship teams at church and he continues to volunteer on a college scholarship program for families who serve as missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship, which he really enjoys. This spring he also committed to serving in Jacob’s new Boy Scout Troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster. They are having a lot of fun together.
Sheri has been very busy as well. She participated in some great bible studies as a Small Group Facilitator and participant when she was able to rejoin this spring. Sheri is still working with Jacob’s previous Cub Scout Pack as the treasurer, secretary and advancement chair. She really enjoys this work and the wonderful people in the Pack Committee. The Pack has 41 boys which keep her pretty busy and it is a wonderful chance to get out of the house each week as well.
Jacob is doing awesome. He turned 11 this year and is in 6th grade now, Middle School! At the end of 5th grade they had a really fun 3 day camp-out with the entire 5th grade to celebrate the end of elementary school. He still plans to become a paleontologist and is enjoying his new classes and having a schedule and locker this year. He has also begun to learn to play the trumpet. He is a tenderfoot scout now in Boy Scouts. This summer he and Jeff attended Scout Camp on the Oregon Coast with his troop. They were able to do so much, including sleeping on the beach. They've had several other local camp-outs, 2 court of honors and many service projects.
Camryn has had a great year as well; she turned 7 and is now in 2nd grade and she is enjoying the new class so much as she has our favorite teacher this year. She would still like to be a marine biologist when she grows up and work with Shamu and the river otters. This spring she played on a soccer team and had such a wonderful time. She also joined Girl Scouts at the beginning of the year as a Daisy and this summer she advanced to a Brownie. It is a fun little group and they get to do so many interesting things.
Bailey has grown so much; it is amazing she is 5 now and began Kindergarten this fall. She loves singing in music class and learning to read the most. She too still wants to work at Sea World, in the Sea Lion show; it is fun for the girls to bond over their common interest. Jacob, Camryn and Bailey have all been in swim lessons quite a bit still and are learning so much. She also joined Girl Scouts this fall and is a Daisy. All the girls have a good time as Sheri also helps as Cookie Mom and treasurer for the Troop. Just days before Kindergarten Bailey also got glasses after her annual eye exam, she has been amazing in adjusting to the new eye wear.
Isaac is doing amazing! He has grown so much this year, it is unbelievable. It took several months, a few more than we expected for him to adjust at church, but by spring this year he loved going to the nursery on Sundays and his class during bible study. He enjoys going so much he asks several times a week if it is bible study day. He is really looking forward to returning after Christmas break. In May he turned 2 and had a fun Mater party. He talks so much and was the fastest potty trainer in the family, whoo hoo! He also loves to sing and dance, play with cars and listen to stories. This spring when the kids’ school had a walk-a-thon he walked 2.5 miles and still talks about doing it next time.
We had a lot of fun trips and visits this year as well. Jeff’s parents were here for several days around Camryn’s birthday and went to the zoo to celebrate with us. Sheri had a weekend in Boise with friends to attend the Beth Moore Conference. In Jun we had a great trip to Denver to see our friends and family for a few days, then to San Antonio and area for a cousin’s wedding and a Trotter family reunion. We had a great time seeing so many loved ones. During the trip we had the opportunity to visit the Colorado National Monument, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Place, and Carlsbad Caverns, as well as a night in Roswell NM and Sea World! In Jul while the guys were in Oregon at camp, the girls and Isaac were able to go to South Dakota to visit family for several days; we always have a lot of fun in the Black Hills. At the end of Jul we all made a trip to Lander Wy to see Jeff’s family, it is so relaxing to visit with them. Then in Oct we had Sheri’s dad and stepmom for a visit here while they were taking the last of their things to their new home in Texas.
The kids love Halloween and enjoyed picking costumes; this year it was Jacob as Jango Fett, Camryn as Cleopatra, Bailey as Merida and Isaac as Spiderman. We also had fun going to the corn maze, everyone enjoyed finding our way and picking out pumpkins.
We are really looking forward to Christmas this year and seeing lots of family as we brave the roads and head out for Wyoming and Denver. We wish you all a wonderful Christmas while celebrating our savior Jesus’ birthday.
Love, Jeff, Sheri, Jacob, Camryn, Bailey & Isaac
Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas
