Merry Christmas!!!

I came home for Christmas and I've been loving it. It's great!! Of course we have our usual fights and arguments, but we are having a blast!! I'm not sure what my mom wrote about all the kids in our Christmas letter, but I thought I'd share my stuff about each one of us:

Dad:
He's been having SO much fun renovating his old car (Ford '33??). He FINALLY got released as bishop at the end of August. It was the week after Sarah and I moved out, so everyone was confused when we came back lol. He has about 50 callings in our ward at the moment JK. But he does have a lot. Every now and then we ask him when he's going to start building our house, and he says in a couple months....It's been a couple months now for about 5 years. He'd like to finish his car first, and then he'll start on the cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms. We are really excited for him to start!!

Mom:
She's been busy, as always. She is a cubscout leader....or something like that and the ward pianist. I've heard many stories about her experiences in choir. She tends to have a little too much fun :). She has always worked hard, and she continues to do so. She is very excited about a cruise she will be going on in a couple months!! Every year, her sisters get together for a few days and just hangout! This time, they're going on a cruise....yes I am VERY jealous lol. I'm sure they really won't spend time enjoying the scenary but they will have a fun time chatting. She also loves to help the other kids in Eric and Jakie's classes. She's a great person to help out.


Sarah:
She's at BYU still, waiting for her missionary, while working. She thinks she would like to go into Elementary Education, but the last I heard, she was not a fan of it anymore. Every time I talk to her, she usually has a date that weekend or two dates the next weekend. However, she does not have any serious relationships on the horizon....that I know of. She loves being on her own and she has so much fun with her roommates. She really is a hard worker and she tries her hardest to be the best....and I admit....she's VERY close :). She is definitely a great sister. She's been there everytime I needed her. She works as a secretary on campus and she gets about $12 an hour. Quite a bit for a student secretary ;). Her boss loves her and the professors that work with her adore her. Everybody is definitely proud of her :).

ME:
Well, I've been doing alright. I moved out for the first time, and it wasn't as great as I was hoping. It's been really fun though. I went to BYU for the first semester, and I am taking next semester off. I have amazing roommates, which is so great! They are such great examples to me and I'm thankful for their examples. I'm still not sure what career I'd like to pursue...but it's gotta be fun! I have been working as a secretary at BYU just around the corner from Sarah, however, I get $8 an hour :). I have amazing people that I work with. They've helped me more than I can imagine. There aren't any boys in my life right now :) which I am just fine with at the moment. I'm hoping to get everything in my life straightened out by the 2009 fall semester.

Jenny:
She is now a JUNIOR!!! I can't believe it, she's growing up sooo fast. She of course, still loves boys....A LOT. She enjoys being with her friends and just having fun. She just started cross-stitching and she loves it! She is so pretty and such a great girl! I'm so proud of her, we all are. She's always willing to help others who need her. She loves her Child Care class. She is the best with little kids! They love her to death! She definitely goes through hard times, like all of us, but she doesn't show it. She is always so happy even when she is hurting inside. She's such a great example to me. I love talking to her about life. She is very intelligent.

Ally:
Oh my goodness....Ally Ally Ally. She's going to be a Mia Maid in May!! I still remember when she was kissing Gary Harris a long time ago! She definitely brings joy to our family. She is a great sister and friend to everyone. She loves to read and has read probably over 100 books this year ;). She definitely makes life a lot funner. She has gotten out of trouble countless times because of her humor and her personality....I'm trying to take lessons. She has a great personality, once people see it, they are shocked that such a cute girl could be so crazy :). We all love her and respect her.

Eric:
Man Eric is almost a Deacon!! He's going to get the priesthood at the beginning of May. It's been so fun watching him grow-up. When he was younger, he was definitely violent. Now he has turned into this amazing young man who wouldn't hurt a fly! He helps my mom out so much, which we are all very grateful for. He has an amazing testimony of the Gospel and I'm so proud of him. He's into the game Risk and video games. He's a great big brother to Jake and Jake looks up to him. Eric's definitely glad that Jake came along so he wouldn't be stuck with all girls :). He is so lovable. I'm thankful that I am his sister.

Jake:
Oh boy, he is one funny little kid. He got baptized right after his birthday in July and it was so great to be with him during that time in his life. He's in second grade and he isn't the biggest fan of school, but he does great. He's definitely a nerd :). He just got glasses a few months ago which does not help his nerdiness lol. He surprises all of us with the things he says. We have started to watch what comes out of our mouths. He is definitely his daddy's boy. He loves to build things and figure things out. He is a great kid.

Well that's our family from my point of view. We've had a great Christmas and a great year. We can't wait for this upcoming year when Eric receives the priesthood and Ally becomes a Mia Maid. Not to brag or anything, but my family is sooo amazing and I don't know what I'd do without them! They are all very compassionate. My mom asks us to shovel somebody's driveway, and most of us do it without complaining....I complain a little :s. I hope we all remember the importance of Christmas. It's interesting how you don't focus on Christ during Christmas unless you have gone through something hard and he has been with you throughout the whole thing. I think that is one of the reasons that we have trials...we need to always REMEMBER him and stay humble. I hope everyone stays safe and that you have an amazing Christmas and New Years with your family and loved ones. I love you and I hope you guys all stay soo great!