After moving and getting settled into our new (to us) home in December, Amy’s parents celebrated their 50th anniversary by taking their adult children on a cruise around the Bahamas, Jesse had a work conference in Paris (yes, that’s Paris, France!), we took a two week trip to Washington for a Hubbard Family Reunion/50th Anniversary Family Party, and managed to take a short weekend family trip to visit with Great Grandpa Hutchison. It’s been a hectic and fun year for us:
Jesse
has continued to work hard to provide for his loving family. He’s researching Alzheimer’s disease and
although he has his challenges, loves the work he is doing and hopes his career
aspirations pan out. He is continuing
his search for that coveted “senior scientist” position. He has been extremely busy with his
“honey-do” list, getting the yard in order.
When we bought this house last December, the back was nothing but
dirt. Now the house is entirely
surrounded with pavers, has a large grassy back and a full garden. He has recently finished removing the gravel
from the front yard and we now have a lawn coming in there as well! I’m glad those projects are finished so we
can start seeing him on the weekends again
Funny sidenote – if Spencer sees someone in the yard working, or hears a
leaf blower, he says, “daddy?!”.
Amy
is still keeping busy at home. She has
been patiently waiting for Jesse to stop spending money on the yard work so she
can start thinking of what to do with the interior. Her binder is full of ideas and new projects. She wonders how she can be so busy, yet still
get so little done. The house is never
quite clean, the kitchen is never closed and the laundry…well, we won’t go
there. She’s loving her calling in Nursery
(great place for snacks) and is still finding time to be a little crafty. She loves to participate in a few wholesome
recreational activities including book club, playgroup and heading up girl’s
night. She also enjoys finding a bargain
and considers her thrift store outings a bit therapeutic.
Isaac
is doing great in 2nd grade.
He loves his teacher, is always asking, “did you know?” and then telling
his mom something she didn’t know. This
year he turns 8 yrs old and is looking forward to getting baptized on New Year’s
Eve. He has started piano lessons and
has been playing baseball this fall. He
is an accomplished reader – Where the Red Fern Grows, Box Car Children Series,
Charlotte’s Web and is looking forward to reading many more.
Keltsy
is also doing really well in school. She
started Kindergarten this year and is already ahead of the standard. She’s reading and can count past 100 and
count by 2s. Her favorite question is, “mom, what does this
spell”? She is also having a lot of fun
in T-ball and is filling her afternoons playing with friends and doing
“art”. She was especially thrilled when
the lawn grew in our back yard. She
missed the green of Indiana when we moved here to Arizona and would exclaim,
“look mom, there’s grass!” whenever we would pass a patch of lawn.
Spencer
is growing into a fun two year old. He
has also grown a strong will. He is very
loving and has a few cute tricks we’ve taught him. When asked, “Who’s a cutie?” he happily
exclaims, “ME!” and when he gives kisses he says, “gross”. He is a far way off, but potty training has
been introduced recently and he successfully, but obliviously peed in the potty
(I know, you’re glad you know that).
He’s very spoiled, but very loved and a joy to have in our family.
We
are so thankful for the many, many blessings in our lives. We have continued gratitude for our family,
friends and the season that reminds us of the greatest gift of all, the gift of
our Savior Jesus Christ. We hope to live
our lives as a reflection of his love.
Merry Christmas and Love -
The Hunters
Jesse, Amy, Isaac, Keltsy, and Spencer
Posts
