Tha annual Christmas message

The Michael Minutes!
December 2008

Holiday Greetings to one and all!!
We hope that these greetings find you healthy and happy.
We are changing it up a bit this year as you may have noticed. I needed to get the cards out and didn’t have the letter done. We have had some real big changes. Life has been a challenge and keeps us hopping.

Alice is 16 now! She is an honor roll student still and a Junior this year. She is taking some challenging courses in school. She loves her physics class and seminary. Due to a rather big cyst in her foot soccer is out this year and more than likely next year too. Alice got her license in October and has been enjoying a bit of freedom. She is a good driver too. This summer Alice worked as a camp councilor at cub day camp. She came home absolutely dirty every day, but she had a lot of fun.

Chad is a 7th grader this year. He has been enjoying boy scouts. Chad experienced overnight camp this summer. He really kept those leaders hopping. In September Chad went on his first hike! They did an overnight camp out and then hiked to the top of Tom Dick Harry Mountain. By the time they were back to the car they had hiked 9 miles. We have had an instrument change this year too. Chad is now playing the trombone instead of the clarinet. Chad is really thinking he would like to be a middle school music teacher when he grows up.

Rachel is a fabulous 5th grader this year. Rachel is doing well in school. We started off the year using Connections Academy and schooling at home. Due to curriculum changes it just got to be too much. So the 2nd week of December Rachel began school at Beaver Acres. Rachel has decided she wants to be in the middle school band. We took her to the instrument fair in September. That is the night that the band kids try different instruments out and pick their instrument. So she tried a trumpet out to make sure she could play it. She was doing a great job right off the bat. It looks like we will have another musician on our hands. I think the biggest thing that happened in Rachel’s life this year is she has graduated from wearing braces on her arms full time. She still needs one when she sleeps to protect her wrist. This was a wonderful day for her.

Grace is our fantastic 4th grader this year. Grace was baptized in May. It was a beautiful day spent with grandparents and friends. Grace is still a strong student and schooling at home. She has been enjoying activity days at church too. Grace is still really into lions and is our little cub. She is playing the piano more and more too. She is the only one currently schooling at home. So when we are done with lessons we get to do some fun things like learning to sew and cook more.

Jillian is a far out 1st grader! As soon as those school books showed up she asked every day if we could get out the math books! She was not thrilled when we decided to send her to Beaver Acres. Once she went she came so excited and ready to go back. She loves playing with the other kids and eating lunch at school. She really enjoys her sleepovers with her BFF for life, that would be her best friend for life. I told her she watches way too much tween Disney.

Chuck and I have been just trying to keep up with this crazy family. We have been trying to focus on each other a bit more too and stay connected. It is so wonderful to say to the kids we are running away for an hour or so behave and let them be home while we run an errand and grab a sandwich or whatever.

We love you all and hope to stay in touch with everyone.
Happy Holidays one and all
The Michael’s