I thought I just sent these out! Boy if you’re not quick you might miss a whole year in a blink…where do we being to start counting all of our bounty? For one I have loved being home caring for my children. It would be such a heartache to have missed so many special times! We have so enjoyed our homeschool experience. We have grown closer and more loving in the association we have been afforded. This is our second year, and it is proving to be even better than the first.

This November we took a cruise to Mexico. Ken and Taylor had some continuing education they needed to complete, and before you know it, not only were the wives invited, but all of the family too! Brian was especially thrilled to have so many “buddies” on board (the Bladh’s have 5 boys). And we got such a kick out of Cheryl’s mom GeriAnne. She was the only adult brave enough to go parasailing! The weather was perfect. We left the port of San Pedro in Los Angeles, into 80 degree waters. Ken got to do some scuba diving, while the rest of us snorkeled along the surface (trust me when I say tropical fish love hash browns and chocolate milk). The country of Mexico is so beautiful, and their beaches and warm waters are the high point.

But if anything makes us count our blessings and give thanks for the circumstances that we find ourselves, it is to witness the abject poverty and poor conditions that so many of these beautiful Latin people live under. The little children just barely walking and talking selling “chicle” (gum) to all the tourists for a peso. The family homes crowded together and of poor quality. This was a good experience for my children. A lesson in gratitude and compassion.

Amy (15) is now 2 inches taller than her mom. It’s a little disconcerting for the first time to not to be able to look over your child’s head! She keeps up a busy pace playing the piano, adding guitar (self-taught), and working in her dad’s office three days a week. She has accelerated her studies and has her junior year requirements started. She’s up early for early morning seminary (6:00 AM), and functions as the president of her Mia-Maid church class.

Brian (13) only had on incident with the emergency room this year, and leading a pretty average life. His attempts at being the family jokester get him into trouble all the time. He continues to nurture his love for amphibians (he added another tree frog to his collection). And still hammers away at his “horrible” piano lessons. He just received his “LIFE” scout award and is now edging towards his “EAGLE”. He serves as the senior patrol leader of the troop, and first counselor in the Deacon’s Quorum. He still plays an active role at WK magazine, where he has a continuing comic feature and is a regular contributing columnist. Video games are still a big part of his daily life, and he uses his skills to contribute his “secrets” learned to a column also. Oh! And he still spends all of his free time (and not so free time) drawing, drawing, drawing!

Karen (10) has had an eventful year. She started off with scarlet fever, then got chicken pox. She had a horrible case and then passed it on to Amy (Amy’s second time!) and Laura. Because of her bout with “spots” she missed being able to play in the all-star softball finals. But she had lots of fun with her friend Taylor, who unhappily moved to Texas this year, and who is greatly missed. She is taking piano lessons, Achievement Days and is busy with her little service club with her friends. She is steadily progressing in her schoolwork and happily finishes all her assignments.

Laura (7) has successfully pulled two teeth out this year and is steadily working on her third! She keeps us sooo busy whith her endless energy. She is reading really well and finally “gotten it” when it comes to school work. She has taught herself to play piano, and even composed a piece! She then proceeded to enter herself into a talent contest on the cruise. I wish we all could have the self-confidence Laura has, it never entered her mind that maybe she couldn’t do this! We all got a great laugh when as we left for customs, half the boat knew Laura’s name and said goodbye. When we asked how they knew her, she replied “oh, they’re my friends” ( and we bet that’s true) Our neighbors are used to her regular visits. One woman came down to thank us for the visits. Un-beknownst to us she had undergone cancer treatment, and said she felt that some days the only bright spot was her little “angel messenger”. This so typifies Laura. She makes friends wherever she goes.

Ken keeps busy with his expanding eye care practice. They just passed the pharmaceutical law her in California so he has been finishing off the requirements to get that license. What-ever other free-time he has is now spent in being the Deacon’s Quorum advisor. You know what that means….camping , hiking, and wrestling “squirrelly” adolescent boys through the scouting program. He loves every minute of it!

Linda had another big assignment change. Now she is in Relief Society homemaking (uuuggghh) Not exactly what she would have chosen. Loves her homeschool encounter, counting her blessings in her “book of abundance”, helping her brother get through some life altering experiences and traveling. We’ve traveled a lot ( a benefit of being able to take school on the road) Beach house in San Clemente, Port Hueneme, Utah, Mexico, and Sedona Arizona. She also “travels” the web. And that has been the best experience yet! Her friends and she meet in an AOL chatroom every Wednesday, and have become quite the cyber-goddesses!

The computer is a fantastic link to wonderful resources and to far away friends. We hope we can catch you there sometime soon!

MERRY CHRISTMAS
Love,
The Boyer’s

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