Dear Friends and Family:

 

We started out 2007 with the whole family together! With our growing (and aging family) that is no easy feat. Schedules and distance make it harder and harder to find us all in one place.  NANA and POP-POP joined mine and ANNIE'S families for a

special Christmas season, and my brother drove over from Vegas for New Year's. It would be nice to celebrate every year like that with everyone gathered from around the country in one spot.  It was a great way to start, what turned out to be a great year filled with family get-togethers and wonderful memories.

 

JOHNSON'S: Well this was an eventful year for Amy and her family. At Christmas we received a package containing a bib with a note saying there was a baby due in July! We were of course overjoyed at the prospect of another grandchild. Unfortunately, when the dust cleared we realized the timing of this new little one was right when Joe was scheduled to take his California Bar exam! In fact the very week of it! After having had to endure a c-section with Heidi (who was breech) she wanted a better experience for the next birth--so plans were made for a mid-wife assisted home birth. Lucky for grandma and grandpa Boyer we had all the accommodations to make that possible. It was an exciting event to welcome Nora Elena on Friday, July 13th. It was an amazing experience for all of us. Grandpa remained out in the living room (dozing), while grandma and Karen assisted Amy and Joe with the labor and birth! Heidi is adjusting to the idea of being the big sister, and loves her "cute, chubby baby". Amy has continued in her Relief Society church assignment as 2nd counselor over Enrichment. In fact she was over a large activity the night she went into labor. Joe has graduated law school and is pursuing his MBA program, while teaching Church Sunday School. Heidi (3) is just the best and liveliest granddaughter! She loves to "dress-up", play make believe, story time with grandpa, trampoline jumping, cooking, singing and early-bird movie time with Grammy and Grumpa. We have been to quite a few together where we enjoy the big box of popcorn, soda and some candy--with a side visit to McDonald's on the way home. As usual life is never static and they are in the midst of moving during this holiday season to Dana Point, CA. Sad for us to not have them so close. I know it could be worse, I mean an hour isn't terribly far...but we have gotten spoiled by having them just down the street however, so this will be an adjustment.

 

BRIAN (24): His life is school and studying. Or at least that's how it seems! Every time we call he's studying ferociously for one exam or another. We know it's true because he earned a full scholarship whiles taking Organic Chemistry and other intense studies. He manages to skateboard still and that makes him happy and he has good friends who he rooms with and that have helped round out his activities. For my birthday he agreed this year to keep a BLOG, and so far he has faithfully updated it weekly. It is fun to see what his routines are as he is so far from us up there in Provo, UT. Now if he could just find a cute girl to settle down with--life would be perfect!

 

KAREN (21): Life is definitely busier for this already busy girl. She was accepted into the Brigham Young University nursing school this fall, where she will earn a bachelor degree, as well, in the next two years of the course. She has had fun learning about what makes us "tick" and the practical application of giving shots, blood pressure, and physical histories, etc. Clinical's start at 5:30 in the morning, so she has long days and nights! She has no room on her schedule for ice skating and dance classes anymore, but she is enjoying "needling" everyone! She started out her practical application this summer by assisting her big sister with her labor and delivery, and she was so wonderfully sweet, comforting and assuring that I have no doubts of her ability to be an excellent nurse.

 

LAURA (18): Yep!  you read that right...our "baby' is eighteen years old! We have enjoyed having her home with us just to ourselves. She is busily finishing up her senior year before she flies the coop come next fall. She got a taste of a little independence by spending spring semester rooming with Karen up in Utah. She had a great time with Karen and Brian, learned what it was like to have roommates, and church assignments and interacting in the whole "college life". She of course meshed well with it and is looking forward to repeating it when she goes up to study for dental hygienist. After getting home from that she was off to Sacramento, and then to the Dominican Republic with Kelsey and family. She loves the traveling life! Her travels interfered with her first glimpse of her new niece, but she has made up for it with lots of cuddling time since. She finished off her last year of girl's camp as a youth leader, and is now completing her Young Women's medallion requirements. She traveled with mom to New York where we spent the month of November helping out with Nana and Pop-pop after his recent surgery. Her best asset’s are her abilities to organize and to stay focused, which she put to good use as she worked on the house there and got it all ship-shape. New York City "captures" her, and although we didn't get to "vacation" there, she enjoyed the runs into  Manhattan for dinner's and rice pudding with my good friends Joanne and Becky!

 

KEN and LINDA (Married 28 years): hmmm; well one of us hit the BIG 5-0! And we decided to make it a joyous occasion by celebrating with the buddies he grew up with; Phil, Dave, and Kevin (from all the "weekend for male bonding" escapades). The event took place in  PUNTA MITA MEXICO, and it was glorious! The time was spent eating at our own private restaurant alongside our private beach, and searching out the best taco eateries in Puerto Vallarta. I think we should spend the next 50 years in the same pursuits, with the same great friends!   Ken's offices keep expanding (literally) and after 2 years of trying to get a contractor, work began on our La Verne office! It is nearly completed and we are finally seeing the fruits under all the dust and debris!  He was recently released as the 16 year old Sunday School teacher, but continues to serve as ward Emergency Preparadness leader.  And mostly he is Linda's man "Friday".  Literally, he comes and does scripture mastery with her class every Friday!  He has enjoyed being a grandpa, it makes him happy like nothing else can.  So Linda was really enjoying life...lots of time to internet search, hang with the grandbabies, etc after being in the Stake Young women's org. for 4 years.  But right off the bat came a teaching assignment for Relief Society.  In retrospect I should have enjoyed the time more.  In early August I got an assignment to serve as the Early Morning Seminary teacher!  YIKES!  I start my day at 4:30 AM, shower,dress, have personal prayer and scripture study, and out the door by 5:30 to prep the classroom and go over lesson--greet the students at 6:30!  I love the students, they are amazingly bright, charming and respectful.  They are scholarly and attentive, which really surprised me for the early hour we are engaged in the Old Testament!  So, pretty much my life is dominated by this right now through the end of May.  Luckily we get away to Maui and have great family time there, we've made our usual beach trips weekly, and more than anything else spending time with those granddaughter's is the best ever.

 

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."  ~Burton Hillis.            

 

I couldn't have said it better!  May you all enjoy the companionship of those you love at this Christmas season and throughout the coming months.  MERRY CHRISTMAS AND a JOYOUS NEW YEAR.

 

Love, the Boyer's