Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Christmas Letter 2011

As Christmas is coming nearer, I got busy and got our Christmas letter done early.  So here it is!

Another year filled with wonderful things and people begins this Christmas greeting.
Brock Patrick Gourley joined our family in March as grandchild #3. What a happy little guy he is.
Cami began Pre-K this year. Are we really old enough to have a grandchild in school? I should think not. 
Driving is Andrew's newest venture. He got his license a few weeks after his 16th birthday.
Eleven is the number of students Heidi is teaching in seminary this year. Our course of study is the Old Testament. So far so good.
Fillmore is the name Sammi now uses after her marriage in August to Jeff. What a whirlwind courtship that was! The first date was June 24th and the wedding was August 18th.
Grade 10 is where we find Andrew these days. He's a fairly good student and he loves athletics. He's just a good all-around son.
Home sweet home should be the sign hanging in the Gourley's new house. They bought a house in the Gresham area last winter and are enjoying being out of our house. We painted a lot of walls before they moved in.
Into everything would be how to explain our grandson, Adam. He's two and as curious as he is cute...and he's a real cutie!
Juicing apples this fall, was the way Heidi spent two days. Fresh apple cider. There's nothing else to compare. Canned many gallons and gave many more away.
Killing his first deer was Andrew's big news last deer hunting season. Not quite so successful this year. :(
Lake swimming brought us together with our dear friend MaryEllen this summer. The temperatures were so hot, that the lake felt so good at the end of the day. That was as close as we got to camping this summer.
May brought Sammi home from her mission in Washington. How I love to be able to text or talk to her whenever the mood strikes me. She was a fantastic missionary!
Nauvoo was the site for our youth conference. Tom and Sammi came along to help do dishes. Heidi set up the schedule for all the activities. A wonderful time together of fun and service!
Overjoyed is how we felt with getting airline tickets for cheap to attend nephew Zane's wedding in Idaho this coming January.
Princess is what Cami called niece Nicola in her wedding gown. We were able to attend her wedding last December in Idaho Falls. These grown up kids are getting expensive!
Qualifying for the sectional track meet with a jump of 5'6" was Andrew's big news in May. He struggled a lot with injuries and confidence all season, but it all came together for him at the Regional meet.
Receptions in Muscatine, IA and Gresham were a way to meet new people and reconnect with friends from our past. Roasting a pig was a good and delicious way to celebrate!
Soccer is Andrew's fall sport. He got to play a lot more this year and the team as a whole did a lot better as well. Basketball has officially begun and he's playing Varsity.
Tom is still involved in Special Olympics as well as working at the chip mill with his mom one day each week. He's quite independent.
Utah, in Provo are where Sammi and Jeff are living. He's going to school and she's working at Deseret Book/Distribution. She loves it!
Vocal Point was the concert in Nauvoo where Sammi and Jeff reconnected. We've enjoyed watching them this fall on TV in The Sing Off.
Wedding bells for Sammi and Jeff resulted in a trip to Utah to deliver wedding gifts in October for Pat and Heidi. We enjoyed General conference while we were there.
ReXburg, ID is where Erin is getting her education. She's still loving being there.
Yellowstone is a beautiful place to visit. Pat and I drove through on our way to visit the girls. It really should be enjoyed as a destination and not just a drive-through.
Zebra stripes are what Pat and Erin will be wearing over the course of the basketball season. Each year Erin says she hopes this will be her last year doing it but it pays her college expenses.

That pretty much sums up our year.  One thing we have that is so important is the constant love of our Savior.  As we celebrate his birth, we're reminded once again what a great miracle His love is.  All we have is because of Him.  We would be very ungrateful if we didn't praise Him and give Him the credit for everything in our lives.  We wish you a very happy Christmas season with you and your loved ones.  Merry Christmas!

4 comments:

Mont and Dawna said...

I love this idea for a Christmas letter---I may have to try it...I'm not so sure I can be as creative as you are but I might try it out just for fun! Oh and ps can u send/email me your mailing address so I can get a Christmas Card out to you, also Sammi's and Clare's as well if you have a sec some time that'd be great! Thx! And I love your 2011 Pleshek Family Update! You guys are great! Love and miss you all a lot!!!

Miss Erin said...

I got jipped out on this Christmas letter. X and Z? That's all I am.

Heidi said...

Erin, X and Z are two of the hardest letters and you made them easy. Thanks chicky!

Megan said...

Merry Christmas Heidi. It took me to the letter E to figure out you were doing it alphabetically. But it sounds like a beautiful year, I hope 2012 treats you just as good.