Wishing all of you a wonderful and joyous 2016!

2015 was a year full of changes. In the summer, we moved into a new house. While we loved our old house and neighborhood, we are enjoying a little more space as the kids rapidly approach their teen years. We also got a new dog, named Moki, who is a husky mix. She was twice returned to the Humane Society, but has found a permanent place in our home and hearts. Our other dog, Bear, is enjoying the added company. We also have a new, pedal harp. For the past year, Maya has been ready to move up to the next harp size. Just before Christmas, we finally found the right harp for her, which should last her for many years to come.

It’s an interesting time of life for the parents. We often look at our kids, and no longer see children, but the young adults they are fast becoming. This is both humbling and frightening. While they are great kids, it’s scary to think that high school and college are just around the corner.

Maya and Cameron are currently in the sixth grade, and are enjoying a diverse set of activities. Maya took drama last spring (Fiddler on the Roof), participated in her last year of Girls on the Run, tried speed skating in the summer, and continued with her Etsy sewing business, Maya’s Makings. In middle school, she is enjoying Greek mythology, volleyball and basketball. Sadly, she recently broke her ankle at school, ending her basketball season for this year. She is an avid reader that her brother describes as a “devourer of literature.” After being inspired by Project Runway Junior, Maya, with some help from Jayne, sewed her first dress after Christmas, so perhaps we have a little fashionista in the making.

Cameron continues to be involved with scouts and volleyball, and has tried his hand at a number of activities, including track, parkour, trapeze, beekeeping (not at home) and sushi making. He also opened his own Etsy shop, Change Chompers, selling self-designed, pocket coin holders. One of Cam’s highlights for the year was a father/son overnight getaway to Ogden, UT, where he did indoor skydiving, indoor surfing and had an outdoor via ferrata adventure.

The year was filled with a number of outdoor activities. After being turned away by bad weather on two prior attempts, Pat successfully brought the kids backpacking in Coyote Gulch, one of Southern Utah’s most amazing destinations. In the summer, Maya went to camp at Camp Tuttle, while Cameron attended scout camp at Bear Lake. We met a couple other families for a fun, adventure-filled, canyoneering weekend in Zion. Maya and Pat joined with another daughter/dad team to go backpacking in the Uinta mountains. Lastly, Cameron and Pat had a “wilderness survival” overnight trip in the Wasatch mountains, where they built a shelter using logs, branches and a tarp. Jayne wisely managed to avoid any outdoor trips that involved sleeping on the ground.

Jayne has been very busy with her web and graphic design business, and Pat is still contracting with Kaiser Permanente, working on Affordable Care Act reporting.

In other family news, Jayne’s niece, Claudie is now a college freshman at Westminster College in Salt Lake City. Pat’s sister, Cathy, eloped and got remarried in a private ceremony in Napa/Sonoma. We have yet to meet her new husband, Dan, but hope to remedy that situation in the near future. Both Jayne’s mom, Annette, and Pat’s dad, Bill, had serious health issues this past year. They are both doing well, but it’s a definite reminder of the precious time we have on this rock. One nice thing about the new house is that we’re only 1.5 miles from Annette’s house.

For those who are out of town, the new house has more room for guests. If you are in the area, we’d love to have you visit us. This year’s ski season is looking much more promising than the dismal season we had last year.

Happy New Year!
Pat, Jayne, Maya and Cameron

Click on an image below to view it larger, or scroll to see some highlights from 2015.