So, my printer is out of ink and instead of going to buy a new cartridge and printing out a letter to stick in the Christmas cards, I figured this would be an easier way to sum up what we have been up to in the last year. Here we go!
ANDY: Finished up his residency at the U of U hospital in June. Hello, Real World! He is now working 3 days a week at Monarch Dental, and the other 2 days he spends playing raquetball or golf. Just kidding! He actually spends the other 2 (sometimes 3!) days working at his own practice which he just opened about a month ago. As you can tell, right now it is a lot of work, work, work for Andy, but it is exciting to finally be able to sign "Andrew Vernon, DMD" on things. When he isn't working, he is sleeping. And in the rare moments when he is neither sleeping nor working, he enjoys yelling at his beloved Jazz, yelling at his beloved Diamondbacks, or yelling at his beloved Broncos. He is also enjoying serving as the second councilor in the Elder's Quorum in our ward (where he does NOT yell at people).
SARA: Continues to hold down the fort (although occasionally the fort looks as though it has been under major attack) and cook delicious and nutrient-rich meals for her family. When not cooking or cleaning, she makes lists of things to cook or clean. She also occasionally finds time to read a book and shop for amazing bargains at her favorite discount stores (have you ever been to Bukoos?). She had fun attending her 10 year high school reunion this summer, although it makes her realize that she is MUCH older than she sometimes thinks that she is (how did 30 creep up on me like that?!?). She also loves working with the Beehives in our ward, although they keep turning 14 and moving on, which she hates.
KATIE: She sings, she dances, she loves everything princess. Katie is the typical 3-year old girl. If there is anything pink, frilly, or sparkly, she seeks after these things. She loves preschool, which she attends 3 days a week, and has become quite a nice artist, using every crayon she can find to make her pictures as colorful as possible. Her drawings are also starting to resemble the objects she says she drew, so that is nice and less likely to cause hurt feelings ("What a beautiful flower, Katie!" "That's a duck, Mom."). She has also become VERY interested in words and letters, asking endlessly, "What letter does house start with? What letter does car start with? What letter does peanut butter start with?".
MICAH: This boy is a joy to be around. He is so easy-going and sweet; he just makes everyone smile. I suppose Micah wins for the most changes this year: he learned to walk, he learned to talk (one word at a time, but it's coming along), he learned where all the tupperware is kept so he is constantly pulling it out and spreading it all over the kitchen floor until I think I am going to go mad if I have to pick up one more tupperware lid!, and he learned to pull silly faces that make us laugh and make it impossible to be mad at him, even though you just picked up all the tupperware two minutes ago and here it is, all over the floor again. He enjoys doing whatever Katie is doing, playing whatever Katie is playing with, and eating whatever Katie is eating. His future as a tag-along is bright.
As you can see, we are plugging along. We feel very blessed for all that we have been given, and we feel particularly blessed to have each other. At this time of the year, we are very thankful to have family and friends near and far, and we love each one of you. We also are incredibly grateful to our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and the love He shows to each one of us through His atoning sacrifice. It has been a bit of a challenge this year trying to teach Katie about the true meaning of Christmas, and helping her see that it isn't all presents and Santa, but it has made it more meaningful for all of us by reminding us that it really is about Christ. We hope your Christmas brings you lots of joy (and only a small amount of weight-gain!). Love, the Vernons
