Merry Christmas to all!

So I've decided not to add too many more details to the post below. It will suffice to say that all of us got the stomach flu in one fashion or another. It was a delightful addition to our holiday but we're all better now. Thankfully!
So I've decided that I'm going to post a Merry Christmas 2008 review on my blog rather than printing it out and mailing/emailing it to everyone. I had planned to send cards/emails to all of our friends and family but illness and other factors has ended that hope. Although I did/am sending a few paper cards. So you might still get something in the mail from us, but don't hold your breath!
So here it goes. . .
We had a great Christmas this year!! Shiree's parents moved to Utah last year and this year Joe, Ashley & Marley, and Tracy, Ryan, & Emmalyn were able to join the rest of us here in Utah for a visit. This is the first time in 7 years that Shiree's entire family has been together and it was wonderful! Even with crazy snow storms and sickness all around we had a wonderful time.

Our biggest news this year is that we're expecting a baby in May 2009 and it's a GIRL!!! (We were waiting to find out before sending out the Christmas cards.) We are very excited and relieved. :)
Lance has completed another year of school and is close to finishing his coursework. We look forward to him finishing his classes this summer and getting a job. We have no idea where that will take us but we're excited for another adventure. We all enjoyed Lance's lighter class load this summer and spent a lot of time at Seven Peaks Water Park. We also took a trip to Lagoon and 2 trips to the Zoo. In his spare time Lance likes to play the guitar--he borrowed an electric one from a friend and has been enjoying that! He also likes to go for drives on his motorcycle and enjoy the beautiful mountains. He hiked Mount Timpanogoes in early fall. He was called as 2nd Counselor in the Bisphoric a few months ago and that is keeping him busy as well.
Shiree has been keeping busy with 3 very active kids and an entire house to run. She's been teaching Sunday School since March and has enjoyed that very much. She finally feels at home here and enjoys hanging out with her friends. She's been able to spend time helping in Alex's classroom and enjoys that very much. Her favorite things to do are sleep and read--but she's not able to do that as much as she'd like. Her favorite acivities this year were a trip to Salt Lake with Lance and another to Park City. She also loved having Tracy and Emmalyn visit earlier in the year and all the time spent at the park, 7-Peaks, and other fun family adventures. She loves being a mom and feels very lucky that she can stay home with the kids.
Jenny turned 7 this year and started 2nd grade. She loves to read, write, draw and color as well as play. She loves to watch movies, her favorite is Kung-fu Panda. She loves spring & winter and loves swinging on the tree swing outside as well as riding her bike. Her favorite book is Tale of Despereaux and she's excited to see the movie. She also read every Nancy Drew Notebooks book in the library as well as the Magic Treehouse series, Junie B. Jones and lots of other books. She also sings beautifully and is starting to learn to play the guitar. Her favorite thing to do is go to school. She's doing very well in her class and has lots of friends. She's a big help around the house, especially in the mornings helping Daniel stay out of trouble when mommy is still in bed. She is thrilled to have a baby sister coming into the family and will surely be a lot of help. She's excited to turn 8 and get baptized in June. We love having Jenny in our family! (That's her banana/penguin)
Alex turned 5 and started Kindergarten. He loves school so very much!! His favorite thing about school is recess (and everything else too). His favorite movies are Wall-E and Kung-Fu Panda. He loves to read and can read really well. He has too many favorite books to choose one and he also loves to work in his Spiderman, Scooby Doo and Clifford workbooks. He loves to write, draw and color and plays every chance he gets. His favorite season is summer because he loves to ride his bike, climb trees and play in the yard. He learned to ride a bike on two wheels early this summer! He is a sweet boy who is very caring and loving. He is quick to give hugs and notices when others are feeling sad and tries to help them feel better. We are so glad he is in our family and we love him very much!
Daniel turned 2 this year and is a very active little boy! He has to work hard to keep up with Alex & Jenny but he does it! He learned to ride a bike with training wheels and a three-wheeled scooter this summer. He's amazingly fast for a two year old on his bike/scooter and can climb and jump high enough to scare his mommy. His favorite movie is Wall-E. His favorite books are Thomas the Tank Engine books and he also likes any lift the flap books. His favorite thing to do is play with rocket ships and he loves anything with wings or wheels. He is a sweet little boy who keeps us on our toes. He's learning the alphabet and his numbers and colors and he loves to do his "homework" with Jenny & Alex. He loves to see be able to see the Provo Temple from our upstairs window and points out the Angel Moroni statue every time we drive by. He's a joy to have around and brings a lot of energy to our family!
We are thankful for this season that we've had to remember the life of the Savior and we are thankful for His exampel and love and the blessings of peace that we have because of the gift of Jesus Christ. We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that 2009 brings you much joy and happiness.
Love,
The Domes