The kids had a great time decorating the Christmas tree this year and since I couldn't get us all together, they got to star in the Christmas cards this year! I don't know how professional photographers get such great kid shots.. they must have WAY more time and patience than I do!
Merry Christmas! We had a pretty great year in 2011 and even managed a few camping trips to Fish Lake, UT this summer and fall. We are truly grateful for the many blessings we received this year and for the experiences in which the lessons were learned.
We welcomed a new addition to our family (see Trish's and Colt's sections below) in November. Brandon and Trish thought their family was just right, but Heavenly Father had other plans for us! We think He must have decided it was now or never, so.. we got now! As a result, we realigned a few of our plans and it has been a great experience for us. We are so happy to have Colt with us. We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present than this little angel.
We have enjoyed living in South Jordan again this year and the children enjoy a special relationship with their Great Grandma few are blessed to have. Each has learned service to others in helping Great Grandma out and in being companions for her (sometimes a little too much company..) Grandma is a great help to our family and we are fortunate to have her with us this holiday season.
Brandon has enjoyed outfitting the Trailblazer for offroading this past year and then of course, trying it out in between running our household like a well-oiled machine. He was able to take it to Fish Lake this summer and up over Hi-Top and to Crater Lake on some pretty mean trails. In addition he has been documenting his progress with photos (see, scrapbooking is for everyone!) and was excited to have one of his photos featured in the Trailvoy.com 2012 calendar. (Trailvoy is a website for Trailblazer and Envoy offroading enthusiasts.) He was able to finally go coyote hunting this past fall with his best friend, Drew - a trip two years in the making. He continues to hone his mad skillz as a marksman and all of the kids enjoy it when Dad takes them out.
Trisha will celebrate 12 years this January at VECC as a 911 Fire Dispatcher, a job as enjoyable as it is demanding. She continues to enjoy her Close To My Heart scrapbooking business and was able to take some time off from classes this past summer and fall as her pregnancy with Colt progressed. Who can be disappointed in a job you love with flexible hours? The pregnancy was a crazy surprise this spring and we celebrated by breaking the news on April Fool's Day. It was great hearing the different reactions of our "joke" on us. The summer was long and the hottest on record she can ever recall and was a completely new experience as the other pregnancies were on a schedule like clockwork from late Summer to Spring where this one was completely opposite. The surgery went well but recovery was slower and she needed some oxygen for the first two days due to a reaction to pain medicine. She also enjoys a calling at church as a Visiting Teaching Supervisor and has loved getting to know the other ladies in the neighborhood she serves.
Brook has loved being in the third grade this year and has really enjoyed learning cursive and keyboarding. She continues to love drawing and all things art as well as starting to listen to her own music, relishing her own space (no boys allowed) and has started to like reading (yes!) Being the only princess is tough sometimes, but she manages. Despite being the resident royalty, Mom finally consented to cutting her hair (like, OFF-take a deep breath, Mom) in order to appease Brook's tomboy tendencies (and make Dad's mornings easier). She really hoped Colt would be a girl, but alas, she must suffer alone and has decided to keep him and is a great help! Her best neighbor friend moved away this fall and she hopes some girl, er..kids her age move in soon.
Aidan started kindergarten this year after a great time in Miss Crystal's Preschool. He still loves learning and has found two great friends in the neighborhood from his class. He loves being in the big kids' school with his sister and has begun reading. His favorite game at night (second to Mario Kart) is to pick out the sight words from the scrolling ticker while Dad and Mom watch the news. He also has made a self-appointed study in debate this year. We're hoping he takes this in a constructive direction and may some day make a great lawyer.
Garrett has had a great year to grow and develop from the baby into a toddler. We can't believe how much he is talking now from a year ago and how fast he picks up new concepts. He is so curious and adventurous and is never afraid to try anything new. It doesn't hurt that he has some great footsteps to follow in and he loves copying his older brother and sister. In fact, he's recently taken up chemistry and started a few experiments of his own. We all learned some great new ways to work in these exacting environments and I'm sure they will be the basis for many a funny story in the future (far, far in the future.)
Colt is our newest addition and he has been a true joy for everyone. He came into our world on November the 10th a day early (due to everyone and their dog booking 11.11.11 as their delivery date two seconds before we tried) at over 9 lbs with a full head of dark hair and will be starting school next week after his first haircut. Okay, maybe he's not that big yet. Due to being born by cesarean section, he had a little fluid in his lungs that needed to be suctioned and took another day to adjust to breathing without oxygen. This is normal for c-section babies and he is now doing great with no lasting effects. And it certainly hasn't slowed him down. His two week checkup showed he had gained all of his birth weight back and was up another 8 oz on top of that and was in the 98th percentile for height.
We hope your holiday season is just as merry and bright and we are blessed to count you among family and friends.
Warm wishes,
The Morton Family
