Well, I can't get my video to upload, so to finish, at least for today, I'm just going to put my two favorite family pictures from the trip.

The other fun things for Jacob have been that he FINALLY (according to him) got a cell phone, and is a great texter. He truly likes keeping in touch with people and sending funny messages. He is getting ready to take the written driver's test, so he can have a learner's permit, and in April, he will be able to date (we already know, as he's said, that his first date is going to be with a girl named Alyssa, whom he has liked for more than a year and with whom he has been good friends)! He is still a builder and creator, and his art work gets better and better. I'm trying to make some posters of his "robotech" style drawings. They are truly amazing and will, I think, look awesome up on his wall.

The most fun as a family that we had during this past year, was right before school started and we went down to Capitol Reef State Park, here in Utah. AMAZING place! It is beautiful in a stark, sheer mountain type of way. There are no words that can do it justice, so I'm going to put in a slide show of our adventure, and then you can also watch this little video we have of the boys.

There was a place in the park where the water was accessible and many people like to wade and jump into the deeper parts from some cliffs above. We decided it was too crowded to hang around when we first found it, and decided to come back after dinner. Good choice! We basically had the entire place to ourselves (aside from one French family that joined us briefly). The boys were just crazy and I had to hold my breath each time they jumped. But, I couldn't help but love the look on their faces as they would leap off the cliff.

This trip was especially fun and important to me, as I was going to have back surgery before school started in August. We were here in the park during July. I wouldn't be able to go hiking or climbing, or something as simple as lift anything over the weight of a jug of milk!

This has been an amazing year of change! I've barely been able to keep up. As you can see from the dates, it's been a YEAR since I've had the chance to sit down and update things--well, not exactly like I didn't have a chance, I just had so many things on my plate, it got put on the back burner. But, I wanted to send out my Christmas cards with a note that invited everyone to look at our family blog, to see more about our year. Therefore, I truly needed to re-arrange the "food" on my plate, so I could share something worth the look!

The most recent pictures I have are from a visit with my Grandma, Ethel Poulton, and from my son Jacob's Christmas concert, "Christmas at the Movies". I enjoyed both of these things so much. They truly started off the Christmas season in a way that made me start to feel the spirit of the holiday; I didn't know if I wanted to face the hustle and bustle that really starts to occur at the beginning of December. I still just enjoy seeing the lights, listening to the music everywhere I go, decorating my home, and finding ways to spend more time together as a family, to learn about the real meaning of the day we celebrate. I've been trying so hard to help my family find more ways to "de-commercialize" Christmas. I love the giving and sharing, and love the chance to do both. But, even more than that, I love the calm in a house when everyone is asleep, and it's dark everywhere except for the blinking of the Christmas tree. It's peaceful, and helps me to think about the Savior's birth and the eternalness of his teachings and gifts, like the "evergreen" Christmas tree. I can think of my family--mainly the boys and feel the love they bring into my life. And, on a lighter note, if it's snowing outside and I have my soft bathrobe on with a cup of rasberry hot chocolate--it's a bonus!!

I just LOVE this picture. It's going to be a real treasure for me.

Jacob has really come "out of himself" this year. He started 10th grade at Springville High School and has been loving every minute! He joined the DECCA club and has been to a competition, tried out for the school play "The Music Man" and today "Much Ado About Nothing". He didn't get a part in "The Music Man" but we'll see how it goes for "Much..." The monologue he used was from "A Midsummer Night's Dream". And, he got to go to the state championship game because he'd had perfect attendance. So, he's been running around and busy, but we've been proud of him for keeping up on his homework. I was also able to talk him into joining the all men's choir, because I've felt as his voice has been changing and he has been singing more of the hymns at church, that he has a real talent there. It just needs a little refining. So, he did, and has been enjoying that, too. Especially this Christmas concert. He practiced like crazy with everyone and even helped with the scenery.

The concert is a fund raising event for the high school. Each year, they have parents who are willing to help, decorate a table. Then, those who have purchased tickets can attend the event and are served dinner while listening to the concert. Jacob didn't serve our table, but looked like he was being polite from a distance! I had fun decorating one of the tables, but I had even more fun eating a nice dinner (that I didn't have to clean up) and watching my son seem to just come "alive" as he sang. Hopefully I'll be able to post some of the video when I get it from the DVD. No one was allowed to film during the concert. I should also be able to post some of his fall concert video, too, once I've gotten it.