A Year In Review - 2011

• Tons of physical therapy for Heather, as she recovered from a mild stroke, effecting her right side, suffered in Dec 2010. She gained back most all that was lost by early April. The day she could drive again was joyful, as was the day her cursive came back, and the day her emotions came back (Oct) as well. It was SUPER hard work, for our whole family (as everyone helped with her exercises & therapy) and it taught us our new motto... "I can't do it... Yet!"
• Closed the doors on JWD Electric, as our mortgage company forced us into bankruptcy as we attempted to keep our home after they did their "bait and switch". We also turned in Jes' work truck.
• Heather's Realtor's license was place on in-active status for a season, by divine intervention, just before her stroke. It was perfect so she could 100% focus on recovering. She is still a licensed real estate agent, and may, at some point, reactivate her Realtor status by paying the crazy amount of dues the Assoc of Realtor's require. We shall see... time will tell.
• We turned in our camper trailer after the bankruptcy. It was hard - it was our family's escape and joy - but we are grateful for the debt relief from it.
• Tons of job applications, more than can be numbered, and any and all side jobs he can muster for Jes. In April he gained a full time job in maintenance at a local manufacturing shop. He enjoys tearing their machines apart and figuring them out and fixing them. The pay is less than desirable, but we are thankful for a steady paycheck. He still must to do electrical work to make ends meet. He was released as Elder's Quorum President in February, as the toll of taking care of Heather and looking for a job became suffocating for him. The Stake President gave him a "new calling". He told him his calling was to find a job to care for his family, and help his wife heal. He had torn emotions about it... as he loved serving the men of this ward, but the relief from the stewardship was huge.
• We spent the better part of the year uncertain if we were moving or not, and of how quickly we would have to do it - our martgage company was wicked. It was finally all said and done mid August. The bank won and took our family's home.
• We were blessed to move into a smaller rambler rental here in the neighborhood (the kids didn't have to change wards or schools) and have found great joy in our new little place. We can easily maintain it (when I say we...I mean Heather. She is LOVING feeling like she can fully be the homemaker without putting her health at risk). And we are closer as a family. It has been a blessing in disguise! This little house is perfect!
• Emmalee (14 yrs) began 8th grade. She loves choir. Misses art. Enjoys her friends. Active in Youngwomen's - loved girls camp at the new Heber Campground. Her room is decorated in Lime Green, brown, and she loves purple! Saved all her money for over 5 months, seeking any and all extra income makers she could (including babysitting and mowing grass) to earn enough to purchase an IPod Touch - 4th Generation - 32gb. She loves it! She has an amazing testimony & loves her Father in Heaven very much. Her spirit is incredibly sensitive to anything that interferes with her relationship with the Holy Ghost. She is an inspiration to all who know her. She has a very strong love language of "quality time." This year her Christmas Ornament was a purple swirly peace sign - her favorite colors, and her desire for life.
• Cody (12 yrs) began Jr High - he is in 7th grade. William (his first given name) is what he chose to go by in school this year. He finds great joy continuing his Drama classes. He also is in honors math. He struggles a little in school - but only because he doesn't always turn in his work... LOL typical 12 year old boy! He is an honor student - when his work is turned in on time - "busy work" annoys him. He has found a great joy in Scouts, and was nominated to join the "Order of the Arrow". He completed his "trial" this fall... and continues to work towards completing all that lay before him. He can be found almost always with his nose in a great fantasy fiction book... or his DS playing his Pokemon games. He is the family alarm clock and gets us all up in the morning (except Jes of course... as he is up at 4:30-5am to make it to work so he can be home around 3:30pm and have time for side jobs.) Cody has grown a mustache - ok... really dark peach fuzz - and has grown 5+ inches this year. His voice is deeper than Jes'. Heather loves that he is officially taller than her! Cody was diagnosed with Scoliosis this year - double curves - one in his upper spine and one in his lower. It is not such as yet that he needs a back brace, but we are keeping an eye on his rapid growth. Cody's love language is "physical touch" and he loves to hug those he loves, and he gives Em and I kisses on our cheeks every night before bed. His Christmas ornament this year was a pair of glass flip flops in a pretty shade of blue - his favorite color - and because we tease him that he is no respecter of shoes - if he needs a pair to go outside, he will snag whomevers is closest, girl shoe or not!
• Cameron (9 yrs) began 4th grade this year. He felt on top of the world to be able to have the same teacher he loved so much in 3rd grade. Mr. Anderson is one of the best teachers I have ever encountered. Cameron is in the top of his class. He began and enjoyed the first 3 Harry Potter books this year! We have only allowed him to watch the first two movies though - still too much for a boy his age. He would play video games all day if we let him, but once outside to play he has many friends and would stay outside all day too if we let him! Chicken Pox were an ailment he got to endure this year - he had a pox on his face that he struggled to leave alone and it is now a large pink mark (scar) which we pray will lessen with time. He also got an infection in his nail bed that destroyed his fingernail, and now as it grows out he has no nail! Cam loves to tease, joke and laugh. He loves tradition and spending quality time together, though his love language flits between "quality time", "physical touch" and "gifts". His Christmas ornament this year was a glass slice of pizza - the answer ALWAYS given when asked what to have for dinner... even if he had it for lunch! LOL
• Caleb (age 6) began 1st grade this year! (All my babies gone all day! :O) He is a math whiz!! Loves it! School is a struggle for him though in other ways: he was completely on track  and had begun reading before Heather's stroke, but after, anything to do with letters was forgotten. His kindergarten teacher did not mention much to us (she knew what was going on at home) and so when he started 1st grade we were surprised at how little he knew! He is taking extra tutoring and the letters/words are starting to come... we have NO doubt he will catch back up. All at home was too emotionally trying for him... but he is bouncing back now as our lives calm down. The boy LOVES to be outside, all creeping things are his friends... even scary black spiders. (ewww) He is passionate about weather - loves to hear the 7-day forecast and ANY show or book about it. He cannot read, and yet he checked out an encyclopedia on weather from the library and studied it front to back, asking questions when he could not figure it out from the pictures. He eats anything... and rarely complains about food. Pickles, peppers and anything his Daddy is eating is a food of choice. Caleb broke his arm this summer - in two places - and spent the better part of the summer and first few weeks of school in one of 3 casts. He dodged surgery by the skin of his teeth. Caleb tears things apart to put them back together all the time. LOVES it! He is also known to make anything from anything... his latest creation consisted of 2 tissue boxes, 3 toilet paper rolls and old dryer sheets... which, with some tape and cutting became a train engine! He can also build anything out of Lego's! He is a mini Jes to a tee! His love language is "acts of service", as he *loves* doing things for others. He also makes wonderful notes for everyone... even if we aren't sure what they say without his decipher. This year for Christmas his ornament was a beautiful shiny glass train... he loves them and can't to ride Traxx someday soon!
• Sophie, our Yorkie, is still the baby of the family. She has adjusted pretty well to our new home and loves having a fenced, grassy backyard all her own! She helped Emma and Heather, as they started Couch to 5k together this summer. They made it to week 9 together. Sophie still completely loves us all in this order: Jes 1st, Emma 2nd, everyone else last. LOL
• We have 7 chickens. Love fresh eggs. Fun to watch. The neighbor kids stand on the utility boxes on the other side of the fence near their coop to watch them... we joke we are the neighborhood zoo!
• Heather was in a car accident in Aug, a couple of weeks before she was to start school (a freshman at UVU! *gulp*) and though not hurt from the accident, she lost all the new brain pathways learned from her stroke and was thrown back to square one! It took almost 2 full weeks to have all the symptoms go away and be "back to normal" - and it was disappointing to be taken to the hospital via ambulance since the EMT's we not pleased that she could not move her right side, close her right eye, speak without a slur and smile with her whole mouth. She was allowed to go home a few hours later once they realized it was simply an "echo" from her former stroke. The 80 year old gentleman that hit her, ran a red light, and blessedly no one was really hurt. Our family car (Expedition) spent a month in the car shop and it completely restored - $7800 later. Thank heavens for insurance!! Emma and Heather stopped their 5k training post accident, and once we started the moving process, never got back to it. Looking forward to jumping back in in 2012.
• Starting school was put on hold for Heather until Spring semester, so we will be learning how to re-vamp our family routines to accommodate and support in a week or so. After this last year... as a family... we can do anything!!

We anxiously look forward to a new year... less stress... more time together... more growth... and lots more joy!!