Christmas Letter 2008

We all have been so busy this year that I still have not had time to send out Christmas cards, so I opted to do a email, blog one this year. I hope this does not offend anyone, but please understand I am trying to simplify our lives as best as we can. We took our family photo this past Sunday the 21st right before church and I am happy to say we did it on the second take. Yeah!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS 2008

We hope at this time of year you are all doing well. We want each of you to know that we love and miss you. Our family has had a very blessed, busy year.

Here is to summing all of 2008 in a condensed version.

Doug: A father, husband, brother, son. He continues to work for Arch Chemicals and is going on his 15th year there. He loves his job and is very good at what he does. He is the Cub master for our ward. He is great and creative with the boys. He has traveled more than he cares to this past year going all over the US and Canada. He is the best father and loves his family more than anything.

Renee: A mother, wife, sister, daughter. She is enjoying being a stay at home mom, which she is never at home. She is always, taking someone here or there. She is currently the Young Women’s President of our ward and loves working with the girls. She has done a card group this past year and will continue it into next year with another group of woman. She loves to scrapbook in her spare time.

Jessica: A daughter, sister friend is 16 and is a sophomore this year. She just finished the volleyball season at school and is getting ready to start the track season. She wants to defend her current title as the fastest girl in her high school of 2500 students. She has the record in the 100, 200, and the 4x100 relay. She is on the Stake Youth Committee and enjoys socializing with her friends when she has the time. She is sixteen now, but not in a hurry to get her license, as much as her parents are. She likes that she can date now too.

Hunter: A son, brother, friend is 13 and an 8th grader this year. He is the Deacon Quorums president. He has grown in the past two months so fast that we have had to buy him two pairs of shoes and more jeans. He played defensive back on his 8th grade football team. They made it all the way to the playoffs. Hunter missed out on the last three games, due to his knee. (He had surgery on it last year.) But all is well and he can play sports again soon. He loves football, football, and can I just say football. He follows in his father’s footsteps and loves ASU.

Spencer: A son, brother, friend is 9 years old and in 4th grade. He decided not to play football this year, but regretted the decision. He is excited to start baseball. He is very smart in school and is in the gifted program. He loves playing any kind of game and does not really play with toys, just games. He started piano lessons a few months back and doing great. He will be playing “Away in a manger” for our Christmas Eve. Spencer loves the Oregon Ducks, but also ASU. His dad is sad about this, but Spencer loves the fact that he was born in another state then the rest of his family.

Taylor: A daughter, sister, friend is 8 years old and is in 3rd grade. She decided not to take dance this year. She started achievement days and gets really upset if she has to miss. She had the chicken pox this year. She was baptized in April by her dad. She also started piano lessons and loves it. She will play the song “Up on the house top” for our Christmas Eve.

We also enjoyed several family vacations this year. We hope to be able to come home to AZ next summer for a few weeks over the 4th of July. We are so thankful for each one of you in our lives and especially our brother, Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Doug, Renee, Jessica, Hunter, Spencer & Taylor Udall