Guest Blog: Christmas Letter 2013 by Bossy

It has been a definite year of change.  We have had the blessing of traveling to Texas multiple times this year.  We were prompted to go over Spring Break to meet Gamer's daughter for the first time and visit his mom.  We were so glad we did because in late June she became very ill.  Gamer was able to fly out and be with her before she passed and our entire family (including Bean Dip!) was able to fly out to her funeral.  We filed for custody of Gamer's oldest, Fajita, shortly thereafter and Gamer and I turned around and drove there and back over 5 days to go to court and pick her up.  In October Fajita was baptized and the next day at her confirmation a boundary change in our ward was announced!

Fajita jumped straight into the family and activities.  She is involved in Girl Scouts and is always one of the most helpful girls at the meetings. She made (and with my help smuggled) some copies of the Festival of Trees ornaments for her room tree.  She loves volleyball and all sports.  She is in the Nutcracker with her aunts and uncles and brother as well as teen ballet.  She loves family history.  She is working on her Young Women's medallion and recently taught me to crochet (I know Grandma would be proud.)  She is learning to love school and reading, something she never has before. She encouraged us to get a cat, a male named Tiger who gets along great with our boxer Sadie.

Bean Dip finished his Webelos award and earned his Arrow of Light.  He was just a couple of requirements away from finishing his engineer pin to earn all the pins possible. He is in 6th grade and doing better at school. He is in karate two nights a week. He is much happier and is beginning to love church. He has a strong testimony and we are prayerful his mother will allow him to be baptized.
 

Taco had a year of "firsts." He was baptized in January and played his first year of football. They made it to the semifinals and demoralized the undefeated team, but still lost.  The undefeated team went on to lose the final game. He is also in the ballet (first dance class) and learning to play the clarinet in band.

Burrito is in the Spanish dual immersion class this year and loves it.  He was cast in the school musical and should steal the show this week. He is learning so much.  He will play basketball for the first time this year too.  He is a rockstar (literally he has a killer mohawk) at church and always knows the answers.

Prior to Gamer accepting baptism we both accepted calls as Webelos leaders for our ward. Gamer is so excited to work with the youth! Gamer has had multiple job changes this year that have enabled him to take care of all our trips to Texas. The flexible jobs were a huge blessing, but he is glad to be working a normal 8 to 5 job.  He is working in a warehouse that delivers caskets all across the country.  Just today he is driving all over Utah to deliver stock to funeral homes in small towns for the holidays.  He is one English and two math classes away from his Associates degree.  And he has decided he wants to become an elementary teacher. The dual immersion program is growing and I think he will be perfect for it.  He still has his two fish tanks and loves to maintain them.

And I still work at DCFS.  It has been a difficult caseload this year and I have had some very strong learning experiences.  Prior to the ward boundary change I was serving as a family history consultant and women's sports director.  Between Fajita's and Gamer's lines we have over 100 temple ready names. Now I am happy to serve with Gamer

Sorry, guys, best pic I could find. Maybe Bossy will put some up from her Facebook page.

, although I hope they call a women's sports director soon.  I want to play basketball!  I am so grateful for my strong testimony and faith to guide my life. We have really noticed a difference and an outpouring of blessings as we have strive to do better.

Love,
Bossy