Dear Family and Friends,
Merry Christmas to you and we hope you also have a happy new year. This blog entry will substitute for our Christmas Card this year since this is easier than printing all those envelopes and sticking stamps on them. I will miss the peppermint gum on the back of the stamps though. That was always good for a few days of fresh breath.

Here is what was printed on the back of the card:

Merry Christmas! We hope this greeting finds you well and happy. It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone, but we have been blessed in many ways and have much to be grateful for.

This picture was taken in November in Island Park, Idaho where we all gathered for Thanksgiving. We rented a cabin there and were able to enjoy the clean, crisp air and the first snowfall of the season. We had a wonderful time and the trip was one of the high-lights of our year.

Our children are doing well. Brandon, 24, is entering his Senior year at BYU-I, majoring in Construction Management. Whitney, 21, is also attending college there and is majoring in Communications. McKenzie, 17, is a Senior at Todd Beamer High School and will spend the next 4 months preparing for state dance competition. Last March, her team took 1st at State and they are hoping for a repeat again this year. She was recently accepted into BYU-Utah where she plans to major in Photography. She will fly the coupe in the Fall of 2008 and Steve and I will officially be “Empty Nesters.”

Steve is in his 6th year working for the Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company and is a Seminary teacher for our church, instructing McKenzie’s age group of youth at 5:45am each week day! Melanie is in her 18th year of working 2 days a week in the Birth Center at St. Francis Hospital. At the moment, she is serving as the Enrichment Counselor in the women’s organization of our church. On December 19th we will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary. Time flies when you’re having fun!

Well, that’s a quick synopsis of our year. Many behind the scenes events have influenced our lives and strengthened our relationships, and as we ponder the birth of our Savior, we realize that our most precious gifts in life are dear friends and family. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Love,
Steve, Melanie,
Brandon, Whitney & McKenzie
2007