A Kiss from Us to You!

It is a crazy thought to imagine that it has been almost one year since our little Juddy left to serve a mission in Porto Portugal! So much has happened since then and yet it seems like it was only yesterday that we all sat at Mom and Dads the night Judd was set apart and watched as our little brother became a man. All of us have commented on the wonderful changes we have seen in him and the obstacles, challenges and successes that have made him into a great example for each of us. Since then so much has happened, Sophie kissed a boy and went to college, Rog and Jill have found life outside soccer and basketball, and Jude and Charlie can successfully explain the physiological effect of an enema. (Thank you Eric and Tyson) We thought it would be fun to point out some of the highlights of this last year while understanding that without Judd they are somewhat blemished. Grandpa Rog and Grandma Jill have gone into early hibernation... just kidding. Dad has just released his first golden label and recently made the Las Vegas Auditions of American Idol. There has been some controversy in the media because he has offered to help establish Trusts' for each of the Judges. Mom is working full time as a Home Health Nurse for an elderly couple in our neighborhood. She has also gone back to school to take some classes on computer programming and technology courses to master her skills with recent inventions. She happens to be at the top of her class. The Weichers continue to dominate the sporting world while trying to overcome the financial burden of a 1500% increase in car insurance for a 16 year old boy... compliments to Chase. Sophie has moved on to college and is learning kind rejections for the upperclassmen hitting on her. Chase and Tate are the allstars of any football program, Sadie and Sylvie continue to rule the dance floor and the newest addition of the family baby Surie has quite the waddle. My only complaint is that she still doesn't like me. For a moment they also considered a move closer to home... it is hard to be ten minutes farther away than all of us. The Tidwells are in the process of the largest home remodel ever and Grandpa Bill is counting the minutes til he gets a front row seat to watch the demolition. In addition, Sammie and Mary are the stars at any local theater and Jude continues to protect the family as a freshly trained Jedi Knight, thankyou Disneyland. Jude was also recently awarded the Most Quiet Playtime Award in Primary and asked to teach the rest of the primary what a six inch whisper means. Sammie and Mary also added the family tradition of slalom waterskiing to their checklist thanks to Dori's teaching skills... Brandon's boat driving skills,(okay, just Dori's teaching skills). The Sargents have also caught the remodel bug at their house, only the additions have taken a back seat to Cory's new career as a regular on Judge Judy. Courtney has been seeking a sleek tank top and New York Yankees cap to help him fit in. Sarah and Isaac are both doing great and we are all thrilled to have Isaac back in Salt Lake and to see him on a regular basis. Sarah has already started learning her skills as a homemaker by taking a sowing class. Hatie has recently shed her mantle as Darth Vader Junior and is now trying to get used to breathing through her nose... it has caught a few of us by surprise as we can no longer hear her coming before she sneaks up on us. The Claytons have entered a new stage in life as they have welcomed the first boy to their family, future Junior Heavyweight Contender baby Jonah, prehaps the most content child ever. Marnie is considering entering the next Olympics as a weightlifter. Annie is at Bonneville enthralled with the boys her age and Lillie started Kindergarten this year at Highland Park Elementary. Molly still can't find her belly button from the last time Tyson took it. The Olsons are also welcoming a new addition the their family with baby Henry, second in line for the Junior Heavyweight title. He is two pounds shy of being able to overpower his siblings. Charlie has also found his love for Star Wars and is happily into his second year of soccer now with Jude at his side. He scored all three goals for his team on Saturday. The two of them are also best buds in their pre-school class although both mentioned they are trying to make new friends. Mamie is the ever concerned sister while faithfully looking after her two brothers. She has also developed a new love for dance and is very concerned with looking pretty. Gretchen has just finished her travel season where she visited the grizzly bears of Denali National Park, the beaches of Tahiti, Hawaii and Fiji, climbed Mount Kilamanjaro after her 4 week safari in Africa, biking the great wall of China, (yes, the whole thing), flyfishing in Patagonia, scuba diving in Beliz, Honduras and the Bahamas and most recently her cruise vacation to Greece. While not on vacation she has tackled church responsibilities as the fourth member of the Bishopric in her ward. Tyson and Julie are in the "Anything you can do, I can do Better" stage of life. Tyson is in graduate school at the U working on a Master's of Public Health and Medical School applications, unemployed and considering a career in schooling while Julie is trying to develop patience and tolerance towards her wonderfully taxing husband while juggling teaching 1st Grade, teaching dance and of course her Master's of Education. Tyson still has headaches and so does Julie but hers are really due to Tyson...And then that leaves us with Judd, he is currently doing an awesome job as a missionary while training his new junior companion. We have all witnessed as the areas and companions Judd has served with have flourished. It has been humbling to watch as the Lord has found ways to work through him to touch the lives of the people in Portugal. We miss you Judd and although you may be miles away you are constantly in our hearts and in our prayers. The Gospel is based upon families, yes even crazy ones like ours, and we are grateful to have you as a part of our eternal family. May the Lord continue you to bless you through this next year and bring you back to us prepared to help straighten us all out. We love you!