HUDSON turned 13 this year and shot up past his mom in both height and weight. He served as his Deacon’s Quorum president in church and stayed busy participating in the many activities, service projects, camping trips, and temple trips put on by his youth group. Hudson’s greatest passion is still video games. He is very skilled in every game he attempts and really loves being able to connect with his friends online. He has great friends that encourage him to do fun things like the McCall’s Haunted Farm each fall, occasional after school trips to Dairy Queen, an all-night lock-in at a local church, and a New Year’s Eve Party later this month. This New Year’s Eve Hudson will also be attending his first church dance! I can’t wait to hear about all the girls he dances with!
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| (9/16/23) Sweet big brother accompanied his little sister to a church hoedown! |
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| (10/28/23) A fun tradition going to McCall's with friends |
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| (10/31/23) Giving his cousin a hug before heading out with school friends to trick-or-treat in Tanoan! |
BEAU, our ever social and silly guy, finished playing cello this spring then dived right into tackle football this fall. He looked so cool suited up in his pads, helmet, and purple uniform. He played many positions for the Monzano Monarchs and impressed his parents with his dedication to the sport! Beau likes to wake up early, run to school by himself, run a couple laps, and eat free breakfast in the cafeteria. Beau is always willing to lend a helping hand around the house – he helped Mom rake leaves in the fall and helped Dad put up lights for Christmas. He totally gets into the holiday spirit and dressed up as an elf almost every day from late November until Christmas! He was the first to put presents under our tree and even bought some gifts from his school book fair using his own money. Such a sweetheart!
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| (9/27/23) All dressed out for football photos |
HANNAH finished up chess club and soccer this spring (playing for the AYSO Marshmallows). She turned eight, was baptized, and got her ears pierced! She (as well as the other kiddos) had fun over the summer attending a variety of camps and classes (like cooking, art, swimming, ballet, gym sports, big sisters and little sisters, night games, hiking, strategy games, and more). Hannah used some of the cooking skills she learned to make her dad a special Father’s Day breakfast. Hannah broke her arm this fall doing a cartwheel at recess. She hopes to start gymnastics with her sister next year when her bone heals! Poor Hannah is ending the New Year with lots of sickness. All the kiddos (except Beau) got influenza, but hers turned into pneumonia and pink eye as well! We’re hoping she feels better soon! Hannah is such a sweet girl. One special moment this year happened on a rainy day before school. I dropped the kids off, but Sofia didn’t know where to go. The kids usually play on the playground until the bell rings, but the kids had moved into the cafeteria because of the rain. I watched from a distance as Hannah found her crying sister, put her arm around her, and walked her to class. She was late to class for doing this, but she made sure her sister was comforted and safe. Hannah is such a loving, sweet big sister.
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| (09/29/23) Wearing mom's wedding dress! What a beauty! |
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| (11/14/23) Getting her first cast! |
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| (11/28) In for a cast update! |
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| (10/31/23) Trick or treating with cousins and friends - Hannah is the cutest little Ginger spice! |
SOFIA graduated from both Lambs of Grace and Waterford preschool this spring then started Kindergarten this fall. Her teachers adore her and say she’s a great little teacher to her classmates. She loves reading and writing and is a great speller. She’s constantly looking for someone to play with and especially loves puppies and stuffed animals. Sofia’s become a big Taylor Swift fan after watching the movie concert this fall. She and Hannah also saw the Lion King at Popejoy and The Wizard of Oz (one of her favorite stories!) at the Albuquerque Little Theater. Mommy loves watching her run off to school each morning with her piggy tails flying and her oversized backpack bouncing up and down. While I miss having Sofia around, it’s been fun to volunteer in her class and see her blossom!
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| (11/2/23) Lion King date! |
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| (11/13/23) Art Hub for Kids - Sofia is a wonderful artist! |
POPPY, our sweet cockapoo, got a baby brother this spring! BUDDY is full of energy, very loving, extremely curious, and a little dumb! We love him and think he makes a perfect edition to our family!
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| (11/9/2023) Two doggies in need of a haircut! |
JESSICA loved serving as the singing time leader and second counselor in primary this year. She finished up her nursing school prerequisites (Anatomy II, Pathophysiology I & II, and Developmental Psychology) and totally rocked the entrance exam with a 98%! She was shocked to get a perfect score in both biology and chemistry! Woo hoo! She was accepted into the UNM/CNM dual degree bachelor’s program and finally got her scrubs and stethoscope! She’ll be starting clinicals and fulltime school in January! This year, she really appreciated extra time with her brother Jacob’s family. We shared many fun dinners together, pedicure outings, an outing to watch Anastasia, Spring Break trips to the aquarium and planetarium, and a sleepover in our treehouse where Hannah cut her cousins bangs! Oh my! Jessica also loved being included in her mom’s monthly ladies’ lunch and canasta group. It’s so wonderful living close to family!
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| (8/23/23) Early morning dog walks are sometimes a party! |
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| (10/20/23) Halloween is mom's creative outlet! |
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| We put together these fun costumes from some thrift store finds! |
SEBASTIAN is always finding ways to make our lives more exciting! He nearly died on a kayaking trip with his buddies this spring when the water was a little too fast and furious. Luckily, he made it out alive, but boy does he have stories to tell from that trip! For Memorial Day, Sebastian planned a fun-filled camping and kayaking trip to Fenton Lake with Jessica’s parents and brother Jacob’s family. Over the summer, we hosted Sebastian’s siblings’ families for our annual cousin reunion. We did lots of fun things together including painting T-shirts, taking the train up to Santa Fe, river rafting in Taos, Top Golf for the boys, St. James Tea Room for the girls, roller skating, swimming, and a temple trip. Over the course of the visit, the moms and kids painted a big mural in our garage! Later that summer, our family drove up to Fairview, Utah to spend a week with Jessica’s side of the family at her brother Jared’s cabin. They really spoil us there with wonderful accommodations. This year included a new outdoor movie set up and side-by-side rides through the mountain side! In August, Sebastian planned a fun weekend getaway to Las Vegas where we went to our nephew’s baptism, a Katy Perry concert, and the Cirque du Soleil “O” show. We stayed in the beautiful Venetian hotel on the strip. This fall, Sebastian took the girls on a daddy-daughter campout and made breakfast for all the other campers. He also took the boys and Jessica’s dad on a father-son campout in the Sandia Mountain foothills. In October, Sebastian surprised the boys with an early Christmas gift flying with them to Seattle for a Rams-Seahawks game. Grandma Peggy planned lots of fun outings for them while they were in town including a trip to the space needle and a visit to the Chihuly museum. To end the year, he and I hosted his firm’s partners’ Christmas party. This year, we went with Trombino’s chicken parmigiana and alfredo. It was a great night! We also hosted his parents for Christmas. Some of the highlights of Christmas this year included a rainy wet day at the zoo followed by lunch and sweet rolls at the Frontier and a fun night at the River of Lights. We enjoyed a peaceful luminario driving tour through downtown Albuquerque and a couple graveyards. We all enjoyed our secret Santa shopping trip and gift giving. We hosted a tasty dinner (brisket, potatoes, roasted vegetables, and rainbow Jello) and my parents had us over for a delicious dinner as well (chicken marsala, mashed potatoes, green beans, and chocolate cake!) Today, we took the train to Santa Fe, had lunch, and strolled through the many cool shops. I always enjoy games and movies at home.
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| (7/2/23) Games upstairs! |
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(7/10/23) Calvin is so impressive at Main Event!
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| (7/11/23) Baptisms at the temple |
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| (8/4/23) Outside our gorgeous hotel! |
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| Waiting to see Katy Perry! |
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| (8/26/2023) The girls really enjoyed the daddy-daughter campout! |
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| (9/8/23) The Chihuly museum! |
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| (9/10/23) Their first NFL game! |
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| (10/7/23) Yearly tradition of chasing the balloons! |
Wow! What a busy, full, joyful year! Here’s hoping for many more to come! We are grateful to have the gospel and the peace and joy our Savior offers us.
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