Our 2016 Changes in a Flash

Jordan and Lexi have lived with us for a year now.  We LOVE having them with us and will hopefully have them with us for yet another couple of years.  We have grown to love them very much.  We have adjusted nicely to sharing our living space and love having little Emerson running all over the place.

Jordan and Lexi are wonderful parents to our sweet Emerson - lots of fun things to do each day.

Yep!!  Lexi is expecting baby #2 - a GIRL!!!  Due in May of this year.

And speaking of Emerson - we love him.  Adore him actually.  He loves living out with us - exploring, hiking, chasing chickens and growing into quite the little man.  He loves all things MOMMY, DADDY< PAPA and even Nana will get a shout out on ocassion.  He goes to nursery at church and in just another week, he will start pre-school  and swimming lessons.  He's potty trained and  very independant.  His trademark???  That mop of curly hair!

If there's dirt, he'll find it, play in it , and eventually be covered head to toe IN it.

The Crump family had some great changes this year.  The most exciting was the building and moving in to their new home.  It is beautiful and big enough for the kids to play and finally run around outside in safety.  Kylie's photography is growing and she is busier than ever.  But she always has time to spend with her sweet family. Mike got his new 'man cave' in the new house - media room with BIG screen t.v. - and painted in his favorite Cowboy colors blue and silver.

Mike and Kylie were able to go on a cruise last month for  sweet get away.  

These three are truly the best little grandchildren ever.  And even though we don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like to, they are thought of each and every day.  Preston is in kindergarten now, Madi in pre-school and Lucy is in to everything.  They love their new house.

Cute family picture.

And here is our Kathryn.  She's now 24 and still living in Utah.  She has the same job but seems to really enjoy it.  Well, at least it brings in a good income for her.  She has 2-3 really good friends, one of which she brought home with her for Thanksgiving - Whitney.  Loved having her here.  Kathryn LOVES skyping with her nieces and nephew- misses home a lot.  It has been fun to go up to Utah to visit with her a few times.

She's so so pretty.  Loved being in Utah with her.  Did have a few medical challenges this past year with kidney stones.  After those, I doubt she'll have children.

Del and I were able to go to Arkansas last year where Del performed the wedding of our dear friend Alana to her husband Lance.  We had a wonderful few days there, along with a few other trips to Utah to see our mothers and extended family.  I love spending time with this man.

I turned 57 in January.  I'm still at Bliss Orthodontics and love my job.  I work with really good people and the company is growing in leaps and bounds.  I still play the organ at church, but have moved from pianist in Primary, to the chorister.  It is probably my favorite calling; lots of hard work, but so worth it to be with the kids.  I took a semester off from the Millennial choir, but I'm back again, with our first rehearsal starting next week.  I've loved the few trips we've taken this past year and really look forward to the trips we'll be taking THIS year.  I'm trying to not dwell on some family drama lately, but it does make my heart sad when there are issues between family members.  It has caused me a few tears over the past 4 months or so, but I'm learning to realize that I cannot solve or fix everything.  I love each of them and pray for them daily.

As mentioned before, Del is in his 5th year as the Ward Bishop.  It keeps him busy and happy.  He's also still at EMC but with a different branch working with a few different people.  He is so blessed to have this job where he is able to work from home and have the flexibility of doing many other things during the weekday.  He still loves being Papa, even though he has been severely restricted this past year in what he is able to do  and when he can be with them.  The main update on Del is his health.  Although not directly related to his MS, it is .  He was literally laid up in bed for weeks - in pain like he has never had before.  He has been in therapy for months and limited in any physical activities or movement; to the point that he has done NOTHING in the yard, garden or outside for 4 months now.  He has realized that we will not be able to do this year, what we have always been able to do in the past, as far as our garden, yard and house improvements.  This is very difficult for Del to swallow, but he's actually feeling his full 60 years that he turned in November.  He also misses the type of play he is limited to with the grand children , but they have been very patient with him and just love any time at all that they can spend with him. I am always on him to remind him of his do's and dont's now, in order to be in the minimal amount of pain.  He doesn't like that, but the fall out from 'over doing it' are so extreme for him that it's no longer worth it to be disobedient.  But that is his life now.