Here's to Another Year

Well this year has been an adventure that had lots of detours and construction zones along the way.  Yet we managed to make it to our destination.  Steve was determined to graduate this year and began submitting his resume early this spring in hopes of securing a job prior to graduation.  He happened upon an opening with a small consulting firm, Moore Good Ideas (MGI) in Clearfield, UT.  He applied and they flew him out for an interview at the beginning of May.  He received an official job offer in June and we began to make plans to move back to Utah as Steve began to frantically write his dissertation.  I staged our home and arranged for it to go on the market right before our 4th of July trip to Idaho/Utah.  After only 5 days on the market we had 2 offers and accepted one.  Therefore, my relaxing trip to Idaho became a desperate search for housing.  Meanwhile, Steve continued to write.  At this point we were hoping for an end of July graduation so a closing date of Aug 15 seemed reasonable.  To make a long story short, Steve did not graduate at the end of July so on Aug 10 the girls and I, with my family, drove off in our minivan and a Uhaul filled with our belongings leaving Steve behind.  The girls and I settled into an apartment.  Ellie started kindergarten.  We began a life in Utah while Steve was still writing in Arizona.  It was a long two months apart, but we are happy to say that Dr. Stephen Moore successfully defended on Nov. 9.  

We recently bought a house in Layton and are settling in as we enjoy the Christmas holiday.  The girls are growing at such a fast rate that I feel like my life is on fast forward.  Ellie has had a wonderful start to kindergarten and is sounding out words and becoming quite the in-quizzical thinker.  She will be starting a new kindergarten class this January since we have moved and I have no doubt she will quickly make new friends and continue to learn.  She is such an easy going, kind girl.  Lila has reached the very independent 2 stage.  Everything is, "I do it myself."  Followed by a fit, if she really cannot do it herself, which is only worsened if we  try to assist at all.  And yet she is such a fun, silly girl that you just can't stay too upset with her.  They truly are the gems in our lives!

Well, it has been a stressful year with a lot of things happening all at once, but through it all we could feel our Father in Heaven guiding and comforting us.  I have so much to be grateful for and I know at times I did not appreciate it all as much as I should have.  What a wonderful time of year to reflect on life and celebrate our Savior's birth, His life, and the fact that through Him we can strive to be better.  I am grateful for His example of kindness, gratitude, and humility.  Here's to the completion of 2011 and the hope that 2012 will be better as we strive to become more Christ like.  “There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ.” President Thomas S. Monson.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Steve, Britney, Ellie, & Lila