Christmas Newsletter 2011

Happy Holidays, from the Utah Merricks!

Press Caroling for a virtual (audio only) caroling from us to you!

Here I will highlight our family events in 2011.  I will post a little about each person's highlights under their own label.  You can find the labels (their names) to the right of the family picture, in the grey.  It's a little hard to see.  If you left click once on any picture, you can see a slide show of all the pictures on that post.

January: Christopher came home from serving an honorable 2-year mission in Australia.
February: Our neighborhood experienced 6 small (2.8) and shallow (1/4 mi. deep) earthquakes.  We got to the point we felt left out if we missed one.
March: Chanelle was in several Ballroom Dance competitions, got braces put on her teeth, and Aiden was in his first musical, Once Upon A Mattress, Jr. Also, we had a German exchange student, Martin, stay with us for 3 weeks.
April: Rick moved home, as work in California ended. Jordan was baptized! Heidi & Ryan and their girls Abby and Brooke spent the day before Easter with us, hunting tons of eggs and organizing all the findings.
May: Skyped with Ryan for Mother's Day and Rick took Aiden and Jordan on a Father/Son camp out.  Jordan proudly brought home the fish he caught.  Jonah took his girlfriend Whitney to Prom. The icy blue clothing looked fantastic with their coloring!
June: Jacob fell out of a first- story window stark naked into some bushes, but only got a couple of scratches. First thing he said the next morning was, "Remember the time when I fell out of a window?"
July: Jonah got his certification to Scuba Dive. Angela took Jordan to BSA Family Camp. Good times! -- Camping with classes to attend (or teach) and activities to do as a family.  We hiked, shot BB guns, and did a ropes course with another family.
August: A professional graphic designer friend of ours designed a brochure and business card for Rick's new business Do It Right Kitchen & Baths. Also, we have a Norwegian exchange student, Anne Lene (pronounced ah-nuh'-lei-nuh'), visited us for 3 weeks. 
September: We move across town to the south end of Saratoga Springs, down by the lake.  We love to see the lake driving home from everywhere!
October: Rick and Angela attended Woodbadge together, a BSA Advanced Leadership Training Camp. Also, Angela got to attend Time Out For Women with her friend Janice, kind of like an LDS Women's Conference put on by Deseret Book. Awesome weekend!

November: We became totally integrated into our ward! Ward and Stake Choir and 2 Cub Scout callings; substituting as Primary Teacher, Primary Chorister, and Sacrament Chorister; Jacob, Jordan, and Aiden each take their turns giving talks or prayers in Primary; Primary Sacrament Program.  Also, Thanksgiving Feast at our house with Heidi's family, and also with Christopher, Deleise (C's girlfriend), and Chiara (R's girlfriend).
December: Our family sang "Was I There" for the Ward Christmas Party, all of us gave talks in Sacrament Meeting last week about Gifts of the Spirit, and we also sang "Nativity Medley" in Sacrament. The lake is thickly iced over, and it's time to ice fish and ice skate on it!

(Keep scrolling down)

Here's a picture of Ryan and his companion in front of a castle in Ukraine. 

Again, above and to the right of the family picture you will find tags on each person. If you want to view pages about or from a certain member of our family, click on their name.

I don't know when or how often we'll be posting, but if you would like to "Follow" this blog, you will know when any of us post something new.  The viewing of this blog is by invitation only, so you won't be able to do a search to find us.

                    Merry Christmas!

Love, Rick, Angela, Christopher (22), Ryan (20), Jonah (17), Chanelle (13), Aiden (11), Jordan (8), and Jacob (4)