My Christmas Card!!!

Merry Christmas from the Votaws!!!

2008 has been a wonderful year for our family, and we are enjoying our holidays already. Here is a little update on our happenings:

Beth: Kindergarten! She is a wonderful student and quite a little leader in her class. She started the summer by informing us that she would now be known as “Betsy”. That was short lived once her swimming instructor mistook it as “Bessie”. The next alias was “Meagan” followed shortly thereafter by “Valentine”. Her beautiful personality is coming out! She loves piano and performing anything to anyone. She also earned a parakeet (Ernie) this year with points at home. I NEVER thought I would be the mother with three pets. Let alone a bird.

Kate: Preschool at Ms. Becky’s! She has become quite the socialite. And once Beth began changing her name, Kate informed us that she was no longer “Gracie”, but “Kate”. That has stuck. She is also enjoying piano and friends. Each afternoon when we drop Beth off for school she asks, “Mom, who is not asleep right now?” Life without friends is just not as fun!

Sophia: Talking! (Okay, she’s mumbling). Sophia thinks she is a big girl like her sisters. She walks around telling them (loudly) what to do. If only they could understand Chinese. Lately her language is less like Chinese and more mush (like she has a binky in her mouth – but she doesn’t). She loves babies (especially her new cousin Evelyn – to her aunt’s dismay) and kitties and horses. She is too big too fast. Okay, nursery starts this week – I guess I can’t complain about that!

Dave: Still working CI, he finally got into the Mesa office (shortening his commute by more than an hour). He decided that he is saving so much time in the car he would join the gym close by. So much for more “honey-do list” time. J He is still working as the Ward Clerk. Tithing settlement time has been crazy, but I think he is secretly having fun… We attended his 20 year HS reunion this fall. It was crazy to see old friends, but mostly to surprise people with how he has changed (much taller and much more outgoing). Humorous! We also got to attend a Police concert this year. We get to do some fun things! He took on our old wooden play set this fall; I think the play set is winning. But he definitely beat the lawn with our winter grass. I could get used to it being so green!

Kelly: Still at home trying to gain control over chaos. My vision of what my house should look like is coming on – too bad it has taken 4.5 years in this house! J I get time to quilt here and there – usually in spurts. I have loved the new babies coming into our family (extended J). I am still working as Young Women President. My bishop has informed me to not get my hopes up – I’ve just begun. I feel incredibly blessed to be serving such amazing youth. I hope I can learn something about how to raise such awesome girls.

Our whole family was able to go some wonderful places this year – Disneyland, Utah, San Clemente, Maui. David still makes comments about how he feels like a teenager being dropped off at things (with our one car), but I remind him that we are blessed to do so many awesome things with our family – I would rather vacation than have two cars! J

We are so blessed this Christmas! We continue to feel the Lord’s hand in our daily lives. We know He lives and loves us. We are so grateful for his guidance in all we do. Merry Christmas! May your family be blessed with the love of the Lord that we have felt.

The Votaws: Dave, Kelly, Beth, Kate, Sophia, Cobra Bubbles the desert tortoise, Taco Bell the Chinese fighter fish, and Ernie the parakeet