This has been a busy and eventful year, and in an effort to simplify and reduce stress, I have chosen not to send Christmas cards this year. Here are some of the big events of this year, plenty of pictures, and a little summary of what each of us is up to:
In February Ruby Jennine Tanner joined our family. She was born by emergency c-section and had aspirated meconium into her lungs, so she spent two and a half days in the NICU. Fortunately, she recovered quickly and has been healthy. We were grateful that Ryan’s parents could come to help us. It would have been a crisis without them!
For Spring break, we drove to Washington, D.C. to visit Ryan’s sister and parents. We went to a few museums and enjoyed visiting with family. The kids’ favorite part was spending time with cousins.
We went on a two-night camping trip at Vogel State Park in July. Kevin, Heidi, and Ann Marie played in the creek for hours. We saw black bears. We hiked to the highest mountain in Georgia. It rained for at least half of the time we were there, so we cooked and dismantled our campsite in the rain. With the help of some tarps, Ryan was able to keep the inside of the tent fairly dry. It was a fun memory.
We were sad to learn that my grandfather, Derald Glenn, had passed away on July 31st, after struggling with dementia for several years. Ruby and I were blessed to be able to attend the funeral in Idaho. I enjoyed introducing Ruby to everyone in my family. The funeral was a very fitting tribute to Grandpa, with plenty of beautiful music. We continue to pray for Grandma Great.
In October, we survived Hurricane Michael. The hurricane brought in a new family member: a calico kitten named Thistle. She meowed outside our door for a few nights, including the night the tropical storm hit. Then one morning she took refuge under the hood of our van, and after Ryan fished her out we decided to keep her. It feels like Thistle was supposed to be part of our family. She is a nice cat.
Kevin has enjoyed cub scouts this year. He won first place for his den at the pinewood derby and earned his wolf badge. He has made a lot of progress on the piano this year and has been working hard at swimming lessons. He makes cool and funny comics about an imaginary planet named Techaa. He also finished reading the Harry Potter series this year.
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| Kevin mostly made this cake by himself for Father's Day. |
One of Heidi’s big accomplishments this year was learning to ride a bike. In June she lost her first tooth. She is also a voracious reader and has been learning to swim. She started taking piano lessons in June and is doing a great job! Heidi and Ann Marie have great imaginations and come up with creative games together every day.
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| That time the kids told me they were playing Pioneers, and I assumed they were going to go hike around the backyard. Instead they were washing all their clothes by hand. |
Ruby has been such a joy. Her smile makes everyone’s day better. She’s crawling everywhere and pulling up to stand. Her favorite games are clapping, playing peekaboo, and shaking her head. She's had a beautiful head full of dark hair ever since she was born.
I (Marcelaine) keep busy taking care of the family. In the beginning of the year, I served as ward choir director at church, and in September I was asked to play the piano for choir instead, which I really enjoy. The Christmas season is an especially meaningful time to be ward choir pianist as we prepare for the Christmas program. I’m still a temple and family history consultant. I’ve been writing posts for the Facebook page, Evans Georgia Family History Center, and helping people at the family history center with their genealogy. I’ve read many good books this year. I started an Instagram account (@my_library_bag) to share children’s books that the kids and I have enjoyed. We had mixed results with flowers this year, but the lilies, marigolds, and zinnias were beautiful.
Ryan continues to teach at Augusta University for his third year. He teaches Physics labs, Astronomy, and a science class for Elementary Education majors. He is enjoying serving in the Elders Quorum presidency. He helped at Scout Camp in June. Ryan’s big project this year has been building a new retaining wall in our backyard. He had to pull out all the rotting railroad ties, and then he replaced them with bricks and built a second tier. The final result looks beautiful, and he’s relieved to be finished!
This year in church, the youth have focused on the theme, "There is Peace in Christ." That has become my theme this year too. It has been a year with some of the most difficult trials of my life, but I have found that when I lean on my Savior, He has supported me and given me hope. How grateful I am that because of Him I can repent, change, and look forward to the resurrection. My favorite scripture this year has been Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Love,
Marcelaine (and Ryan, Kevin, Heidi, Ann Marie, and Ruby)
