Tuesday, March 29, 2011

March 3011

Laurie. We have two pieces of very good news for our family. Many of you know that Nick and Rachel adopted a little girl, Alexa Laurie, who was born February 18th weighing in at 5 lbs. 15 oz. She is tiny but is doing well and they are discovering the joys of parenting. We all learned that adoption is not for the faint of heart. It is a roller-coaster ride and this time it was worth the ups and downs!
Our other great news is that Cassidy is engaged to be married to Jesse Prause. Jesse is from Peoria, Arizona and they met in their English class last fall. He has certainly won her heart. They will be married in the Portland Temple on Tuesday, May 10th with a reception to follow that evening. I know it is a little strange to be married on a Tuesday (actually, Neil and I were married on a Tuesday), but Cassidy and Jesse are anticipating an internship for him and would like it to begin as soon as possible. So May 10th is the first available date that will work, and we are happy for them. They really make a cute couple. Welcome to the family, Jesse!
We had a great Christmas with everyone except DaNeill and the girls visiting at one time or another. It is really fun to watch the interaction of adult siblings and spouses: a lot of talking, laughing, and support during trials. And grandchildren are absolutely perfect and amazing! We hope to get DaNeill and the girls here for a visit soon.
Camille is having a great junior year. McNary High put on an outstanding production of "Hairspray" in January. She had a fun part and it was amazing to see so many high school students singing and dancing on stage. She is beginning to take college entrance exams and is thinking about college applications for next fall. My baby! Yikes!
Neil and I cherish the time we have with each other and with our family members. They are grown and gone so quickly! We would love for any and all of you to come to Cassidy's wedding. Watch for her announcement coming soon!


NEWS FROM THE MISSION FIELD
The work is going good so far. The ward here is great -- sparse, but great! We have to get a 50 member average for a year so Church headquarters can start building a chapel here. And yes, it’s snowing like crazy. We’ve been helping a young couple today with the conditions and it’s been a blast so far. It’s actually been warming up for the past few days but that means there could be some snow and I don’t think it will let up till Wednesday!
I trust that all the Grandmas and Grandpas are doing well and Grandpa Lieshman especially! I sure miss them a lot and I hope they’re not snowed in.
And of course I miss you and the fam too much, too!
New Address for Drew:
Elder Drew Bodily
16 Gould St., Apt1
Colebrook, NH 03576


Melody. Aloha! We've been really busy at work. We had 5,000 at a German SAP software company conference that booked solid nearly three hotels, brought in Burt Bacharach and Sir Elton John for private concerts, and kept us running for two weeks. Most of the guests were from Germany and Belgium, but there were some from all over. I love it when I can converse a little in three different languages with three sets of customers in a row.
My friends Jerry and Jan made their last payment on the house they've been trying to sell for 3 1/2 years, now it's in our LORD's hands. They've dropped the price. It's going to be an adjustment after so long. I'll have to take up crocheting again and pull weeds around here, or maybe I can keep my apartment clean.
Confirmation came to do a short teaching format and email former Waimea intercessors who have blossomed to the mainland, so I'm doing a "weekly portion" (which is not yet weekly) and am liking it very much.
Kilauea's Pu'u O'o crater is...well, "there is lava sputtering and bubbling and all kinds of things going on...at one point (shooting) 100 feet or more (into the air)." Essentially, the floor of Pu'u O'o fell about 400 feet and cracked open on Saturday, March 6th. There has been twice the amount of micro-earthquakes in the area. This episode is different because not only is the fissure broken open, but the summit is also erupting at the same time.
Aloha pumehana ("warm aloha") for now.

Annie. Our big news is Andy and Kay are getting married on May 28th in the Bountiful Temple. Al's dad is going to seal them. Andy and Kay were up over the weekend and we had a fantastic time getting to know her better. We already love her. She's perfect for Andy. You're all invited, so please circle the date. I know most of your kids will still be in school, but it is a three-day weekend. Sidney, the fantastic, took their engagement pictures while they were down here. She did an amazing job. [Insert jumping for joy!]

Rob landed an internship with Bank of America this summer, so he, Shante and baby Jack will be in North Carolina or New Jersey for the summer. We'll miss them, but I know they could use a break.
Rachel will intern in Washington D.C. this summer for a non-profit organization that sponsors projects in Africa. She's very excited.
Will is going on Trek this year and a 50 mile hike with the young men in the ward.
Al travels too much and is trying hard to say, "No," enough to keep sane. I'm just about done with CAYMAN SUMMER, the third Michael/Leesie book.
Hope to see you all at the wedding.
Greg & Kandice. We’ve been doing great! Greg is half way through his second semester of grad school. One more year and then we will be done with grad school, just in time to start kindergarten.
Zachary has been attending preschool and loves it. He is learning lots and loves to learn new things.
Joshua had his second birthday in February. He is getting so big. He is starting to potty train which we all love. I like the idea of no diapers for awhile.
I get to stay home with the boys and enjoy their company. We love where we are and the time we get with our family.
We are looking forward to a fun filled summer. To see pictures and videos of the boys, and us, you can check out our blog at: gregandkandice.blogspot.com. We love you all and pray the Lord blesses you.


Lucy. Hi everyone! We have had a great winter; it even snowed one day for about 10 minutes. Tomorrow we’re headed to Florida to jump on a ship and cruise the Caribbean. We planned this trip last fall and it is finally here! (We will post pictures in the next WPN issue). This is our last big hurrah before Sidney graduates. She has been accepted into BYU-I and she will be going Fall/Winter track. She and I are going to take a girls trip up there in May to go to Andy's wedding in Bountiful and then we will head up to Rexburg to check out BYU-I's campus. Her major will be photography. She has been doing really well and her business is growing. Check out her work on her web-site at www.sidneyulrichphotos.blogspot.com. Carly has been playing Club Volleyball. She has tournaments every other weekend so we have been traveling around the state to those. Adri is busy dancing. She did a great job for her Christmas recital and now she is preparing for the spring show. Congratulations to Nick and Rachel! We are so happy for you. We
hope all are healthy, happy and enjoying life! We love you all!



Mom & Ramon. We’ve had some health problems the last few months. On January 3 Ramon fell and his head on a door. It gave him a concussion. We went to the doctor and he sent us to the emergency room at the hospital. They checked for bleeding in his head. He didn’t have any but is has taken a long time to recover. His cancer check up in Salt Lake went very well!
I attended the Regional Relief Society Meeting at the new BYU-Idaho center to hear Pres. Julie Beck speak. There were thousands of women there. It was outstanding.
We pray for you every day and send our love to all.


Dan. Work is busy again after a couple of slow months. We’re getting back into real estate developing. Nadya and I went to a week long workshop and now we’re looking at properties to invest in. Nadya is a straight A student taking her prerequisites for an RN degree. Danil is trying to earn money for a skateboard, and Sofia and Giselle stay busy with daily (at least) tea parties. They are very good friends. I’m rehearsing for an Easter drama. I play Peter. I’m enjoying family life with my wonderful family. God bless you all! ( (No photos of Danil this time. He doesn't like to be a photo model anymore.)











Merrily. Robert is still working although the construction business remains slow here. Kelsey recently danced with the Samoan Club at BYU-H’s Culture Night. Kaela works full time at a restaurant nearby. Victor turned 18 in February and Eliahs turned 16. Robert’s mom turned 75. We had a big party for her. Eight of her nine children came, also many of the grandchildren and at least three great-grandchildren. Solomon is busy with school, Boy Scouts, basketball (they’re playoff bound), piano, organ, and a little ukulele thrown in. Abraham’s activities include Cub Scouts, swimming, and a role in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He’s Fabian, if you know the story.
We took Solomon and Abraham skiing for their first time. We met David and Jenny’s family at White Pass near Yakima, WA. It’s a great place to learn to ski. Solomon enjoyed it but came down with a bad cold while we were there and we left a day earlier than planned. Abraham would still be on the mountain right now if it were up to him. I enjoyed watching them try something new, figure it out, and have fun.










David
. Here (briefly) is the good the bad and the ugly.
The good: Jen's book has a title, BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, and a release date, March 2012. She has been feverishly working on revisions since December. She balances that, being Primary president, and preparing for another group of Japanese exchange students coming in ten days. They're from southern Japan, far away from the epicenter of the earthquake.
David has been taking cover idea photos, at the request of Jen's publisher, but we're not sure if they will use any of his pictures. He's still working with the Teacher's Quorum in our ward (little David's age group), traveling to and from Everett to work, and basically holding the household together while Jen works on her dream. He’s been an ANGEL and the biggest support and cheerleader she could ask for.
Zach was in his school's performance of Alice in Wonderland. He did quite well as a card and a lobster. He has also completed his Bear badge and will advance in Scouts. Sabrina played middle school basketball on the JV team and David Jr. played for our church basketball team. David recently turned 15, finished driver's ed, and enjoys his learner's permit and driving whenever possible. We are all scared! Actually we look forward to him driving himself to all of his activities. We DO NOT look forward to paying for his insurance.
The whole family has enjoyed skiing this winter, Daniel thinks the backside of White Pass is his personal playground (but he's a fair-weather skier). David is crazy good on his snowboard and Zach can leave Jen in the dust or powder as the case may be. He likes to go fast. He recently skied his first black diamond. Sabrina is also very good and was having a wonderful season skiing with her best friend, however, that leads us to the bad and the ugly.
The bad: Sabrina wrecked skiing and had to be taken down via sled on a black diamond run and, yes, that was scary for both her and mom. She was on crutches for over three weeks.
The ugly: We found out last week that Sabrina actually snapped her ACL. It requires surgery and a graft from her hamstring to repair it, but they can't fix it until she's done growing because they have to go through the growth plates in her knee. For the next six months (we hope no longer) Sabrina can't play any sports that require jumping, or twisting, so no more skiing and no soccer this summer. She's being a trooper about it and we've started her in voice lessons to giver her something to do.
We are very excited for the upcoming weddings and congratulate Nick and Rachel on the addition to their family. We hope to see some or all of you at these happy events.

Nick & Rachel. AND ALEXA!




Ken. I have great news. My lease on the shop is up the end of May and I’ll be moving to another shop on 29th called Fringe. I’ve known the owners for a long time and it will be a welcome break for me to give up the owner responsibilities for a while. In the meantime, I’ve been working as much as I can and watching basketball when I can’t.
Aubrey still works for the UI Alumni Association. She’s almost finished with her second year of school. Leah went to Spokane Central CC fall quarter. She’s deciding whether she wants to continue. She’s going to spend some time with her grandparents in Selah so maybe they’ll provide some inspiration.

Amy. I’m back in school at University of Texas San Antonio finishing my accounting degree. At least I think that’s the degree I’m finishing. I’m still deciding what I want to be when I grow up. We all like San Antonio, especially the warm weather and friendly people. And living in the same state as Larry is pretty good, too.
I’m supposed to go to Spokane for a marathon in May so I’ll get to see Ken.
PS Brittany got accepted into the Art Department at BYU and she’s so excited!

Are you making summer plans? Don’t forget the WOLF-FETZNER REUNION Saturday, July 23 at the Eberle farm. It’s a potluck so bring a dish to share and serving utensils. Ham, turkey, rolls, and drinks provided. Don’t forget your swimsuit and towel (and life jackets for little ones).

Christmas 2010

From the Morrison family...






Mele Kalikimaka from Merrily & Robert
We had much to be thankful for in 2010. Here are some highlights:

We took many road trips, including two to Portland, OR for basketball tournaments early in the year. We went to Silverwood, ID and the Lewis & Clark Caverns, MT enroute to Salt Lake City, UT in August. Then we were on to Boise, ID to float the river with our cousins and hit two more water parks on the way home. That wasn’t enough for us, so we went back to Yellowstone in September. We loved it!

Kelsey moved back here in April. She saved some money and returned to BYU-Hawaii in August. She works as a tour guide and trainer at the Polynesian Cultural Center and is on track to graduate in December 2011.

We visited Lopez Island and stayed in a yurt for several days. It was the most luxurious “camping” we’ve ever done. We had fun riding the ferry, exploring the island, checking out the wildlife, and just being together.

The last road trip of 2010 was to Sacramento, CA to visit more cousins at Thanksgiving. Kaela had moved to California over the summer and returned to Seattle with us. She’s job-hunting and is considering nursing school.

When added to the usual fare of school, Scouts, church, music, and sports, these adventures topped off a busy year. Our family is our greatest treasure and we were blessed with a peaceful and prosperous year. We wish your family joy and love this Christmas and the very best in 2011.



Merry Christmas everyone! Like many of you, Christmas time is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it but mostly I cherish the opportunity to reflect on all of our many blessings, and our greatest blessing is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We have had a wonderful year and have been blessed tremendously. Once again I have recruited my three beautiful girls to help me share what the Ulrich’s have been up to this year.
Sidney: This year has been one of the best I have ever had. I’ve learned a lot and have had a lot of fun. I will be graduating in May and plan on attending college at BYU-I next fall. I will study photography. I started my photography business which is going quite well. I’ve done senior pictures, families, and even a wedding. You can view my work @ sidneyulrichphotography.blogspot.com. I actually took all the photos and designed our Christmas card. I’ll be turning 18 in January, I’m not all that excited, I kinda like being a kid! Among others we took a trip to Vegas this summer and pretty much just ate the whole time….I loved it! Merry Christmas!
Carly: This year I have been very busy between school, sports, and friends. I’m a freshman this year and started out the school year playing on the school volleyball team. I have quit tumbling for the time being and now am playing volleyball. Just recently I started playing club volleyball too. I am doing pretty well in school but I’m realizing how hard high school classes are. This year our family took a couple of trips but my favorite trip was going to Vegas this summer along with seeing all the Ulrich’s in Boise. Overall, 2010 was a great year and I hope to make 2011 even better. Merry Christmas!
Adri: This year I finally turned 12 and got out of primary. I have been having so much fun in Young Women’s. This summer was the best of all. We went to Vegas, Boise, and Lake Powell. Vegas was my favorite. We saw Mystere by Cirque Du Soleil and it was amazing. Boise was so pretty with trees everywhere you looked. It was so fun to see the Ulrich side of the family. The best part was the rodeo and all the hot cowboys! Lake Powell was super fun also, tube wars was crazy and fun! Since we went on the 4th of July we had our own fireworks show. This year I started Jazz and my recital is on Dec. 18th. I have done ballet for 7 years and switched to jazz. I am so happy I started because I love my teacher and the dance! I have made so many new and awesome friends this year. I also have some crazy teachers! All in all this year has definitely been the best.
Matt and I have kept busy keeping up with these three, running our business, and our church callings. We were able to sneak away a few times this year. In January we went on a Carribean cruise and in August we went to Alaska. Between our family trips and our little getaways we had a very fun filled year. We feel very blessed to have great families and friends and hope and pray that you are all healthy and happy. We love you all very much and hope you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
With Love~ The Ulrich’s
Matt, Lucy, Sidney, Carly & Adri