Christmas cards

I haven't sent out Christmas cards in a few years but Jason really wanted me to this year because we really do enjoy receiving them in the mail from others. I think I sent out about 60 cards...

and received a bit more than half that in return! Thanks everyone!

I don't think I missed anyone but I guess for those few out there that follow my blog whom did not receive a card here are the cute pics we used with Jason posing as Santa.

Dear Family and Friends,

2012 was a great year for our family with settling back into Utah life. It was a really hard decision for us to make the move back to Utah last year; we have no regrets and surprisingly don't miss Washington or our old house like we thought we would. We do however miss our many friends. But life back in Utah is good!

This year we celebrated Skylar's first birthday and enjoyed watching her learn to walk and now begin to talk. She is really sweet, loves to cuddle and do whatever big sister is doing!

Brooke celebrated her third birthday this year with a big party full of friends and family. It was a safari theme and all the kids got their faces painted as a jungle animal. Brooke was a cute giraffe and Jason got an amazing tiger face that was so realistic is scared Brooke! Brooke LOVES art and crafts (and so do I)! We are so fortunate to have a designated craft room, which Brooke is in for hours every day.

When we moved back home I had to quit my civil engineering job and decided to become a stay at home mom for a few years while the girls are young. It was a challenging transition even though I had only been working part-time in WA. Once I got the hang of it I loved it. Now I can't imagine going back to work! But I will in time. I have thoroughly enjoyed being with my girls full time and watching them learn and grow. I love watching them play so well together and I know this will blossom even more as they get older.

Jason got hired on with a wireless network company as a sales system engineer when we first moved here. He put in many long days over the last year learning the product and establishing new clients. Then Cisco Systems came calling and Jason decided Cisco offered broader opportunity for career advancement so he started with them last month. Now comes another grueling year. Interestingly, the position Jason was hired for has only one account because they are the biggest in the state - the LDS Church.

Last summer we really got the ball rolling with Utah living. One of the draws for us to move back was the camping; so last July we bought a 32' motor home. It is so nice! I feel so spoiled camping in it. We are just not tent campers and the hassle of loading and unloading a car just makes camping not worth it. But with the motor home it's so easy that although we got it mid-July we camped 20 nights during the last half of summer! Then in August Jason decided we needed a 2012 Jeep Wrangler too to complete the camping experience. We hope the girls will grow up with so many fond camping memories.

Then to finish out the year we completely renovated our backyard. We tore out half the lawn and installed a row of evergreens along the back fence along with a few other trees and many ornamental plants around the entire perimeter. We also modified the deck and installed a flagstone patio. Can't wait for next summer to watch everything bloom!

Finally in September Jason and I took a (kid-free) weeklong trip to celebrate his 40th birthday! We explored Boston, Plymouth and Cape Cod, MA and learned more about our country's history. We really enjoyed our time together, especially the lazy mornings in the B&Bs.

Love to all,
Jason, Holly, Brooke & Skylar