Happy Holidays From the Lamoreaux Family!Our 2009 Family Letter
This has been a busy and happy year for us.
Bob continued attending school at BYU-Idaho throughout the year. This semester has been his busiest by far. He is a student teacher teaching released-time seminary at Madison High School in Rexburg, and he is also completing an internship working as a junior analyst for a Venture Capital firm. He had so much fun playing competitive league football at the college, where he won the “spirit of the league” award, and had two local newspapers feature stories about him.He’s up by 4am or 5am most mornings, has scripture study & prayer with us before he leaves at 6:30, and then is gone most days until about 8pm. We’ll be happy when we get to see him more often, but we’re proud of how hard he works at everything he does. He also teaches the Gospel Doctrine Sunday school class at church each week, and does a super job with that.
I (Tasha) absolutely love being a mother and a homeschool teacher. It keeps me busy. I am currently serving as the Young Women president in our ward. It has been a wonderful experience so far. This summer I trained for a 5K race this year with my friend Katherine. We ran at night after the kids were in bed and really enjoyed huffing and puffing together. It was so nice to have someone to run with, and I finally experienced the “runner’s high” that makes you look forward to running. Aliysa joined us halfway through our training and ran the University Place 5K with us (well, to be truthful, way ahead of us) in September.
Aliysa turned 14 this year and will begin Driver’s Ed soon. Some of her highlights of the past year are: swim lessons at Green Canyon, playing soccer, helping train a horse and participating in the Great Western Horse show, beginning seminary at Rigby High, participating in gymnastics classes, and being in a wonderful Biology class. She is constantly drawing or sculpting, reading, or writing stories, most of them very humorous stories that make us laugh. She is a wonderful daughter who serves her family selflessly and is a peacemaker in our home.
Jace is 12. He is very organized and determined in life. His favorite things this year were Scout Camp (where he earned 8 merit badges), swim lessons at Green Canyon, playing Grid Kid football (with Bob as his head coach), and gymnastics. He recently won the headstand contest in his gymnastics class. He and Spencer have continued learning German from Bob Breckenridge, a retired German teacher. He will be leaving soon for a mission with his wife, and they will miss him a lot. Jace also loves to draw, read, and write stories. He is currently serving as Deacon's quorum secretary. He is a wonderful big brother, always playing football with little brothers, reading to little siblings, or taking care of Andrew and Abby. He absolutely loves to cook, and will always agree to cook meals or dessert for us anytime. He has learned to cook health food well with whole wheat & no refined sugars, and his recipes usually turn out great! Jace has a great scout leader, Brother High, who works for the Fish & Game dept, so he takes Jace’s scout troop fishing a lot. Jace has fished all summer and autumn, and he never tires of it.
Courtney is 11, but counting down the days (literally) until she turns 12. She wrote a list of all the things she gets to do when she turns 12, and she can’t wait. While she is waiting for her next birthday, she also spends a lot of time doing her favorite subject, Math. She loves to get together with her cousins for a monthly “Cousin’s club”, and she also has a book club with four of her friends where they get together monthly, discuss a book they are reading (The Secret Garden is their current book), do a fun activity and enjoy a treat together. She loves scrapbooking, crafts, gymnastics, writing stories about fairies, riding her bike, and going to Activity Days at church. She and Mallory are best friends, and Abby loves playing with them in all their pretend & dress up adventures. Courtney’s tender and sweet personality adds so much to our family.
Spencer just turned 9. He loves going to Cub Scouts, reading, doing math, and participating in gymnastics (he worked super hard practicing for his headstand contest, and came in 3rd place in all the classes by staying up for 4½ minutes). He is in a homeschool group with a bunch of fun boys who he has become great friends with. He and his neighbor friend Cody love to go fishing together, build huts together, and play football or capture the flag with the rest of our children. He diligently does all the farm chores around here (Jace was extremely happy to take over Spencer’s kitchen jobs in exchange for not having to do “farm chores”) Spencer’s attitude about life is so contagious, he inspires us all to work hard and enjoy life. 
Mallory is 7. She has lost lots of her teeth this year, along with taking swim lessons, riding her bike, taking care of her little brothers and sisters, learning to love reading, and participating in gymnastics. She is the responsible one around here who loves to change diapers, take care of people’s owies, help to cook, give footrubs to Mom, and anything else she can do to serve. She has a funny little sense of humor that makes us all laugh. Her example that seems way beyond her years teaches us all every day. 
Zachary is 5, and is still tiny for his age, but so smart & physically coordinated. He has an imaginary football team that he takes very seriously. Each day he tells us that he has a game or practice to go to, then he’ll suit up in Jace’s old football pads, helmet, & uniform, and practice, practice, practice. Then he usually comes in and in a very serious and proud tone of voice tells us all the highlights of the game. We’re trying to figure out how he can play every position, score all the touchdowns, and win every one of his games. Sometimes he will admit that he had a fumble or two. He loves gymnastics, school, riding his two-wheeler, and helping with the farm chores. We all love Zach so much. 
Andrew is 3. He and Zach have become best friends. They play together so well all day, and are basically inseparable. He is such a tough little kid, who loves doing gymnastics, football, riding his bike, and laughing with Abby. He is very sneaky about food lately. If we can’t find him for a minute, we go straight in the living room, and usually find him behind the couch with some food or treat that he isn’t supposed to be eating. The other day he climbed up the bookshelves to get a bag of suckers. He admitted to me later that he and his “mirror friend” (that’s his imaginary friend that lives in the mirror that looks just like him) ate some of the suckers. He “ate one”, and his "mirror friend ate three.” Andrew has a way of saying things that just melts all of our hearts. We love that little guy! 
Abby turned 1 in March, and she is a joy to our family. We all love her so much. She is a bright, energetic, determined, beautiful little girl that has captured our hearts. She smiles and is charming most of the day, then when we go somewhere, she tends to scowl at everyone she meets. She is a chatterbox, just talking and singing all day long. She loves us to read “bookies” to her, she enjoys Andrew’s gymnastics class where she thinks she is in charge of the whole class, loves singing, playing with dolls, and doing puzzles. She is doted upon by all her siblings.
This year we have all had our testimonies strengthened about the power of daily scripture study and prayer, and frequent temple attendance. When we are diligent with those things we definitely feel closer to God, and see many miracles in our lives.
We are so thankful for all of you, our friends and family, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
With love, from the Lamoreaux Family
Family pictures courtesy of our extremely talented Brother-in-law, Dave Summerill. www.wix.com/DavidSummerill/summerill or http://summphoto.blogspot.com/
Courtney is 11, but counting down the days (literally) until she turns 12. She wrote a list of all the things she gets to do when she turns 12, and she can’t wait. While she is waiting for her next birthday, she also spends a lot of time doing her favorite subject, Math. She loves to get together with her cousins for a monthly “Cousin’s club”, and she also has a book club with four of her friends where they get together monthly, discuss a book they are reading (The Secret Garden is their current book), do a fun activity and enjoy a treat together. She loves scrapbooking, crafts, gymnastics, writing stories about fairies, riding her bike, and going to Activity Days at church. She and Mallory are best friends, and Abby loves playing with them in all their pretend & dress up adventures. Courtney’s tender and sweet personality adds so much to our family. Spencer just turned 9. He loves going to Cub Scouts, reading, doing math, and participating in gymnastics (he worked super hard practicing for his headstand contest, and came in 3rd place in all the classes by staying up for 4½ minutes). He is in a homeschool group with a bunch of fun boys who he has become great friends with. He and his neighbor friend Cody love to go fishing together, build huts together, and play football or capture the flag with the rest of our children. He diligently does all the farm chores around here (Jace was extremely happy to take over Spencer’s kitchen jobs in exchange for not having to do “farm chores”) Spencer’s attitude about life is so contagious, he inspires us all to work hard and enjoy life. Mallory is 7. She has lost lots of her teeth this year, along with taking swim lessons, riding her bike, taking care of her little brothers and sisters, learning to love reading, and participating in gymnastics. She is the responsible one around here who loves to change diapers, take care of people’s owies, help to cook, give footrubs to Mom, and anything else she can do to serve. She has a funny little sense of humor that makes us all laugh. Her example that seems way beyond her years teaches us all every day. Zachary is 5, and is still tiny for his age, but so smart & physically coordinated. He has an imaginary football team that he takes very seriously. Each day he tells us that he has a game or practice to go to, then he’ll suit up in Jace’s old football pads, helmet, & uniform, and practice, practice, practice. Then he usually comes in and in a very serious and proud tone of voice tells us all the highlights of the game. We’re trying to figure out how he can play every position, score all the touchdowns, and win every one of his games. Sometimes he will admit that he had a fumble or two. He loves gymnastics, school, riding his two-wheeler, and helping with the farm chores. We all love Zach so much. Andrew is 3. He and Zach have become best friends. They play together so well all day, and are basically inseparable. He is such a tough little kid, who loves doing gymnastics, football, riding his bike, and laughing with Abby. He is very sneaky about food lately. If we can’t find him for a minute, we go straight in the living room, and usually find him behind the couch with some food or treat that he isn’t supposed to be eating. The other day he climbed up the bookshelves to get a bag of suckers. He admitted to me later that he and his “mirror friend” (that’s his imaginary friend that lives in the mirror that looks just like him) ate some of the suckers. He “ate one”, and his "mirror friend ate three.” Andrew has a way of saying things that just melts all of our hearts. We love that little guy! Abby turned 1 in March, and she is a joy to our family. We all love her so much. She is a bright, energetic, determined, beautiful little girl that has captured our hearts. She smiles and is charming most of the day, then when we go somewhere, she tends to scowl at everyone she meets. She is a chatterbox, just talking and singing all day long. She loves us to read “bookies” to her, she enjoys Andrew’s gymnastics class where she thinks she is in charge of the whole class, loves singing, playing with dolls, and doing puzzles. She is doted upon by all her siblings.This year we have all had our testimonies strengthened about the power of daily scripture study and prayer, and frequent temple attendance. When we are diligent with those things we definitely feel closer to God, and see many miracles in our lives.
We are so thankful for all of you, our friends and family, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
With love, from the Lamoreaux Family
Family pictures courtesy of our extremely talented Brother-in-law, Dave Summerill. www.wix.com/DavidSummerill/summerill or http://summphoto.blogspot.com/
