A Year in Review

 

 I have decided to create a new blog and I am starting with a review of that last year as my newsletter for this year.

Grant was promoted as the Graduate Assistant (GA) at the University of Utah. He coaches the linebacker and recruits Idaho, California and Washington. He is loving his job and we are headed to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas (We find out for sure on Sunday). He is finally done with his crazy work schedule now that the official season is over and now we move to recruiting weekends because it means Rodizios and Market Street Grill dinners for me. He is currently working on his Masters in Health Promotion and Education emphasizing in Body Image.

I have been busy with work, school and Abby. I started a new job in January as the Curriculum Coordinator at the University of Utah. It is a fancy name for the person who does the catalog. It has been a great job for me and I am learning a lot of new skills with building an maintaining websites. I find that I can understand computer terminology and it makes me feel slightly nerdy. I have one more semester before I graduate from the Utah State in Family Life Studies. It has been an awesome experience and has been great that it is completely online so that I can continue to work. I can't wait however for it to be done in May!!!

Abby turned two a few months ago and she continues to grow up so quickly. She had surgery earlier in the year to remove her adenoids and put in new tubes. Since then she has been much more healthy and active. At that same time she learned to climb out of bed so we got her a twin size bed that she sleeps on now. She loves to sing (nursery rhymes, primary songs, and sometimes she sings what she says). She loves her dolls (my old ones) and they are named Katie after one of my good friends. She is very smart. I can't believe she knows everything she does. She is always surprising me. Her favorite movies vary. It started out as the "Open Season" movie everyday, then it went to "Babe," "Monster's Inc," "Robin Hood," "Hercules," "Beauty and the Beast," and now she watches "Emperor's New Groove" everyday, which she calls her "New Groove, New Groove" (she has to say it twice). We also lucked out (Grant says it is all about training ;p ) because Abby has inherited some of Grant's (slightly OCD) cleaning habits. She loves picking up her toys and blocks once she dumps them out. The next step with her is potty training in 2012, wish me luck.

Grant is servings as a Deacons Quorum advisor. I teach the 12-13 year old Sunday school. Abby started early in the year to go to Nursery and she loves it. Especially singing time and snack time. And we have a great ward and bishop who take great care of us.

We had lots of fun experiences this year. We spent a lot of time with family. We went to Pittsburgh to play football and were able to visit with Great Grandma and Grandpa Duff, Bob and Katy Fourquean, Cailyn Fourquean, and Peter and Michael Duff. We traveled to St. George for a coaching clinic. We partied as the U of U was added into the new Pac 12 conference. We bought a car. I got a new, beautiful niece, on the Cutler side, Charlotte. We are expecting another niece in January on the Duff side from Will and Madi. We are very excited for them and can't wait for Abby to have another cousin.

We are being continually blessed with great family and friends. We have everything we need. I am so grateful for this holiday season where we get to count our blessings, think about the Savior, and serve others. May all your Christmases be wonderful and full of feelings of love and happiness.

Enjoy some pictures below!