Pitts Stop: Happy New Year 2016( In Other Words This is a Late Christmas Newsletter Blog) PART ONE

2015 has come and gone. Another year bites the dust. And with it comes a chance to reflect on what exactly transpired during that year. What did happen? Hang on, let me check facebook so I can remember! Just kidding. Ok, not kidding. I do also keep a mini journal. Here's a little synopsis of each family member and his/her journey through 2015.

Judd

Judd is still alive. He turned 40 and didn't die. He LOVED the 40 plants that were magically delivered on the front lawn for his birthday. Judd spends a lot of his time lawyering, and possibly more of his time coaching competition soccer for Blue Knights. The boys on his team are so lucky to have such a dedicated coach who cares about each one of them. Just after Halloween Judd decided he missed the blond hair of his youth- so he bleached his hair blond. It's still growing out. And at the end of the year he received a new calling at church as a Primary Chorister!

Proof

Perhaps the highlight of his year happened in January when he and I took an adult cruise with his parents and siblings and their spouses. It was amazing. Judd loved swimming with the stingrays!

Cruise are freaking amazing!

Becky

Well, if you read my last blog entry, you know that this year has been hard for me. But, there has been an abundance of joy as well. It started with the cruise. Oh yea! In August I got to attend BYU Education week with the incredibly amazing Janice Snow. I started the year with 3 church callings and ended it with 5. They all work really well together- R.S. teacher every other month, Activity Day leader( 2 X a month), choir pianist, R.S. pianist, and ward music chairman. This year I got new glasses, after wearing a pair that was hot glued for several years, I turned 38, I entered the realm of people with all their kids in school at least part of the day, I got fine lines on my face and enough gray hair that I'm going to have to stop pulling it out pretty soon, and I perfected the magic muffin recipe.

I like to dress up?

I did a little bit of sewing.

I joined the Sterling Singers!

new ( to us) car

We love Halloween!

No words are needed.

One of my favorite places.

This was about Math.

Just working on being educated.

The clouds this year were fantastic.

Why not? Big Bad Wolf at Grandmother's annual tea party.

I was a little bit obsessed with taking cloud photos this last year.

Emmeline is developing her photo taking skills at TGiving Point farm

I baked a lot of fun cakes this year. This is just one of them.

from our trip to Bear Lake with some dear friends.

photo in front of my inlaws home of nearly 40 years. They moved in June.

I was thirsty.

hike up Neff's canyon

Reuben

Reuben, Reuben, Reuben. What can I say about Reuben? Reuben likes to go to school and then he likes to sit in his room and do homework, play games, and listen to classical music. He is in 11th grade and is working really hard to get A's. He loves his AP Chemistry class and is currently planning on majoring in BioChemistry. Reuben joined the Sterling Singers in August and really enjoyed performing in the Tabernacle to open the Christmas season. Reuben serves at church in his priests quorum presidency and also at the stake level as a youth representative. 2015 was special because he went on his first date to a Sadie Hawkins dance. There are very few photos of Reuben because he usually covers the camera with his hand. So, most of his pictures are ones with other people.

Emmeline is Reuben's favorite person, hands down

Even Reuben was excited to get a new couch

Easter 2015

Still Daddy's baby

Reuben baptized Audrey in August

our pet bunny Millie helped him blow out his B-day candles

Tim

Tim spent most of 2015 playing soccer and working hard at school to get straight A's. Over the summer he and Amy got braces together. He loves school and refuses to miss it for ANYTHING. He especially loves playing the violin in the orchestra and Jazz band. A highlight for him this school year has been Monday afternoon study groups for his AP Human Geography course with many of his friends at our house. The most exciting part of his year was getting a laptop for Christmas and his birthday combined from his parents and several others.

Judd homeschooled Tim for Utah History. He's working on a project here.

Tim with Thomas at Thanksgiving Point

Neff's Canyon

This was fun.

Checking out their new metal mouths together.

First sunburn ever. Bear Lake.

Tim and Amy pose for pictures often.

His spiritual notebook

playing the game where you stuff a lot of marshmallows in your mouth

Tim ran cross country in the fall of 2015

He loves his Mama's cooking

Happy 15!

playing in a string quintet after the band/orchestra concert

Amy

In 2015 Amy continued to achieve great things. For her 12th birthday she attended the temple to perform proxy baptisms. She also started taking voice lessons and adores her teacher Amanda Vandenakker. Amy tried out for the school play and got the part of Young Nala in Lion King Jr. She joined Young Women's at church and is enjoying it thoroughly. She competed in the History Fair with an awesome Eifel Tower project and also competed in the Math Matters competition, coming in second place. She has truly enjoyed her first half of 7th grade at the Jr High, especially art class, and is looking forward to taking choir soon.