Jennifer and Lowell ~2010

Jen and Lowell have had a remarkable year. Lots of milestones with both little girls in school, Jen working at the elementary school part-time, Lowell having his new managerial position at work for a year now. Lowell took a trip to the home office in Scotland and the two big girls flew over to meet him. They promised Piper they'd take her to Scotland when she was ten. All things considered they did very well~ she's 11. Jen stayed home with Chloe and Hazie and busied herself with crafting for the Farmer's market, baking and cooking, and cleaning, volunteering and all the things moms do continually.

Jen's never-ending energy never ceases to amaze me. She is always doing something nice for someone else. She has such a pioneer spirit and just keeps taking life head-on, one day at a time. Lowell has been participating in a local choir and always enjoys singing with various groups. Jen got an iPhone this year which led to a lot of the rest of us getting them. This has been a major change in lifestyle for most of us. Texting back and forth is spontaneous, fun and instantaneous. She has always been a leader in our pack! And she is my all time best products adviser. She finds the best things and at the best prices too.

They got their deck finished this year and did some major changes in the way they use the space in their home, and there is never a dull moment. Jen has been doing part time nursery duty as Hazie has finally been able to be at church a lot more. Although now that winter is here and she has been sick again, that may be put on hold for awhile. Winter is not very friendly to Hazie's health and well-being.


Piper is nearly 12, has her braces now, started playing the flute this year, sold her art work for the first time in the town square and is in her last year of elementary school! She enjoyed returning to the place she was born this year in Edinburgh. She and Julia flew alone to Edinburgh (with an assigned flight attendant) to meet up with their Daddy for a fun week. She loved seeing where they lived in Scotland before returning to the USA. She is a wonderful daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin and friend. Piper is so sweet and compassionate, we love her tender heart. She is looking so pretty and grown up these days! And she started her own blog along with Julia, Connor and Spencer this year! Soon she will be in Young Women's in church! Hard to imagine but easy to see she is ready.

Piper is a night owl. She reads and reads once she goes to bed. She also likes sleeping late. Well, she says she is really awake but likes to stay in bed and read some more. She and her Dad and Grampa got to see Harry Potter 7 while he was out there helping in November. Piper is just blossoming like a rose and we love her very much!

Julia, or "My Beautiful Chocolate Eyes" as I love to call her, has been busy at school and church Activity Days along with Piper this year. She is in the fifth grade and sits by Connor in school. That must be such fun for two cousins! Julia enjoys doing just about everything. She is a hard worker and loves to work with Grampa. She helped him build the wheelchair ramps for Hazie during the summer.

She loves art and also sold some crafts at the Farmer's Market and made me a beautiful, orange, sparkly flower for our tree this Christmas. Julia is famous around the house for making fancy breakfasts for people. She also has a creative imagination for playing. Julia is vivacious and funny and lots of fun to be with too. She enjoyed Scotland, but did not like all the walking and stairs too much. Julia and Piper are both great examples to the little sisters and such great helpers for Mom and Dad. I think Julia is the perfect name for her, she is truly a Jewel!


Ahh, Chloe Jane, she looks just like a flapper from the 20s in this photo, doesn't she? I got to go on this photo shoot with the girls. It lasted 2 and a half hours and these girls were phenomenal. It took four adults to keep Chloe them clean as they were barefooted and some of the shots were in an industrial area. Chloe kept us all on our toes. She is just impish enough to delight her grandparents and to frazzle her parents at times. Chloe is such a funny little girl, she has such a strong spirit and is so adorable. She will never be a boring old lady! She is just full of life and charm and we adore her.

She has started kindergarten this year and has taken to school like a fish to water. She was so ready for the fast pace of school and the socialization. She is thriving on the structure and loves school. Chloe loves to sleep with Gramma and is an expert bowler on the Wii, you'd have to see it to believe it! She loves her kitties and playing outside and entertaining herself! She adores noodles and eats them everyday!

Hazie has had a big year. She got her very own purple sparkly wheelchair. She has learned so many vocabulary words and is talking up a storm, she is learning new things from her PT and OT and has a brand new big girl bed. She started preschool in September and is really enjoying it. She loves having her big sisters, cousins, mom and a lot of mom's friends there at school with her. Hazie thinks that chocolate is actually called chocolate wow! She loves it. A few chocolate chips at the counter while Mom cooks can keep her pretty happy. And you will hear a few breathy "Wows" while she devours them.

She has been going to nursery at church and is not too sure she really likes that, but having Mom in there with her seems to help. Hazie went bowling this summer with 8 older kids (family and one friend) and came in first! She is a good bowler and really had some serious fun at it. She had been pretty healthy and out of the hospital for nine months until November. She is doing better each day and we are praying for a good, old-fashioned Christmas with most of our family and we want her home! So far, so good.

Hazel in her tiny purple wheelchair~April 2010

Since a lot of you have seen the cute little photo of her in the white dress above while I have been updating her health status, I am including this one extra photo that I think is so adorable. You should see her get around on "her fancy wheels" now!