Year in Review

Christmas Letter 2010:

The hardest part is getting started. It is now December 22nd and I only have a few days till Christmas. But I still haven’t written the Christmas letter for the year. What is the recipe for this tardiness? I’ll try to remember; I think it goes 3 cups of medical school, 4 pounds of jobs, mix with 4 church callings and add a teaspoon of procrastination. Marinate this all with a trip in to visit Sandi’s and my family over a short Christmas break and now I’m sitting only 3 days from Christmas and I still need to bake, package, and (e)mail the lettery goodness to all of you.

“A” is for adventure. After four years of dating, Sandi and I embarked on a whole new adventure on March 20, 2010. We were married in the Portland Oregon Temple. Best day ever! We’ve had a lot of crazy experiences since then. In April we had two tires slashed while we were backpacking in the woods and waited around six hours in the middle of Iowa for a tow to bring a couple replacements. In June, after the school year was complete, we drove to Florida and embarked on a Disney Cruise. We did some scuba diving off Key West Florida. We also rented a scooter and weaved in and out of traffic (Ben’s favorite part) in Nassau before spending some time on the Beach of Atlantis Paradise Island. Sandi and I also spent some time canoeing the Boundary Waters on the border of Canada and Minnesota. It is a very serene area. Canoe in a couple miles, portage a lake or two and you will find a beautiful forested lake and island all to yourself. Very relaxing. One day was a downpour and we decided to go swimming in the rain on our own little island.

“B” is for basic training. In January, Ben joined the Army National Guard. During July he traveled to San Antonio Texas for officer basic training. Officer Basic Training is not quite the same as regular army training. Ben likes to refer to it as Boy Scouts with guns. He had a blast shooting M16s, standing in formation at 0500, enduring the 100 degree Texas heat, doing land navigation at night, being exposed to CS (tear) gas and so on. Ben is excited about his opportunity to serve and provide care as a future physician to those willing to fight for America. Ben drills locally every month. He works in the medical unit and gets to do physicals for the troops and spend downtime studying for medical school.

“C” is for cookies. Me like cookies – Especially frosted cookies. “C” is also for callings. Sandi and I currently attend Church at a small branch in downtown Des Moines. Ben is serving as Stake Sunday School secretary, Varsity Scout Leader and 1st Counselor in the Young Men’s Presidency. Sandi is serving as the Young Women’s president. The branch has a lot of great youth without a lot of great parental support. Sandi and I spend most of our Wednesday’s playing soccer Mom and rounding up the youth for their activities. Some are immigrants, others from single parent homes or even from a group home. It has been a challenge to inspire them, but when things come together we really enjoy it. We’ve taken them on a number of adventures including camping, paddle boating, and to the zoo. For our last combined activity we had around 10 people and we baked over 200 sugar cookies for decorating. We visited several branch families delivering cookies, singing Christmas carols and then sent the youth home with cookies to share with their families. It was a wonderful frosty sprinkled evening filled with songs of jubilee.

“D” is for driven. Sandi is driven. In April she got a job waitressing at an Italian restaurant called Mama Lacona’s. After returning from our summer adventures, she got a second job working at a grain commodity stock brokerage. Finally in November she switched her stock job for something new as a medical admin at the Iowa National Guard. Between all the typing and filing during the days and then running from table to table with heaps of food at nights at the restaurant she does get tired. But that doesn’t slow her down. She still has time to train and work out. In November she ran her first 7 mile cross country race through the dirt and mud, over hills and streams. Not to mention she also plays on our coed volleyball team. Ben may not be as driven but is definitely no slouch. Along with being a full time medical student (half way through his second year) he sports a couple jobs as well. Ben drills every month for the National guard along with several hours a week serving as a teaching assistant for first year medical school students.

“E” is for everyone reading this letter. Sandi and I are blessed to have lives connected to so many people. It is to those of you that have made a difference in our lives that we send this greeting. It may be the subtle difference made by a coworker or neighbor. Or it may be a huge difference made by a close friend or family member… but that difference you make in our lives - subtle or deep - is such that without you, we just wouldn’t be who we are today! We remember you and the times we shared. We thank God for you and pray that your year and holiday is full of happiness and joy. God bless you! Merry Christmas!