The Twirlie Girlie Gang

A LETTER FROM JENNIFER TO HER FATHER AND THE REST OF US (AN UPDATE ON THE TWIRLIE GIRLIE GANG):

Hi, Dad. Sorry it has been so long since I have emailed you. Keeping in contant with people is one of my huge weaknesses and downfalls. I am trying to improve:)

How are you doing? how is your eyesight? What projects have you been working on? We all sure miss you and hope to see you this summer. We have had a few unforseen expences but are still hoping to come out. Our darn water-heater broke and I have brought in a few medical bills with this stupid sinus thing. I have another CT scan today and a doctor's appointment early next week. Hopefully the news is good.

Brian has his last day with the seniors today and is excited for the extra time the next 2 weeks. Since they are on a block schedule and one of his days only consists of seniors.... He has been running a stake basketball league over the last couple months and the big tournament is coming up next weekend. He has been having a blast. He also went to Delaware for the national mock trial tournament and his kids did amazingly well. He didn't want to go and moaned for weeks, but he enjoyed every minute there. He is even considering coaching the team again next year. He has stared up the band again and their dad is paying for them to record another cd. He is, of course, very excited!

Katlyn and Kamryn are ready for the summer. All they can seem to think about is friends and playing. They are kids after all:) They both just finished up their soccer seasons and are two very different players. Katlyn is hesitant and afraid to touch people. Kamryn, on the other hand, is a little to competetive. We had to talk to her about team work. She averaged 5 goals a game. One game was 10. She has no fear. They both are still jump roping and that seems to be where Katlyn shines. She was so excited to perform at the govenor's mansion and spend the day teaching at the health fair that she was up at 5:30. I had to send her back to bed, and when I went down to get her up she was still fully clothed (shoes and all). They both are really doing well in school and are too smart for their own good. In all these silly tests they are giving the kids, they both score above 12th grade vocabulary expectations and 9th grade reading expectations. Katlyn loves to read and write. She even asks if she can read instead of playing or doing other fun activies. Kamryn is bored with scholl, but soccer keeps her happy.

Brianne just registered for kindergarten and took the screening. She is so excited that she asks me evry morning if she is going to school yet. It is going to be a long summer:) We are not very sure how her little mind works. We are blind-sided quite often by her comments. We can't even wrap our brains around some of them. Dad is a having a little inner struggle seeing how Brianne informed him she has a boyfriend. He is the only boy in our neighborhood. She is quite adiment about their boyfriend/girlfriend status.

Aubrey is Aubrey. She will be the death of us. In just the last 2 weeks she has pulled the shandelier out of the ceiling, spilled nail polish on her carpet, locked the cat in a side table, put the cat in the dryer and put Rascal out in the middle of a tournado warning with hail coming down. This is just a few things. Eyes have to be on her every second! Sometimes she is very much her age and others she is a 2 year old again. We are treying very hard to give her the attention she needs and help her to be happy, but we are not quite sure what else to do. We are hoping with Bree in school all day next year that maybe things will improve.

Addison is the happiest chubbiest baby ever! Her sisters dote on her all day. She is very much a daddy's girl. She is so excited to see him and yelss Hi Dadd! She immediately starts laughing and kicking her legs or crawling as fast as she can to get to him. She can stand by herself and is walking on anything she hold on to. She loves the chairs at Nana's because they slide. She walks and pushes them all over the kitchen. She loves Rascal and they are each others constent companions. Even though she is only a little over 10 months, she is wearing 24 month clothes for her heighth and mostly weight :) She has her two bottom teeth and her top two will hopefully cut through soon. They are really swollen. Her favorite past-time, other than getting into everything, is taking a bath. Anytime she hears the water start to run she is at the tub climbing in. You have to wear a rain slicker to bathe her. She can splash with the best!

I am busy busy being Mom and really looking forwar to the summer. Next fall will be very busy again. LCCC has offered me a job as assistant director to the choir and will pay for the rest of my schooling on top of what they will pay me. I have 6 semester classes left to take and I can just take one or two at a time until I am done. I will only work 3 or 4 hours a week. I am really looking forward to the experience and am relieved that I will be going to school for free. I will be continueing my vocal training and will hopefully someday be able to become a professional vocalist. All just dreams, but exciting ones. For now I am loving being a mother and wouldn't have it any other way. They will all be in school all too soon.

Again, we love and miss you!

The Girly Twirly Gang



MY RESPONSE:

Jen!

What a great email!

Thank you so much for the update. It makes me so happy
to hear about the girlies, and about my eldest brother
and sister. You two have been such a great example to
us all - from your marriage in the temple to your
complete selflessness in raising FIVE girls (all of
whom are beautiful and wonderful in so many ways).
It's always been clear to Frannie and me that you love
each other and love the Lord, and even though I'm not
sure how it works, it gives us strength.

I'm excited for you to have at least a few hours a
week next semester to be "selfish" and continue to
pursue your dreams. Our family is full of dreamers,
and I've come to believe that whether or not we
achieve exactly what we dream for in this life, the
hard work we put in will not be in vain. There is
choir in Heaven! A basketball court (if we can control
our tempers)! A video camera!

And if we DO achieve those dreams in this life, well
then, what a bonus (on top of the wonderful family
we've been blessed with, our beautiful country, and
the Gospel)!

We love you and can't wait to see you all again in
August.

Love,
Fran and Doug

p.s. 'Ol Wendall is starting to really kick! If he
weren't stuck inside Frannie's belly, I'd say he's
been to a few of Kami's soccer games!