2010 For the Evans’

It is Christmas time again, and though I know I don’t have to write a Christmas letter I actually enjoy doing it, it lets me look back on the year and see what we have done. This year, instead of mailing this out to everyone I'm just posting it here so that only the people who really want to know what's been up have to read it. So lets take a look back at some of the events of 2010:

This year has gone by so quickly. I know that is totally cliché to say, but it really has. Since 2009 has turned into the forgotten year this year and all of its adventures have seemed rather surreal. The months have come and gone and though they were filled with activities we literally look back each month and ask ourselves where did the time go.

During the year of 2010 we have had A LOT of time to spend with our families whom we love.

Back in February we went to Disneyland with a few members of the family. John and I, John’s parent’s Jerry and Lorraine, our brother-in-law Scott and his daughter Lucy, and Scott’s parents Paul and Debbie. It was such a joy to share Lucy’s first time with her and to see her excitement at meeting the Disney Characters and enjoying the rides. We had a lot of fun chasing a 3 year-old Lucy around Disneyland, but we also had a lot of fun being by ourselves in Disneyland. It seems like pre-season is always a great time to go with few lines and nice weather. It really is the happiest place on earth.

Summer came quickly and the Pears family welcomed a new member to the family when Norm and Rebecca had their first baby. A beautiful little girl named Sophie. And thus followed the months of family.

Raymond and his daughter Nicole came to visit from Tennessee, and Andrea and her brood (Mike, Andrew, Nicolas, Miah, and Mikayla) came down from Washington. They all stayed for July and most of August. The family gathering was not only for Sophie’s baby blessing, but to support our father and each other through some difficult times. Prior to Sophie’s birth we found out that Father Pears had some rather serious health problems starting with Kidney Stones, then Prostate Cancer with radiation treatments, followed by Pneumonia… and now, six months later he is finally feeling a little more like himself.

After the influx of Pears’ they all mostly went home though Nicole stayed in Utah to start her first year at BYU as a college student. Andrea’s oldest, Kenji, also popped down for a quick visit with his girlfriend Hannah and spent a week at my house, which I loved.

Also in August, Lariann’s husband Scott got remarried to a wonderful woman named Ariane. Ariane and I both served in the Washington DC South mission so I already knew and loved her before she joined the family. Now Lucy has a new mom and we have a new member of the family to get to know.

Other additions to the family this year include Ryan who belongs to Liz’s brother Keith and his wife Rachel, he was born in September. John’s brother Jared and his wife Julaine had another little girl named Brooklyn not to long before Thanksgiving.

The only other trip we went on this year was to St. George for Thanksgiving where we were able to spend time with John’s oldest siblings, Scot and Heidi , and Kristin and Scott and their family.

It has been a good year for us. We are thankful every day for our families and our friends who love us so much. We have been blessed with jobs and a home and those things that we need to get by. We may not be rolling in the dough or living in a house boat off a beach in Hawaii, but we have what we need, and thankfully we have those we love.

May you be blessed this holiday season and throughout the coming year. Please know that we love you, and remember the true reason for celebrating this season is Christ and his love for us all. Happy Christmas!

Love always,

Liz and John Evans