Another year has come and gone and the Stuarts are happy to say that it has been a good one! We have been blessed with so many wonderful opportunities, experiences, and people in our lives that we couldn’t help but show our appreciation for all that you do for us – so Thank You very much for looking out for us.
We would like to wish you a happy Holiday season! Love, the Stuarts
Here is the latest from the Stuarts - starting from the bottom and working up…
Surprisingly TayBabe has made it to her senior year at Bonneville High. She has been going a million miles an hour. We all thought she would have dropped dead from exhaustion but she has managed to stay alive and pull some outstanding grades and a couple of amazing ACT scores this past year (we question where her intelligent genes came from and why the rest of us didn’t get ‘em), not to mention her senior-class officer position and Academic All-State Award in Volleyball (one of 15 girls in Utah). Tay is being faced with some pretty rough decisions - whether or not she will follow the footsteps of her family and attend USU in the fall or blaze her own trail into Salt Lake and attend University of Utah. No matter what color she decides to wear, blue or red, we are pretty proud of what the youngest Stuart Girl has turned out to be.
Keni is taking Utah State University by storm. She has stuck with her major of Landscape Design for over a year (who would’a thought woody plants could be so interesting) and she still gets excited when she spots a flower on the side of the road and educates everyone in the car with “rudbeckia fulgida” which translates to Black-Eyed Susan (but I still have never heard of such a flower). Besides her enthusiasm for plants and irrigation, Ken was extremely excited to rush Alpha Chi Omega Sorority early this year, also working as a Service Center programming chair, and has mastered her part-time work as a hostess at a popular Mexican restaurant in Logan. She is keeping busy but lovin’ college life (really, I didn’t know anyone could love college this much).
(Amy) My final year of college couldn’t have been better. I worked hard and played hard. And finally it all paid off when I got my degree from USU in Family Finance. Once that piece of paper was secure, I moved away to Boston for a “big-girl” job. I have been working for a Health Insurance company for the past four months. I am slowly evolving into a New Englander by not using my turn signal when switching traffic lanes, estimating arrival times five to ten minutes later than my GPS (named Lesley) calculates, replacing ‘er’ in a word with ‘a’ (example: chowda instead of chowder), and seeing as many sights as I possibly can before the snow begins to fall (Boston Commons, Plymouth, Lexington, Lake Winnipesaukee, Portland Maine). Even though I am still getting to know the area, I would be thrilled to play ‘tour guide’ if anyone would like to come visit!
Kemper and Joseph are still in New Hampshire where they now hold the title of “homeowner.” They have been staying busy trying to improve their new investment (Kemper has painted the wall in the kitchen four different times because she hasn’t ever been satisfied with the color). I know that Joseph gets pretty excited when Dad takes a trip out to New England to see his family because more projects get done in one weekend then they do in a regular two months. But Kemp and Joseph have done an outstanding job of turning a house into a home. Joseph is working on his MBA degree while working full time. He hopes to graduate in 2012. Both are enjoying their church callings, working with the youth (however I get the better end of the deal as the designated babysitter when K&J are away on mutual nights).
Avy, don’t forget about her (because we sure don’t), is walking, talking, rearranging, running, squeaking, laughing, climbing, smiling, and just about every other word ending in ‘ing’. She turned one-year-old in June. The “Favorite Aunt” title has been solidified when Avy said “Amy” as one of her first words behind ‘mommy,’ ‘all done’, ‘dog’, and ‘chocolate’. It is taking a bit longer for her to figure out ‘favorite’ but I’m sure she will have it down next month.
Mom and Dad received a new assignment – the Ogden Utah Temple Riders President. You got it, they have been asked to lead a motorcycle gang! My parents. Like the old bishop and relief society president. Motorcycle gang. Do those things even add up? Well, according to my folks they sure do! They have begun planning rides all around the West and want to make a large trip to New England. And they are pleased to announce (not the marriage of a daughter, don’t get your hopes up) they have opened up a new savings account for the Gold Wing that will be joining the motorcycle collection in the near future. Mom and Dad are still finishing projects around the house and still spending as much time as possible with us kids. We sure love them!
