Merry Christmas From the Rae Family

This year has been a year of trying to settle in and figure out a new place. It has been about a year since we moved from Georgia to Utah and we think we are finally getting adjusted. We like it enough that we are having a house built and plan to stay here for the long term.

Ben is getting used to his new job with the Community Center as the Aquatics Manager. At first, he did not know what to do with all his extra time, but, as his wife promised, he has found plenty of things to fill the time and rarely has a free Saturday. He also is a Ward Missionary and serves as the chair of the ward emergency preparedness committee.

Jill is trying to figure out life in a new area but has started to enjoy how things are going this fall. She joined the Heritage Choir in August and is enjoying her night out once a week for practice and her monthly performances. She also joined a new homeschool co-op this fall. A co-op is a group of homeschool families who get together once a week for an afternoon and teach various classes to the kids. Jill taught a choir class for kids ages 5-10 and they did a great job on their performance. She also stayed busy with homeschooling the kids and all that comes with kids and family.

Jenna likes to spend most of her time playing and reading. This year she did year-round ballet as well as soccer and basketball summer camps. In co-op, she took a science and art class along with PE. She is still really shy but is a very sweet sister and loves to help out around the house. In school, her favorite subject is Latin and she has stopped complaining about math even though it is still not her favorite. She is excited about getting baptized soon.

Westley played soccer this past spring and also participated in soccer and basketball camp. He loved it and is excited for soccer to start again soon. He has also been taking swim lessons and is becoming a good little swimmer. He LOVES doing school!! We are constantly amazed at how well he is doing. This past winter he got his fourth (yes 4^th!) set of ear tubes and he has been doing well with them again. Hopefully, when these come out he will finally have no more problems. He graduated from speech therapy this spring and we do not notice any more problems. In co-op, he took art and science class and loved playing with the boys.

Charlotte is getting big! We cannot believe she will be four soon. She is our most challenging child but the most fun at the same time because she is so active. She has started taking gymnastics, other than that, all she wants to do is play, play, play. Every night in prayers she says thank you for hot dogs. She also loved going to her preschool class at co-op.

We are grateful for the blessings and opportunities the Lord has blessed us with this year and look forward to the future!

Family Pictures

Ben’s sister took some family pictures for us.  We had some really cute ones!  Here are some of my favorites.

The kids came up with this pose themselves.  It was my favorite one.

I chose the walking away picture with Charlotte facing the wrong way because she tends to be going against the rest of us most of the time.

Jenna’s Birthday

Jenna had a birthday party with 3 of her cousins whose birthdays were all within a few weeks of each other.  Her Aunt made a really cool cake with one side for each of the four birthday kids.

We also celebrated Jenna’s birthday with her other side of her family during Thanksgiving time.

Fun Time

We went on a walk the other day and the kids took some cute, silly pictures.

Halloween Time

This year we were able to go Trick or Treating with a bunch of cousins.  It was really fun.  Honestly that was one of the reasons I had for moving closer to family.  I love that my children get to spend holidays with their cousins.

We also make a Gingerbread Haunted House (after Halloween clearance!).  The house only lasted an hour or so before the kids started eating it.

My Cute Boy

Westley LOVES his scriptures.  He looks through them all the time.  During church one week he copied out the Table of Contents.  He also make one small correction.  He added a Book of Index.

Coloring Contest Winner

The kids participated in a coloring contest at the library and Charlotte won for the 0-3 age group. She won a free book and now tells everyone that she is the best colorer.

 

First Day of School

We started school back in August and his is our first day of school picture.  The kids are really into everything this year and learning a ton.  Which is good since last year was a little crazy with moving twice and selling a house and everything! As you can see in the picture Westley’s math folder is already out.  He went upstairs and did his whole math page before the rest of us were even done eating breakfast.

First Day of Gymnastics!

Charlotte started gymnastics in mid-August.  She was very excited.  She loves it and is pretty good at the skills.  However, she prefers to run around and play on the equipment instead of listening to her teacher.

24th of July/Pioneer Day

Okay, so I think this is officially my new favorite holiday.  We started with a parade that Jenna and Westley were in with the primary from the ward.  They dressed like missionaries. 

Next we went to the park where there were tons of fun games to play and prizes to win.  The kids also had their faces painted. Westley’s is Spiderman (teenagers were doing the face painting).

We ended the day with fireworks!  We were able to go on the roof of Ben’s work to watch the fireworks.  The fireworks were being launch just across the parking lot from the building so it looked as if they were right above us.  It was amazing.  According to the kids it was the “Best Day Ever.”

Rock Church

Also while visiting my mom we visiting the Rock Church.  It is an old church built out of rocks on the outside.  My mom was baptized there when she was little and I wanted to show my kids the room.  The baptism room is very cool with a awesome mural on the walls.

I think Charlotte is hilarious in this picture.

Shakespeare Festival

While visiting my mom this summer we took some time to visit the SUU campus, see the Shakespeare theater and displays, and watch the greenshow (a free pre-play).  The kids had a fun time and were being hilarious.  We were with their cousins and they kept putting on shows on the stages and posing for everything.  

Planetarium

This past year in our home school we studied earth and space science. So when we were in Salt Lake we, of course, could not miss visiting the planetarium.  It was very cool and FREE!  I was actually impressed with how much Jenna remembered.  I guess she was listening.

How much do you weigh on other planet?

We made it to the moon.

Now we are on Mars!

Salt Lake Trip

Ben had a swim meet in the Salt Lake Area in June so we decided to make a trip of it and take the whole family along.  The kids had never been to Salt Lake or Temple Square so we thought it would be a great family experience.  Overall we had a really good time.  Our only low points involved Charlotte and her ABSOLUTE TERROR of the public restrooms.  Ever since the whole porta potty experience during the eclipse she had refused to use anything but home toilets.  She has always been bad with public toilets and there has always been crying in the bathrooms but never like this!  At least the toilet at the hotel looked just like one at home and was acceptable.

 

The first pictures show us at This is the Place Monument.  I had never been before so that was a cool experience.  The kids just seems to have fun everywhere.  That is something I love about them.

The kids ditched Ben so he was the only one in this picture.   We also visited Temple Square.  We went to the main visitors center, walked around the grounds, visited the Church History Museum and went on a tour of the Conference Center. I wish I had taken more pictures and that we could have spent more time in the museum but we had to spend a ton of time trying to get Charlotte to use the potty.  In the Church History Museum there was a replica of the podium from the Conference Center and Westley gave the cutest talk ever!  

Here are the kids rolling down the hill at a park while Dad was at the swim meet.