2010 Christmas Letter!

Dear Family & Friends,


It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone since the last time we wrote a “Christmas Update Letter,” and a whole bunch has happened in the interim! Looking back on it all, it’s amazing to think that this time last year, Alex had just mastered sitting on his own, Keith was still a regular old member of the working force, and Lisa was settling into full-time momhood. Oh, what a difference one short year can make!

Might as well start from the top (age-wise). Keith’s life fundamentally changed when he accepted admission to BYU’s Masters of Business Administration program. He informed his work a couple months later and, though sad that he would be leaving, they were excited for his opportunity. The next few months were somewhat of a blur as preparations began for his departure back to academia. One highlight worthy of mention is that somehow, inexplicably, Keith caught the Running Bug, after years of scoffing at runners as crazy and maladjusted. (Actually, we know exactly how he caught the Bug. When you take a guy who kind of has a thing for zombies and introduce him to Utah’s first-ever zombie-themed 5k run, you’ll get similar results to what we got.) So against all odds, Keith started training in June, with Lisa running by his side to provide moral support.

August saw the end of Keith’s employment with Employer Solutions Group and the beginning of his MBA program (and crazily enough, the beginning of his internship search for Summer 2011—go figure). The MBA program has been a challenging and hectic time, but an amazing opportunity to learn new things and meet new people. Near the middle of the semester, Keith ran his Zombie 5k (in costume, by the way) and in November he managed to secure an internship for this summer with General Mills Inc. Though we don’t know whether the internship will be at the corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN, or in one of their plants elsewhere in the U.S., we’re very excited for the opportunity this presents for us as a family and for the chance Keith will have to learn more about corporate human resources.

Lisa has had a busy year in her own right. It’s very much been a year of helping people out. She helped Keith while he trained for his 5k, and was a powerful motivating force in that. She took Alex to swimming lessons throughout part of the summer. She helped her Grandma pack up and get ready to move to Wisconsin. One of Lisa’s big projects spanned from April until mid-November, during which she cultivated her own garden. Now, we don’t have any sort of space on the lot of the apartment complex that we live in where you could plant any sort of respectable garden. But early in this year, once we had accepted to go to BYU, Lisa became involved with the MBA Spouses’ Association, and met another MBA Spouse whose family was renting a house with a sizeable garden plot in the back. For the cost of water, our new friend let Lisa come and garden in a portion of the plot. It was very much an experimental garden, and there were varying degrees of success with the numerous plants (oh, those poor, poor tomato plants just couldn’t seem to catch a break). But it was so much fun to see the squashes, and peas, and onions, and broccoli, and corn that she produced out of that little spot of dirt. (It was scary to see how much Alex tried to eat that very same dirt. But a little endearing, also.)

Beyond that, she’s stayed involved between various Spouses’ Association activities, service projects, and her calling as Mia Maid Advisor in the Young Women’s Organization in our ward. But the biggest change for Lisa has come from finding out that she is pregnant with a baby girl! She’s due April 23rd, and we’re very excited that we’ll be able to add her to our little family! It constantly amazes Keith that she’s able to keep up the physical demands of being pregnant, the demands of taking care of Alex, and putting up with a husband who’s always running around with some sort of school project or homework assignment or team meeting. She’s been a fantastic support to him throughout this entire first semester!

When we tally up the list of changes in Alex’s life this year, it’s almost ridiculous to think that it all happened during this one calendar year. He learned to crawl, walk, run, climb, and babble profusely, all since January 1st. It’s been truly a blessing to watch him grow and develop and be so inquisitive about the world around him! This summer, as mentioned before, we introduced him to pools by having him take swimming lessons. The irony was that he hated the whole lesson set and everything about it, right up until a little after they were over. Then, he started loving it. A lot!

These days, Alex keeps himself busy by playing with his various toys and learning to work our audio/visual system (much to the chagrin of his father). He is friends with our neighbors’ 2-year-old, Maddie, and they get together every so often to play. He’s almost 18 months old, and it’s almost shocking to realize that he’ll be able to go into Nursery in just a couple weeks’ time. He loves to help around the house, go outside and kick balls, and put on hats. His favorite animal is a cow, though he’s maintained a consistent fascination with all types of farm animals. He’s getting very good at doing animal noises, loves to draw, and share his toys and food with others. It’s really so much fun just to watch him go! He’s the joy of our lives, and we’re so grateful to have him in our family!

We really enjoy the Christmas season, particularly because of the opportunity it provides to think back on the previous year and remember the blessings that have come to us. We love the opportunity and reminder to focus more on the life of our Savior and the things that He did to show us the path towards eternal life. We are so grateful for all our family and friends, and the wonderful support that you all give us! Thank you again for everything you do, and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas season!

Love,

The Jones Family (Keith, Lisa, Alex, and Baby)