Family Newsletter
2021
Dear Friends and Family,
Another year has come and gone, and as I reflect upon it, I am flooded with a gamut of emotions… but when I take a step back, I can see how Heavenly Father has guided our family this past year. He has a beautiful plan that involves joy and sadness; love and heartache; life and death; laughter and tears… and in the center of it all is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He makes the hard times bearable and the good times memorable.
Through life’s ups and downs, we hope you, too, can witness the important role of the Savior in God’s plan for YOU! He was born that babe in Bethlehem, set the perfect example of how to live, and made it possible for us to return to be with our Heavenly Father. As the familiar Christmas carol states:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her king!
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And Saints and angels sing!
Alayna turned 6 years old in January. She donned her 1-inch heels, pearls, and tutu for a Fancy Nancy tea party. She lost her first tooth, mastered some clogging steps, and graduated from kindergarten. Throughout the summer, she faithfully watched Art Hub tutorials -- building up quite the exhibition. She then sold her artwork for 25 cents to kind neighbors who received a homemade lollipop in return. Laynie advanced in her swim lessons, was taught how to decorate cakes by Grandma Anderson, and currently enjoys her 1st grade class and teacher.
Gavin turned 9 in April. He’s worked hard in the 3rd/4th grades to learn how to better cope with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) and ADHD. His pediatrician told him he has superpowers because of how his brain processes things, and I’d have to agree. He enjoys creating comics, building with Legos, reading all kinds of books – especially the Harry Potter series lately, and “hanging out” with friends. He is very social and puts great stock into his friendships. He practices the piano each day and is a Webelo in the Cub Scout program.
Matthew started the year by gaining 20/20 vision with PRK elective eye surgery. It’s like Lasik, but much more painful. He sure is glad to be contact free! In the spring, he decided to refresh our flock of chickens – getting rid of the old and raising 4 new. The new chicks were too good for the first coop he built so he constructed “Cluckingham Palace.” Those chickens are living the high life. To pay for their luxurious living, he took up a second job – as an online instructor for a web design course at BYU-I. This side-gig, his executive secretary duties at church, and fixing up an older Jeep Cherokee have kept him quite busy.
I, Cindy, finally took up home decorating and began to hang things on the walls of our home. (It only took 4 years!) I began teaching my 3rd year of preschool in the basement, tended to my garden, canned lots of salsa, and I strive daily to teach the gospel to our children. In May, we found out my mother’s uterine cancer had metastasized to the brain. I was able to spend most of the summer helping care for Mom in the final weeks of her life. It was a tender and heart-wrenching experience.
Together, our family escaped to sunny St. George for a few wintery days, road the rickety rollercoaster at Lagoon Amusement Park, and visited 3 National Parks over fall break. We said our (temporary) goodbyes to Grandma Moo Moo in July, and continue to work hard at our daily chores and our nightly family scripture studies.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas season and the happiest of new years!
Love,
The Anderson Family
