Dear Family and Friends,
Happy Holiday! We hope this letter finds you happy and well. This year has been a little on the crazy side for our family. We spent the first half of the year in Maryland while Cameron finished his judicial clerkship. We took as many opportunities as possible to see all the sights in and around Washington D.C. and still came up short on time! However, we made many wonderful friends and memories during our stay and feel grateful for the experience. This summer brought many changes into our lives... all good ones, but all at once. In just a couple of months time, we welcomed a new baby into our family, moved across the country, began a new job and moved into our first home. Life has finally begun to settle down and we find ourselves feeling so much gratitude for all that we have been blessed with. We are especially grateful for the family and friends that have supported and helped us this year. What would we do without you?
Cameron finished his clerkship at the end of June with mixed emotions. He had a great experience and worked with such wonderful people. It was sad to say goodbye, but we both knew it was time to move on. We were literally busting at the seams in our small apartment and looking forward to the extra space a home would bring. We were also excited to be moving closer to our families. Cameron began his new job in the litigation section of Stoel Rives in July. Between his job and his new calling as high priest group leader in our ward, he keeps very busy. Somehow, he has managed to find time to play in softball and basketball leagues this year.
Although I feel like I have spent the better part of this year packing and unpacking boxes, most of my time has been spent being a mom. Having a third child has certainly been an adjustment - I just don't have enough hands to go around. I find that going to the mall is too much work and rarely make the effort anymore - a good thing as far as our budget is concerned. I still try to find time for my one and only hobby, scrapbooking. I am teaching the Valiant 11 girls in primary and have loved this calling. With ten girls in my class, there is never a dull moment... or a quiet one for that matter.
Hayden Gray was born on June 5th, just two-and-a-half weeks before we moved to Utah. He is such a happy baby, and the fact that he has slept eleven hours through the night since he was two months old has made for a happy family (especially Mom)! Unlike our other children, who were quite attached to their pacifiers, he loves to suck on his middle and ring fingers. Although we find it adorable at this age, we know it will be much harder to break him of this habit than it was to throw away the binkies of our older children. He is certainly not lacking for attention. Austin and Ashleigh can't seem to get enough of him and are constantly smothering him with hugs and kisses.
Ashleigh will be four at the end of this month. Cameron says that she is three going on sixteen. She started preschool this fall and has loved every minute of it. She tells Austin that her school is more fun than his because she doesn't have to do "boring stuff." Pink is still her favorite color. She loves to dance around the house and dress up - the more accessories the better. It is not uncommon to find her wearing a tiara, clip-on earings, a locket, a ring or two, and half-a-dozen bracelets. She is a girly-girl and thinks all of this is "beautiful." She makes us laugh with the funny things she says and is a sweet sister to both of her brothers.
Austin is six-years-old and started first grade this year. He loves to go to school and has had no trouble adjusting and making friends. He is still our amazing reader. He loves to read just about anything he can get his hands on. He likes to play computer games, and his favorite activity, of late, is wrestling with his dad. The best things about moving, in his eyes, are that he now has somewhere to ride his bike, an entire neighborhood full of friends to play with, and it is only a twenty minute drive to visit either set of grandparents.
Our family loves this time of year. We love the lights, the Christmas music, the decorations, the treats, the gifts and the small acts of kindness we see going on all around us. But, more than any of these things, we love the wise men, the shepherds, the angels, the star, Joseph, Mary, and, most of all, Baby Jesus. One of my favorite Christmas songs says "Wise men still follow Him each day of their lives." What a wonderful reminder this is to us of the kind of people we ought to be, not just in December, but every day of the year. We are looking forward to spending time with many of you this holiday season. We miss those of you that are far away and hope to hear from you. Please know that our thoughts and hearts are with you.
Love,
Cameron, Amy, Austin, Ashleigh and Hayden Sabin
