2017

2017 was filled with swimming, endless ice cream,  trips to the Children's Museum, our first attempt at growing a garden in the desert, picking lots of citrus, rock climbing, and countless adventures. It was a year of growing in many ways and is going to be hard to top.

Wyatt

Wyatt celebrated his first birthday! And while he has added to his vocabulary, still prefers to shout, 'mom' for  just about everything. He has an adventurous spirit; he's not afraid to attempt climbing, riding, or sliding anything. He never walks - it's either a skip-walk or a run. And, I swear, he is made of rubber - any time he falls or crashes, he bounces back up laughing. 

Wyatt's favorite moment of the year: "mom"

Kylie

Kylie didn't really grow physically - she is still petite and Wyatt is about to pass her up. Kylie particiapeted in her first dance class, and took it very seriously (she said, 'I do NOT like the chicken dance, I am a ballerina'). She also started violin! And just this past month graduated to a real violin (the smallest they make, measuring 9inches.). She loves it and finished off the year with her first recital. 

Kylie's favorite moment of the year: "the cupcakes at my birthday party"

Owen

Owen continues to be a happy, go-lucky guy. He lost his first two teeth this year. He still loves to learn and works hard at anything in front of him with a good attitude. This year he tried basketball and soccer. His choosen sport is soccer and he is excited to join a small league in a few months. Owen loves school and will sit and read to his siblings. With all that going on, his favorite thing to do is play video games and he thinks it would be awesome to do that all day - much to my dismay.

Owen's favorite moment of the year: "playing at the Children's Museum, but probably all of the things we did."

Levi

Levi turned eight shortly after the beginning of the year and chose to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He has taken his covenants seriously and strives to remember them. He also started electric guitar lessons, and loves to go rock climbing. He isn't interested in schoolwork and finds all sorts of ways to sneak outside. He does think about his future but can't decide exactly what he wants to be yet. Currently he is set on being a hunter/camper/forest ranger. Mostly because he thinks he won't have to read or do math; if anyone out there wants to show him otherwise let me know. I've tried to explain to him but I'm just boring-mom right now. He is growing up quickly.

Levi's favorite moment of the year: "growing a garden, or when mom and dad came back from Japan with gifts"

Lindsay and Devin

I, Lindsay, was surprised at what this past year brought. It has been a year of stretching, growing, and learning. I started teaching parenting classes to a small group of friends, and that quickly snowballed into multiple sessions with different groups of moms. I had the opportunity to lead a fundraiser for a dear friend, that also snowballed into something bigger than I imagined. And, for our ten year anniversary, Devin convinced me to get my passport and travel halfway across the world to Japan! Words cannot adequately express my experiences, the emotions I have felt, and the differnce in my life this past year has created.

Lindsay's favorite moment of the year: "visiting family in Idaho and flying with Grandpa."

Devin moved to clinic (he started working on real people!). He has loved it and has received some encouraging feedback from patients and doctors who oversee him. Don't let that fool you into thinking he has given up on his electric bike stuff because that is still happening - just at a slower pace. Devin loved being back in Japan. He was able to speak Japanese freely, visit places he hadn't before and return to old places, and of course eat the all the food he missed. 

Devin's favorite moment of the year: "being in Japan was pretty good."

2017 has been good to us, and we are excited to see what 2018 has to offer. 

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and good cheer for the New Year! 

Love, the Lindstrom family