Annual New Year Letter

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As another year passes I am blessed to reflect on the awesome memories made in the 2015 year.

Hannah turned 6 years old in April with a Rapunzel themed birthday party.  She lost 8 teeth during kindergarten and has excelled in the first half of First grade.  Her favorite subject is Math, although her reading continues to improve.  She continues Ukulele lessons and has begun sight reading the notes.  Hannah is in her second year as a Daisy scout where she is earns badge after badge for events such as: the MUDFACTOR, volunteering at the local homeless shelter, and helping to raise our litter of pups last January.

   Zechariah celebrated his 5^th birthday in July with his buddies at Go Banana’s with a ninja turtle party.  Zechariah started Kindergarten in August and has been  star student 3 times for his excellent behavior and love of learning. Zechi enjoys spending afternoons on his homemade obstacle cours,, reading books, playing video games with daddy (Lego Batman is his current favorite) and riding his bike (without training wheels!)  In May, Zechi went on his first train ride with Uncle Bruce and Aunt Recia to Fresno to surprise cousin August with a visit.

   Tabitha turned 3 years old with all the princesses in Ariel’s grotto at Disneyland- our finale hurrah for last year’s annual passes.  She attends “Daddy School,” as she affectionately calls it, and spends her days playing with GAK, play dough, and coloring books.  Tabitha is in love with all animals (sometimes to death as in the case of our short lived bunny). She sings her favorite song, “Jesus is my Superhero” at the top of her lungs and prances around Stockton in dress-up clothes like her favorite character: Fancy Nancy. 

   We spent Brandon’s birthday weekend in Yosemite, where he enjoyed a few solo hikes.  Brandon has rocked the Mr. Mom role after retiring from his youth duties at the church last May, to the point where I jokingly tease him about not allowing him to work ever again!  He’s honed in his carpentry skills by building Gotham city for this year’s VBS set, and renovated our entire backyard. His recent hobbies include extensive studies into magnetism, homemade generators, and greasing his hands under the hood of his ’74 Camero. 
     I’ve continued working as the 7/8 math teacher at Mable Barron, leading the CanClub ministry at COCC, and serving the girl scouts as troop leader.  This past May, I was blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime: a 4-day hike along the Ancient Incan Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru with my dear dad, uncle and cousin, there are literally no words to describe the adventure and sights that this trip provided.  Upon returning I trained for my first half marathon with my dear friend Julie and completed the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco this past October.  

The family’s highlight of this year was our 2-week road trip from San Diego, CA to Gig Harbor, WA.  The trip started with the Girl Scouts carpooling to San Diego. There, we set up tent at Camp Newell’s and spent our cookie money at the San Diego zoo one day and playing in Ocean Beach the second day.  We then cleaned out the Mazda and packed the truck taking cousin Lauren with us for a week: camping in Dunsmuir, played with salamanders in Lost Lake, OR, becoming official Goonies in Astoria OR, and climbed mountains of Oysters in Cape Disappointment, WA.  We finally arrived in Gig Harbor and spent another four days playing with Uncle Kevin, Auntie Andrea, Baby Charlotte, Ommie and Papa.  There we cruised the harbor on the Buggy’s Yacht, explored sea life on the docks, paddled away in Kayaks, and dug up Sand dollars in the bay.  We said our finale goodbyes and then wrapped up our vacation in Mammoth Lakes NV.  While there Brandon and I got a date night hiking to the top of a mountain, the kids rode horses and bikes, and we went inter tubing in Papa’s new boat.

God continues to be amazing and we continue to praise him for the experience he provides in this life.  We pray that you are richly blessed with love and family this Christmas season and into the New Year. 

                           With Love,

                               The Lake Family