We will start with Jared. He started and completed the P.O.S.T. Academy in 2009 and graduated valedictorian. He is now applying for deputy and officers positions, but currently has not found a department to call home yet. I know it will happen! He would be an amazing asset to any department! Jared also did quite a bit with his side business, JDJ Multi-Media LLC. He likes to import and edit video, work with digital pictures, shoot photos, make slideshows, film video and work with audio. He is working on several exciting videos this year. He loved to be busy and loved spending time with our three children. It has been such a blessing to have Jared home this year and continuing his education. He is enjoying being in the High Priest group leadership in our ward. He had the opportunity at the end of 2008 to have the honor of is father setting him apart as a High Priest. He is such an example in our family. He always tells me, "Everthing will work out." and it always does. He is a rock!
I am still loving my job. I work for a great accounting firm and am in my 12th year with them. I still do the firm accounting and take care of all the personnel needs of the company. My title is Administrative Assistant. I again had the opportunity of putting together the annual Christmas party and it included many of our clients as well as our employees. We rented a local theatre and invited Jason Hewlett, The Entertainter (click to enjoy his hilarious promo) to entertain our employees and guests. We had a spectactular turn out with approximately 1,200 in attendance and it was incredible. It was really fun to head up such a project. I am involved in many interesting and challenging projects. Besides my day job that keeps me busy, I love to sell AVON (to support my own bad habits!), play volleyball once a week, scrapbook with one of my best friends once a week and serve in the Relief Society presidency as the Enrichment Counselor. First and foremost are my beautiful children. They bring so much joy and happiness to my life. I am grateful beyond words to be trusted as a mother!
Kirina Lee's Update:
Kirina is in the 3rd grade now and rocking reading. I can't keep her nose out of books! She is enjoying school and loves to be the big sister. She is in a different hallway and gets to pick up Kysa after school. She is such a sweet girl and I love that she likes to be in charge. She is a girl after my own heart. She loves the Earth and is very concerned about saving dolphins and water and trees. She is very open minded and observant. She started a "club" to pick up litter and clean up the neighborhood and keep our Earth clean. I remember being a 9 year old with many "clubs". Jared and I love watching this girl's brain work. She is amazing. She is all girl and oh so sassy at times!
Kysa Christine's Update:
Kysa is in the 1st grade and she will more than likely tell you that she missed the deadline in Kindergarten by 14 days and that she should be in the 2nd grade! She is a brainiac and loves to learn. She is very much in the top of her class and is competitive to stay there. She is a very by the rules girl and wants to make sure everyone is obeying. We never know what she is going to come up with or say next. She is very imaginative (something that comes from her father). She is enjoying school and also loves being a Mother hen to her little brother. Kysa loves anything that has to do with ponies and horses. She is our little equestrian.
Jordan Justice's Update:
Jordan is now 3 and what can I say, a Terror! He has so much energy and is such a boy. If I have a house standing by the time he is raised, I will have done my job! The girls sometimes (well most of the time) leave markers and crayons within his reach and we have many permanent murals on our walls. I have completely given up trying to wash and paint over most of them for the time being. He is a destructo maniac, but oh so cute! He makes our family complete and we wouldn't trade him for the world. Jordan likes Batman and Robin and wants 2 guns with bullets (of course to be like daddy), a skateboard and Legos for Christmas.
We didn't have any huge trips this year like we did last year, but we got to spend time with my brother and his family at Thomas the Train in Heber City and we enjoyed a camping trip at the Minnetonka Caves. I am pretty sure all of you know that my one and only brother and his family were in a tragic car accident on August 5 of this year. He did not survive his injuries and returned to live with our Heavenly Father. We are grateful beyond words that we were able to have so many fun memories with him in 2009 and many, many more previously. We are also grateful that we still have his cute little family as part of our Earthly family and don't know that we could have gotten through this without them. So Merry Christmas, Phil (and please tell Dad, Grandpa T and Grandpa S Merry Christmas from us)!
We are looking to have an incredible 2010 and hoping that all our family and friends have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We wish you all the best and hope to hear from you! Drop us a line at jenniel_johnson@msn.com or find me on Facebook (Jared doesn't have one, but I love it....Jennie Sorensen Johnson)
Love,
The Johnsons...Jared, Jennie, Kirina, Kysa and Jordan
We celebrated with Mexican bottled Coke and yummy French dip sandwiches! That is as WILD as we get! It was delish!
