Steve graduated with his master’s degree a year ago and got a job with Shelf Reliance. We packed our bags and headed to Provo for a very brief stint (four months to be exact). We then moved back to Logan where Steve got a great job back at Utah State University with The Shingo Prize in the Huntsman School of Business. He directs their marketing and communication efforts and feels like he has found his dream job.

Rachel is expecting a baby boy in February and did her first sprint triathlon in July. Moving two times, keeping up with the girls, managing the rental and development properties, organizing a non-profit, and being pregnant have filled her year completely to the brim!

Ava is four and has loved taking dance, violin, swimming lessons, and learning how to read. She is growing up so fast and enjoys to draw, sing, and do art projects. Ava is our sweetheart and peacemaker.

Lauren is two going on 30. The other night Ava wanted her to pretend like she was a lamb in the nativity scene. Lauren said “I am not a lamb, I am a woman.” And that sums up Lauren. She loves to dance, play with barbies, babies, wear skirts, put on lip-gloss, read books, and do everything herself.

And how could we forget the annual von video tradition. To compliment last year’s duet jingle and the Christmas video jingle from ’06, the girls wanted to do something special. This year Ava worked on releasing her first Christmas single, while Lauren cut the rug with a Christmas jive.

We express our gratitude for the abundance of life that we are blessed with. Thank you for your friendship and support. May the year ahead be filled with happiness and peace for you and your family.

Merry Christmas once again from the vons! We are in shock over how fast time flies. A year goes by in the blink of an eye; actually it seems shorter than the blink of an eye, if that’s possible. We are grateful to receive your updates and letters so we can know about what is going on in your lives. Here is what is going on in our neck of the woods:

Just last week Steve finished his graduate degree coursework in Instructional Technology and continues to work at Utah State. You might not have any clue what Instructional Technology is. To sum it up, it gives Steve motivation and skills to program our Christmas card rather than send it by mail. He will now begin looking for work, and we are excited to see where the next season of our lives will lead.

Rachel has been busy keeping the emotions of four women in check (Ava, Lauren, herself, and Grandma Morris). If our next child is not a boy (this is NOT an announcement), Steve would like to get a dog… someone who won’t get emotional while wrestling with him. In her spare time Rachel enjoys coordinating the rental and development properties we are working on. She has also thoroughly enjoyed teaching her niece and nephew piano lessons for the past four months.

Ava is going to be four in February. She began preschool this summer at Utah State University and loves seeing Steve on campus. She also recently fell in love with High School Musical and frequently invites Gabriella to have dinner with us. Some other things Ava loves: cooking, drawing, writing, painting, singing, reading, and being Lauren’s second mommy.

Lauren is our thrill seeker and we call her our sugar and spice girl. She continues to be so friendly and cuddly yet stubborn and opinionated all rolled into one. She keeps us laughing with all of her charm. Things Lauren loves: singing, reading, swimming, being tossed or thrown high in the air, taking care of her baby dolls, and pretty much anything Ava loves.

Due to popular demand from last year’s Christmas video jingle, we decided to make it an annual tradition. This year’s duet jingle will give you a few good laughs as you get a taste of the girl’s personalities.

We feel truly blessed beyond what words can express. Thank you for enriching our lives with your friendship and support. We are so grateful for Jesus Christ our Savior. May you have a wonderful upcoming year filled with the Spirit of Christ each day.