02-28-05

I figure that if February had the usual amount of days like the rest of the months, I would have had the family newsletter done by the end of the month. If this logic doesn’t make sense to you, please don’t fret about it.

It seems like a lifetime since our last family letter was written. I’m not sure where those ended up, but if anyone has the hardcopies of the last family letter, I’d love to put mine back in my family personal history file.

Here we go…

Scott has bitten off more than he can chew. He got talked into teaching two classes instead of just one at Weber State this semester, and as soon as he agreed to do that, he realized they had put his U of U class on this semester’s schedule as well. So he’s teaching three classes this semester, as well as his full time job and travel schedule. Let me tell you..it’s been crazy for him! He’s had a huge number of big project that he’s been working on finally come to pass, so that his product has surpassed all other Jetway products in production levels. That’s exciting for Scott, but really keeps him busy. He arranged a really great fireside the other night with some of the YPM’s that served in Nauvoo with Tyler—they did a musical program with testimony of Joseph Smith, as a kick off to the “…Marvelous Work…” celebration that is planned for this summer. He’s also deep into Youth Conference planning for this summer. Scott has plans to go to Kansas City, New Orleans, Boston, and Israel sometime in the next month, as well as St. George for a few days for Lauren’s dance competition. Scott got really sick in December, and had a strange kind of Pneumonia that destroyed the scillia in his lungs. He is still coughing, and the doctor says it may be 6 months before it grows back and he is totally healed.

The first couple of months are busy one’s for me at work, with year end accounting and tax returns. We also did a big show in Orlando in January (the International Builders Show) so I had a lot of preparation for that, with new brochures, exhibit, etc. Just before Christmas, my doctors found a little spot they thought might have been melanoma, but after the biopsy, realized it was a less serious type of cancerous growth. They still had to do followup surgery to section off and remove additional surrounding areas. I can now sit long enough to type one family newsletter as I still have stitches in my britches!

Jim has been dating a St. George girl, who is attending school at USU. They take turns traveling on the weekends to spend time together. Her family came up to SLC last weekend (we think to check him out) and evidently he passed the test, because they’ve invited him to their place over spring break. He has another tough schedule this quarter at school, but it’s nice to see him loosen up a little and do something social, and realize that he can still get good grades. The Millenium choir has resumed their concerts, and he will be performing all over the state about 2 times per month. He will be in St. George in a couple of weeks—we’ll try to get information to the family down there in case they are interested. He is attending the singles ward and likes that atmosphere.

Tyler is currently serving as a zone leader in Apostiles, which is in the northeast section of Argentina. He loves his current companion, Elder Johnson, and they are making plans to be roommates after their missions. He loves teaching and working with the people in all of their many problems to resolve whatever issues they have to overcome in order to join the church. He recently had a lovely BBQ with the best steak he has ever eaten; and then found out it was a cow heart! We feel like we have really been blessed while he has been serving, and are so impressed with the growth and maturity that we see in him. I plan to forward his current letter to also be posted on the family newsletter site, so you can read more details about him if you want.

Landon is doing good in high school, and has had two straight quarters of 4.0 so we’re relieved that he’s adjusted okay, and we’re awfully glad they moved him up. He is still taking one class on internet high school, and attends early morning seminary so that he can make up his missing credits. We’re talking about how to register him for summer drivers ed….can you believe that? He had a pretty bad broken collar bone in January, after going off a jump while snowboarding. It has not been healing as they would have liked, but he is finally showing signs of improvement, so he got his brace off. He still can’t do lifting for another 4 weeks, but at least they think he won’t need physical therapy now. He is so very proud to be sporting a big, bushy, mullet type of hairdo. The girls cringe, but his guy friends think it’s the coolest thing. I’m trying to talk him into cutting it all off for a while, but I think he likes the attention that it brings. Landon decided that he wanted to learn to play the guitar, so he has been teaching himself chords and sounds pretty good after just a few weeks. Landon got his Eagle awarded to him in January, and had a joint program with his cousin Lindsey, who received her YW recognition the same night.

Lauren just turned 14 a few weeks ago, and had a sleepover at a hotel down by southtowne mall. The girls swam, shopped and just played in their room. I, wisely, got a room of my own. She’s doing well in school, and enjoys dance company, history, and being an office aide. Her clogging team will be going to St. George again in a few weeks for the Dixie Stampede. She just went to her first piano Federation at the community college, where she was judged by three judges, and she received an “Excellent” rating. That’s the most nervous I’ve ever seen her at a performance. She went snowboarding for the first time this winter and really caught on fast. She got a video camera for Christmas, and some movie editing software for her early birthday, and she has already learned how to make the dang funniest movies. She did a drunk driving awareness movie with all of her friends for actors called “Think Before You Drink.” It is a one minute video showing drunk girls getting into a car and driving down the street to pick up their friends. The car ends up hitting the friends as they wait on the sidewalk. It took 2^nd place at the technology fair, and was really good. For fun, she has been making “American Idol” video segments with all of her friends, Landon’s friends, and yes, even her mother lip syncing to a song, and then she speeds it up like the Chipmunks and makes it so hilarious. She is such a funny girl.

Well, that’s all that’s going on with us right now. We look forward to getting that email that says “A New Newsletter has been posted…” Hope all is well with everyone else.

The Gwilliam’s in Taylorsville, Utah