February 11, 2005

Dear Family:

Well hello family. This is all so new and exciting, doing the family letter online. It’s Friday afternoon and we’ve got rain. Something we need, but hopefully it comes in intervals the land can handle easily. Our flood episode a month ago was very exciting and awful. The kids even got a school day off because buses couldn’t get over bridges throughout the county. I did download a picture of the flood, but it took so long to put on the webpage I didn’t do anymore. Maybe it was me; maybe it was my slow computer. We have a ton of pictures though that a pretty amazing.

Dean is scoutmaster and for February that means that the boys have Pow Wow. That means every Saturday morning from 8 am until noon he has to be at the Stake House during the month of February (except the Holiday weekend), while the boys work on merit badges on a stake level. It’s a great way for boys to earn merit badges, but the poor leaders and merit badge counselors. The young men and women have also been working on that Youth Spectacular dance every Wednesday night and I think the leaders are about sick of it. Our program is on March 2^nd, so it is closing in soon.

I’m (Trudy) once again in school. I have five classes left before I will graduate. I plan on graduating the spring of 2006, but will have finished classes this fall. That’s amazing. It only took 6 ½ years for my degree. I’m still in Primary and still love it. We have stake conference this Sunday, then ward conference the next week. I’m not too exciting. I prefer to stay home more than most anything and do handwork of some sort.

Katie was just set apart as Mia Maid President. She turns 15 on the 2^nd of March. Holy smoke, I guess we have one more year of not worrying about teenagers and driving. Then these kids will start dropping like flies into the driving mode. Katie is still in piano and loves to just sit down and practice. Both Katie and Brook have to play piano in young women which is great. Katie is on the yearbook staff and signed up for yearbook at high school next year also.

Brook and Katie are signed up for EFY this summer during the first of June. It’s hard to believe they are both old enough to go to EFY. Their friend, Ciera is also going up. Brook and Katie are playing ward basketball. Last night Brook was fouled and made a foul shot. Pretty exciting considering Brook does NOT play sports. I guess it was pretty exciting. I was at school. Brook has marched in a couple of parades this school year and is pretty cute all 70 pounds of her carrying a 30 pound drum.

Brady has once again started baseball for his tournament team. We wouldn’t let him sign up for basketball because he needed his tendonitis to heal. He also starts little league baseball the end of March. I don’t think he’ll be playing soccer anymore. Brady just turned 12 and was ordained a deacon on Sunday. He will pass sacrament this Sunday and they certainly need him. Our deacons are small numbers. Brady and Brook are both still in piano and will be until they memorize 100 hymns.

Things are hopping and it seems like the doors at our house are always swinging open and close just to keep up with all the activities we’ve got going on. I’m guessing that is true of everybody. Dean is busy at work and that is always good. We hope this letter finds everybody well. We’ve been lucky this winter and haven’t been plagued with any sickness.

Both Kyle and Drew are responsible for their own letters. I reminded Drew today and I will remind Kyle tomorrow he drops off Taylor and Konner for babysitting.

Have a great day.

Love, The Santa Clara Berryessa’s