Dear Family & Friends,
We can hardly believe it’s the end of 2010 already! The time has flown by this year. It’s been a difficult and yet great year in many ways for our family. We started off the year, January 1st, with news of the death of my Granddaddy Wornom, then traveled to Maryland and Virginia for his funeral. It was a sad and difficult event, but wonderful to see family, especially many relatives we haven’t seen in years. My daughters were able to meet my Granddaddy’s sister, Rose, and my Grandma’s sister, Lucille, who they had never met before. It was a very special experience we will never forget! February and March we kept busy going to Amanda’s AAU Volleyball tournaments on Saturdays, among many other Church and school activities. We also enjoyed a fun little family weekend to the Mall of America in Minnesota. Who knew they had so many fun rides there?? April brought Amanda’s 13th birthday – she became a TEENAGER – and Eliza’s 16th birthday – she could get her DRIVER’S LICENSE!! (OK, so she didn’t get her license until August because she still had to take Driver’s Ed, but at least she became old enough to get it!) May was well…just busy! As usual! June was an exciting month. We attended the awesome Cross Family Reunion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and had the time of our lives!! We are so happy and grateful for that wonderful experience! Also, in June, Amanda went to Young Women’s Camp and was lucky enough to have her Grandma Jane (my mom) as one of her Camp Counselors! Mom had 7 daughters and never got to go to Camp with any of us, so she was thrilled to get to go with Amanda and even though it was a tough week for both of them, they had a great time! Also, the end of June, I had an exploratory laparoscopic surgery for some pain I’d been having. In July, Eliza enjoyed 4 days in Nauvoo at Youth Conference and as a bonus…my sister, Tammy, her friend Cindy and Cindy’s mom, and Amanda and I met her at the end of Youth Conference and were able to attend their Youth Testimony Meeting Saturday morning. We then spent the rest of the weekend in Nauvoo and had an absolutely wonderful time! Yet another experience I will be forever grateful for!! August was filled with a Swallow Family Reunion in Utah surrounding the wedding of the youngest Swallow girl, Jenna! We had a VERY busy couple of weeks, spending wonderful time with our wonderful family! It was so fun to see our little Jenna go to the temple and be sealed to her husband for time and eternity. The joy on both of their faces was so evident! September through December has honestly just been a blur! In September, I had another surgery to remove a blocked fallopian tube. I was so grateful for the friends who brought meals for both surgeries and for Mom who brought meals, cleaned my house and did my laundry!! I was also so grateful to Heavenly Father for watching over me and helping me to get through both surgeries. He truly works miracles in our lives as it was discovered in the first surgery that some things have healed and it may be possible for us to have another child!
In October, we were extremely sad to not have been able to attend the wedding of our niece, Lacey, in the Fresno, California Temple. The year had just been a little too exciting and our bodies and checking account were exhausted! But we are SO happy for Lacey & Richard and wish them all the best!
It has been a full and crazy year with many blessings and, as you can see, many wonderful experiences!
Tim works as a maintenance electrician at the John Deere Foundry. He teaches the 4 & 5 year olds in Primary and has been keeping busy working on finishing a bathroom in our basement.
I am still working as a secretary at Juvenile Court Services and have recently changed from part-time to full-time. For most of the year, I was Primary President, but was just released a few weeks ago, and now I am teaching the Youth Sunday School (ages 12-18), so I get to teach Eliza and Amanda. It’s great fun!
Eliza is a Junior this year and LOVING having her driver’s license! She is hoping Mom and Dad will get a 3rd vehicle soon that she can drive when Mom & Dad are off with their own cars... it’s on the list, honey! She joined Drill Team this year (Flags) and LOVES it. She was even chosen to be the Captain! Between that and school, Young Women’s Activities, Personal Progress (she is earning her medallion AGAIN!), seminary, Speech, band and choir, being the Laurel President (president over the 16-17 year old class in Young Women’s), and family and home stuff, she keeps very busy! She loves to read and listen to music, spend time with her friends, especially her best friend, Megan, who went to Utah with us this year and is like our 3rd daughter! Eliza has recently been contemplating pursuing cosmetology and nursing after high school. She has a very compassionate, tender, nurturing side to her that I think would make her a great nurse! Eliza is ever the happy, goofy, cuddly, wonderful girl who makes us all laugh! She is a joy to be around!
Amanda is in 8th grade and focusing on getting through Junior High with flying colors! She had a great volleyball season in school and is looking forward to AAU volleyball now. In 7th grade, she was also in track and did a great job. Right now, she is serving as the Junior High Girls basketball manager. She plays the drums in band and is having more fun with that than ever with her awesome new band director! She also stays busy with school, band, choir, Young Women’s activities, Personal Progress, and she is the Beehive President (president over the 12-13 year old class in Young Women’s). She has really been drawn to poetry and art lately and is becoming a very talented artist! She also loves to listen to music and read. She’s recently decided she wants to be a police detective or work for the FBI someday! Yikes! She’s braver than I am!! Amanda has lots of friends and loves to spend time with them, but she squeezes in plenty of time for family, too! She has a great sense of humor and is just as fun and wonderful to be around as ever!
We love you all, and miss those of you who are far away from us, more than we can say! We truly hope you have a wonderful Christmas, a Happy New Year, and that the peace the Christ child brought to Earth will be with you always!!
Tim, Steph, Eliza, Amanda & Josie (woof!) Cross
