The Flip Side: What Happened in 2013? Or, we didn't do Christmas Cards again...

Van Wagoners 2013

Well, another year has come and gone and once again we are failures in the Christmas Card Department. All of the Christmas cards sent to us, however, are very much appreciated. Seeing your pictures and reading about your exciting adventures is fun. It's nice to know that we're not the only ones experiencing craziness. So, here is another attempt to catch you up, should be interested, in the goings on in our family.

Clara is a handful. She's smart. She's funny. She's bossy. Walking came to her pretty quickly, right around her first birthday. She likes to draw and color on anything she can find. Traveling in the van is not her idea of a good time.


Clara and Rochelle

Elizabeth had a wonderful year. She is a phonetics expert who can tell you the sound each letter makes. Like her brother Isaiah, she is an amazing, self-taught dancer. Her favorite songs for the year are Kristen Chenoweth's version of "Popular" from Wicked and Katy Perry's "Roar". Elizabeth is excited to graduate from Nursery to the Sunbeam Primary class at church.

Lizzie loving the snow

Isaiah wrapped up kindergarten and is working through the first grade. He loves school but HATES getting up in the morning. He played his first season of t-ball with the city league. His base running skills were amazing. In November one of his life-long (well, at least for the past two years) dreams came true--he started wrestling practices at the same gym with Elijah. At the Primary Talent Show he performed an entertaining dance to Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust."

Isaiah Digging 1st Grade

Elijah finished his first wrestling season back in February and just started the next one. He played his first season of little league baseball. He is now in the fourth grade trying to decide if he likes the new replacement teacher. He spent some time working on the farm in Malad with his Grandpa Panting this summer and was able to go to 4H camp again. He plans on raising a pig for 4H next summer. Each week he loves to go to Cub Scouts and wrestling. One of the highlights of Elijah's year was to be surprised by his Grandpa Reed who returned early from his deployment to the Middle East.


Elijah making his pinewood derby car with Brother Peterson

Gracee finished up her last year at Somerset, her charter school, and transitioned to the uniform-free world of public schools. She is loving Thurman White Middle School although the freedom to wear what she wants is a bit overwhelming at times. This year she has started learning how to play the french horn and is playing her first season of lacrosse. Her band teacher said she is one of the quickest learners he has this year on the french horn. She's already scored a goal in one of her first lacrosse games. In September, Gracee turned 12 and graduated from Primary to the Young Women program at church. This summer she raised a lamb and did very well at the Oneida County Fair. She also attended Beehives' Camp.

Gracee and Emmalee with Aunt Samantha (photobomb courtesy of Elizabeth)

Emmalee finished up her last year of middle school. She had a great time at Thurman White, playing soccer and lacrosse and playing the flute in the band. Right after school ended she went on the Stake Youth Pioneer Trek sporting a homemade apron. This summer she had the privilege of attending marching band camp. Her freshman year of high school is in full swing. We attended several football games to watch her play in the halftime show. She had a couple of marching band competitions including one in California. Practice for high school lacrosse started recently. At the end of last year she was invited to play in a special lacrosse tournament representing the Las Vegas Valley.

Emmalee and Alayna at the Jackson Family Reunion

Rochelle is an amazing wife and mother. She manages, most of the time, to get everyone to where they're supposed to be. All of our children's accomplishments listed above can be attributed in large part to her efforts. She took a trip to Michigan this summer to spend time with her sister Amanda and her new niece. Somehow she and Clara survived the adventure of flying together there and back. In November she ran the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay and came screaming down Mt. Charleston for one her fastest paces ever.

Rochelle (Vegas Ragnar) running down Mt. Charleston

Jarad's been busy with his new job. He's had the chance to travel a bit to some new places like Watford City, North Dakota. During the summer he went on the Stake Youth Pioneer Trek to provide support to all the trekkers. Running races took up a lot of his free time. He ran the Ragnar Zion Trail Relay, the Ogden Marathon, the Wasatch Back Ragnar and the Las Vegas Ragnar. He also attended his 20 year high school class reunion. At the beginning of November he was called to serve as bishop of the Whitney Ranch Ward.