Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Shon and Pam Flake Family Christmas Letter 2008

2008 has been quite a year of ups and downs, and through it all, we are ever grateful to know of our Savior's love for us. We love this time of year, which reminds us of the things that are really important, even in these unstable times.

Shon is now the principal at Snowflake Intermediate, and we've learned that change is as good as a vacation! His dad passed away in June and we have missed him, yet enjoy good memories of his amazing life!

Pam found Abe sneaking food from the fridge one day. Thinking it was junk, she asked, "Abe, what are you eating?" He guiltily turned and was eating lettuce! After laughing, she said, "Now, why can't I crave lettuce?!"

Daliah walks to town every day to her job at the Snowflake Intermediate cafeteria. Her memory is so good that we often ask, "Daliah, I can't find the phone book, what is So-and-So's phone number?" She'll know it!

Jewel returned home from Taiwan in January, was engaged by February, married in April to our handsome new son, Steve, and they announced to us that they will have a baby in March!! What a year!!

Shiloh returned home from Canada in February. In April he convinced our new beautiful daughter, Danica, to say, "Yes!" and they were married in June! They are going to college in Utah, and we miss them like crazy!

NaElle is going to cosmetology school in Mesa. She is also working as an aid at an elementary school. Every time she comes home to visit she has to give someone a haircut...we're just giving her good experience!

Jayze, a senior, is playing "Judd" in the high school play, "Oklahoma". He totaled our pickup this summer, and then just tonight, we received a sheepish call...something about a speeding ticket. Ah, young drivers!

Noah, a junior, has a voice as deep as his dad's! At times when he is talking elsewhere in the house, his mom thinks, "When did Shon get home?" He is juggling college classes, music, sports and his sanity!!

Levi is now a freshman. Poor guy...not only is he a middle child, but his school picture is in a placed where it often gets knocked off the wall. The frame has been re-glued so many times it's more glue than wood!

Molly is in junior high. She is learning the challenges of juggling many classes and teachers. She broke her leg in her ballroom dance class (we didn't know ballroom could be so dangerous!) and is loving the attention!

Katie is in sixth grade. She raised a pig for 4H, and oh, how thrilled she was to get her cute little piglet, which she named Hamlet. But by the end, "Monster Hamlet" weighed 300 pounds more than Katie did!

Abe is in the third grade, and with the help of wonderful aids and counselors, he is progressing in his physical, emotional, and academic development. We wonder how he can have so much energy on lettuce!

McKay is in the fourth grade. He enjoyed playing little league this summer, but we think his favorite part was standing at bat, looking over his shoulder to make sure we were there and waving at us!

How blessed we are to have you for our family and friends. May you have peace all year round.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Merry Christmas!!

This is actually Jewel writing--I'm starting this blog for my Mom for Christmas--Merry Christmas!! Check back in a few weeks to see what's going on in the Flakes' crazy lives!! It'll be fun, I promise!!