The makings of 2012!

Great blessings that have come our way this year:
The WHOLE Family came together in Yosemite this year!

One new granddaughter 

Ariel and Brian have had an adventurous year with Emily. Ariel left her teaching job to be a full time mommy to Emily, but gets to teach a class at BYU once a week.

and another on the way. 

Jake and I both were accepted into our school programs! Mandy is in her last 4 weeks of pregnancy and We moved into a new apartment this year.  I am the new wing commander at the AFROTC, was awarded a grant for my research proposal and was accepted into the National Reconnaissance Office to do Research this summer.  So we have just been busy with school and work and We are both in school and anticipating new adventures with a little one!

Jake and Mandy

Mike is hired by Utah Highway Patrol, and Nikki is close to finishing her degree. 

   

Glen leaves on his mission after a year at U of U.

Amber and Nate move to a little Island off the coast of Washington State for her new dream job.

So here are the pros and cons so far with the new home.  The pros are we literally feel like we have our own forest in the middle of the island.  The owner has 20 acres, but all the other homes around have at least that much too and it borders 100 acres of nature reserve, so you really feel on your own.  The forest is a beautiful mix of cedar and fir trees with moss and ferns covering the ground.  Also the home is so quiet and pitch black at night, which has made for our two nights there incredibly peaceful, but it's a little unnerving at first.

 Nikki, the boys, and cousins, made it to the top of Half Dome with mom this year.

Hey everyone! It's been a fun year full of exciting and interesting things.

I am still working at Utah Symphony | Utah Opera and still loving it. 
Entirely in charge of the Volunteer Network on top of everything else.
On the board for the Off Broadway Theatre.
Saw over 50 plays/concerts this year. 
Accidentally hiked Glacier Point in Yosemite.
Published three more editions to Witness Protection Program.
And more...

You can follow me on my blog at melissadawnsingleton.blogspot.com for the daily stories I have to tell.

Rachel is currently living the high school life.. Striving for strait A's and taking AP classes often leaved her drowning in homework. She loves to try new thinks like taking a theater class this semester and Auto tech and Woodworking next. She is currently the Director of the Art Club at Davis High and enjoys being creative. Rachel loves to go to regional and school dances and is having fun dating. Rach loves the Gospel and enjoys serving others when she can find the time. She is currently waiting patiently for her time to serve a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is very excited for it. Rachel is also currently planning on attending LDS Business College for a year before her mission and is so far planning on getting her Business Degree when she returns. She does not like being the only one left at home and so is anxious to move out but for now she is our last teenager home, trying to live life to the fullest, and we are enjoying every moment!

Jeannette's parents move to Utah

and Jeannette goes back to school, and is accepted into the Special Ed teaching program.

Elder Singleton still "running"

If you remember the talk given at the last general conference by Elder Brent H. Nielson, I just had a wonderful opportunity to meet him. He is a new member of the first quorum of the Seventy and part of our area presidency now and he arrived in Perth today, to speak at the EFY and so he'll be here for Elder Cook's visit this weekend. We got to have dinner with him and his wife at the mission home with President and Sister Maurer and it was quite an experience. Even more incredible though was that my companion Elder Cook was his neighbor back in Twin falls Idaho growing up before his service was full time for the church. So when we had the opportunity to drive them to their hotel after it was an extra special conversation we had. We got to talk to him about his proccess of being called to the seventy and preparing to speak at general conference. His experiences being trained by Apostles and participating in assigning people to missions. We got to hear about his office in between Elder Scott and Elder Holland and being able to take the sacrament in the temple once a month with the prophet there and having testimony meetings there. He's just an amazing man and I just couldn't believe the experience and the things I learned from it. Its an incredible blessing that i have been given this past week to be a part of. We are really excited for Elder Cook's visit with Bishop Burton, I can't imagine the things I will learn from them this weekend. On Saturday theres a missionary meeting, for just missionaries for 2 hours. My companion and I will sit on the stand with Elder Cook, Bishop Burton, Elder Nielson,Elder Meurs, and Presiden't and Sister Maurer. Its still processing in my mind.. just absolutely amazing. Well I love you and pray everything goes well. The last couple days have been in the 40's.. thats about 110 degrees farenheit!! love you

Elder Singleton

Highlights of Christmas 2009

We had such a wonderful visit with Grandma and Grandpa in California this November, we were thrilled to recieve this special poem!

Over the river and through the woods,
to Grandmother's house we go...
Come visit and chat when ever you can
Stay for a day or a lengthier span.
By one-zies or two-zies or families or more!
And free airport shuttle for you and your crew!
Free Wi Fi for laptops for internet use, and you can
Charge up your cell-phones withour 'lectrical juice.
Play games and have picnics, have Joy for a season,
With Grandma and Grandpa, for any old reason!

You can bet we will be out there more in the coming months!


My Mother, the cage fighter - story

years ago my son took this picture of me and put it on his myspace page with the caption: My mother, the CageFighter. The idea was so bizarre that it stuck.

THis year for Christmas, Brian created a logo for some sweatshirts for our kids!















Oh my! I could never have imagined this when I dreamed of my family as a young mother. :-)

















More special memories of this Christmas:
Having Melissa home for the week with her incredible spirit of Christmas joy!
Shopping with Rachel :-)
Christmas Eve with the whole family- their gift of the Christmas story for me.
Amber and Nate's family Bible!
Having Melissa, Ariel and Brian home for Christmas morning!
My Electric blanket from Michael!
His picture of "Christ in Africa" for Amber
Melissa's Christmas Carol up at Park City- Costume director, Mom and Rachel sewing, sewing!
Seeing the play with the whole family!
Caroling with the whole family to neighbors
Glen's Ballroom dance performances
Off Broadway's "X-Mas Men"! More of Melissa's costumes and Rachel's abominable snowman's head.

love this! had to share it again!

LDS Church Leaders preparing us for the 2nd Coming of Christ

The new floor!!!

NewKitchen in the Making

So here is the record of the travels of our kitchen! what started as "new cabinet doors" :-) has become a whole new kitchen from top to bottom!
Everyone has helped. From GLen and Rachel and big Michael at home, to our kids far away! They keep coming back to do more and more and more! It has been an amazing journey!

Melissa, Amber, Ariel and Rachel painted the kitchen. . .


























While Brian cut away 3 feet of wall and started the window!!

Now we have a New Green Kitchen. :WOW wakes ya up! and Then they put up the beautiful New White Cabinets!

Michael fixed all the electrical and put up two new lights from Ariel and Brian. :-)




and the window went from this . . .

to this . . . to this . . . to this!










view from the kitchen! and my new cupboards that Nate helped me to build into the wall!






Next step . . . the floor! Nate came and ripped up the old lanolium, Ariel and Brian came back with Nate and they helped lay the cement board and took out the bottom cabinets! Today we lay tile!

Elder Singleton!

Out eight months! Workin' like crazy! Breakin' records! Teaching the people! Serving the Lord!

May 5: Senior Companion, assigned trainee, District Leader

We love you Elder!!!!!