December 2014

Dear family and friends,

Anything that brings us closer to God can rightly be named a blessing.  It has been difficult to begin this letter because we’ve gained some very special blessings this year which are still tender.  But they also deepen the gratitude we feel at this season for the precious gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We feel drawn to Him this year more than perhaps any other.

David finds himself quite busy as a bishop over 200 households.  David is loved and learning things that could not be learned any other way.  He still makes wonderful company and carves out time for his family and business.  He tends the crops of his lot and we still have lingering remnants of what we have termed The Bishop’s Harvest.

Early this year Leadelle was awakened with pain deep in her right ear.  A week later it was diagnosed as shingles and a couple of days from that, identified as a rare complication called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.  Because it was caught early and treated effectively, the damage was not permanent, but the healing is slow.   One of the blessings which came from David serving as bishop this year was that an army of helpers descended upon us for several weeks while Leadelle was completely incapacitated.  This remains a humbling, tender experience; one we are happy to see behind us. 

Leadelle also lost her dear younger brother Eric this fall.  He had serious health difficulties most of his adult life.  Yet his spirit was so vital and strong that we believed he could really live forever, carrying the disease by will and mercy.  We found ourselves quite unprepared for his departure.  We all miss him so very much, especially in this season. 

Oh yeah, and Leadelle is the PTA president at the elementary school this year.

Cambry is half way through her junior year at BYU.  She loves the English program and is most delighted to participate in the London study abroad program spring 2015.  She will move home this week after she completes her finals to help save money for this wonderful opportunity (pray a scholarship comes through!).  She was ward choir director for the second time this past fall and takes voice lessons.

Riley has had a big year.   He graduated with academic honors from Orem High this spring, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and passed three AP exams.  He was accepted to BYU and received just enough scholarship incentive to make the choice easy.  He is currently at the missionary training center in Provo preparing for his two-year service in the Thailand, Bangkok Mission beginning Jan 19.  Since he had four and a half months from receiving his call to his departure, he entered the training center last month with 100 hours of study in Thai which has helped him immensely.  He’s such a good kid and we miss his company.  We get a phone call Christmas day!!!

Parker has sprouted up all of the sudden.  He loves his courses as a junior at Orem High.  He’s the president of the chess club.  He serves in a calling for special needs mutual, a volunteer program providing enriching experiences to special needs individuals of all ages each week.  It has been good for him.  He is vibrant and funny.  He’s stepping up as the young man of the house now and he LOVES possessing the cell phone Riley vacated.

Elise moved to junior high this year.  Her adjustment has been quite smooth and she continues to be such a sweet, pleasant, and helpful family member.  She is conditioning for track and loves distance!  Elise continues with piano and we are delighted with the progress she has made.  She loves to get up really early once a week and attend the Provo Temple to perform baptisms for the dead before school.  When Riley was home, they made this trip many times together.

Aleah is best described by her Grandma Parish as “a bubble ready to burst.”  She continues her Chinese immersion where she does very well.  She loves her teachers and has good friends.  Aleah also studies piano and she’s making quick progress.  She composed an original piece for the school’s Reflections competition and won there and at the Council level.  She now wants to win District, State, and Nation as well. 

Josie still delights us all, and others as well: I noticed someone I didn’t know taking a photo of her today at the elementary school Christmas sing.  She has so many fun quotes as a three year old.  This week she was concentrating as she wrote, “I’m studying Thai, Mom.”  She defended leaving her scooter out in the rain by explaining it was thirsty.  She described the sensation of her feet being asleep as having rocks in her socks.  She moves into Primary from Nursery next month and loves singing time with Mom!

We took one fabulous trip this summer to New York.  We spent half of our time with Dave’s sister Debbie and her family plus their brother Joey and Saerome who lived across the street.  It was such a fun time seeing the sites in the city and playing on the Jersey shore.  Dave and Debbie very graciously loaned us their minivan as we traveled up to New Hampshire to spend a night with Leadelle’s brother Ben and his family who had moved houses one week before.  They very sportingly followed us to upstate New York to visit church history sites there.  We were able to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant the night before we flew home.  Best family vacation ever! 

Then recently, the weekend before Riley departed on his mission, we took a rather spontaneous quick trip to Arches National Park.  These wonderful times of having everyone under the same roof are now very precious memories. 

Though we have been poor bloggers, we have reason to regularly write the goings-on at home for Riley’s letters now, so we post letters to him with pictures.  The address of this blog is:  daveandleadelle.blogspot.com.   Riley’s mission letters and pictures are going up on rileysthaimission.blogspot.com.

We appreciate the love and support we receive from you.  We love reading your letters and gazing at smiling faces.  We hope that this Christmas season is a delight for you all.  We are so grateful for Christ this year.  We rely upon the hope of the resurrection made possible through Him so that we may reunite with loved ones lost for a season.

Love,

Dave, Leadelle, Cambry. Riley, Parker, Elise, Aleah, and Josie