The Barrett Family's 2014 In Review

Merry Christmas to you all! It's almost the end of 2014, which was a year with many ups and downs for our family. We faced some challenges and shed some tears, but we also had a lot of laughs and shared lots of love.

Here are a few of the Barrett family highlights:

-We took a family trip to Disneyland and California Adventure in March! It was a terrific week and everyone had an amazing time. We got to catch up with our high-school friend Melanie, ride a lot of fun rides, and enjoy the lovely weather. Plus, nobody got sick this time around!

-In the summer, we took a short family "stay-cation" in Phoenix. We stayed at a resort hotel and played in their water park for hours! Then we followed that up with shopping and an indoor play center. It was great fun!

-We were able to visit not one, but two new LDS temples that were completed and dedicated in Arizona this year. The first temple was in Gilbert; it was dedicated in March. The second was in Phoenix, and it was just dedicated in November. Both temples are beautiful buildings, and both will bring many blessings to the local church members and the community alike. It was a great opportunity to show our girls a house of the Lord up close and personal. We hope the sight of these beautiful buildings will inspire them to live righteously.

-We took not one, but two family camping trips. This is a big deal, since up to this point we haven't camped much at all as a family! We finally bought ourselves a new tent, and it has made us a little more eager to experience the great outdoors. We took our first trip at the end of July with some friends to Lake Patagonia (we even borrowed a friend's canoe and paddled around the lake!). Our second trip was to Gardner Canyon in October with just the five of us. We hope to do more camping in the future.

Although our family experienced many joys, 2014 still had its share of tears. On October 16th, "Grandpa" Glenn Barrett passed away, after battling cancer for the last three and a half years. Glenn and Sandra live close by, and watching Glenn struggle with his health for much of the year was a source of great worry and sorrow for us. Although we miss him very much, we believe in eternal families and know we will see him again someday. We are glad he is no longer suffering, and we hope to honor his memory in many ways in the coming years.

Here's a quick rundown for each Barrett this year.

Nathan in 2014:

-Continued working as a Senior Transportation Planner with the Pima Association of Governments
-Served as Ward Mission Leader in Sahuarita First Ward (LDS Church)
-Also volunteered on the Town of Sahuarita Planning Commission
-In his spare time, Nathan loves to read, work on logic puzzles, play board games, and spend time with his kids. He's also started a fitness program, lost 25 pounds, and is feeling great! He loves to take long walks, and he's  getting excited about playing more golf in 2015!

Adrianne in 2014:

-Worked as taxi driver/cook/butler/tutor/professional cuddler for her three wonderful girls
-Served as Ward Choir Director in Sahuarita First Ward (LDS Church)
-Taught piano lessons to more than ten kids, including her firstborn; held two recitals
-Ran two 5Ks (one in February, one in September); she hopes to run more in 2015
-In her spare time, Adrianne loves reading, cooking, blogging, socializing, and playing music; she likes to try new things and hope she will discover some new hobbies (or a job?) in 2015!

Lorelai in 2014:

-Finished 3rd grade and started 4th grade at Great Expectations Academy
-Appeared in school play (Cinderella) in the spring; has another role in this year's school play, Beauty and the Beast!
-Still taking piano lessons from Mom, and has started learning trombone too! She's in the beginning jazz band this year. She also attends Activity Days with her LDS church group.
-Loves riding her bike and exploring the neighborhood on her own. She also loves reading, watching TV, playing video games, and writing stories. Lorelai's looking forward to more music lessons, volleyball, and performing in the play in 2015!

Celeste in 2014:

-Finished kindergarten and started 1st grade at Great Expectations Academy
-Performed in a dance recital in the spring; in the fall, she eagerly signed up for Girl Scouts! She loves getting each new badge and learning new things.
-She is our adrenaline junkie; she loves roller coasters and any exciting amusement park rides
-Continues to wow all of us with her great progress in reading and writing. Celeste is excited about selling Girl Scout cookies, starting piano lessons, and getting baptized in 2015!

Aurora in 2014:

-Performed in a dance recital in spring; started preschool at Smart Scholars Preschool in the fall
-Is learning a lot this year; she can write her name and knows her letters and numbers. She has also gotten over her "stranger danger" and now befriends almost everyone she meets. She is a social butterfly and loves to start conversations with anybody (including every dog she sees; she wants a dog more than anything)
-Enjoys being the "baby" of the family and spending extra time (and getting extra cuddles) with Mom. Aurora is excited to be getting a big-girl bike and starting kindergarten with her friends in 2015!

We love you all and hope 2015 will find your lives filled with blessings, happiness, health, and peace. Happy Holidays from the Barretts!