I have posted what was emailed to me. Keep reading and it will make sense who sent what. Happy New Year Everyone and may 2016 be the best yet!
Merry Christmas Everyone,
Highs for the year include: Cora's birth and eventually bringing both Colie and Cora home. Getting a fun job in marketing at
overstock.com. Getting straight A's for the first time in school this whole year. Seeing Jerry hold Cora. A super relaxing Christmas vacation in Texas. Colie's patience with my fourth quarter work schedule. Colie's patience after missing the correct turn to Idaho Falls for thanksgiving. Colie's constant love and support for our family throughout this whole year.
Lows include: The long hours waiting to hear if Cora and Colie's conditions have improved. Long hours of sitting at work, away from my family. Long hours driving through a snowstorm with everything I hold dear in the car with me. Saying good bye to Jerry.
I love you all very much and appreciate your support and kindness throughout the years.
Thank you all,
Jed Stout
Not a dread at all! I'm glad you encourage us to reflect and share. I like hearing about everyone's year.
For Colie:
Lows - not being able to hold my baby after she was born, 9 lactation consultants, postpartum hospitalizations and the intense physical pain that came with complications, the burden on Jed when Cora and I were both in the hospital
Highs - meeting Cora for the first time and every moment I get to know her personality better, enjoying trips and time with Jed when it was still just us two, Jed working hard so I can stay home with Cora, Mom & I driving away from Primary Children's with Cora in the backseat, laughing at night to myself about one of Jed's jokes from earlier that day, the kindness and generosity of family and friends during Cora's and my recovery.
Tommy still says he wants to think about it some more, so if he adds some I'll let you know. But I just wanted to get this sent.
Melanie:
Highs- skiing with my kids, surprising Tommy with snakes on his birthday, going on an NJ bike tour, hanging out with the Herway's at Rehoboth beach, visiting my family Ranch in Cedar City, seeing the amazing fall colors in Vermont, buying a house in Pennsylvania
Lows- A long tough winter, dealing with the aftermath of my parents divorce, falling down a waterfall and losing my nice camera and phone, saying goodbye to friends and neighbors and the place we call home.
Rachel:
Highs- I didn't get as mean of a teacher, boat house party (Meike), Vermont, the Ranch, Rehoboth beach, got a watch, HD birthday! (not the type of HD where the picture is clear), found the Mysterious Benedict Society, not as much cursing on the bus as last year, learned how to roller blade, went to Philly, NYC Christmas market, went to Island State Park beach
Lows- Pie day (rained out and family sick), threw up a lot, yummy food grandma didn't come to boat house party, no pirate ship
Tommy:
Highs- Colonial arcade, Vermont, getting a new best friend, Aiden coming over for a play date
Lows- Nightmares, moving
Kate:
Highs- Jumping in leaves, going to beaches and swimming in pools, playing in the snow
Lows- Being grumpy
Jake: This was a really good year. My low was dealing with realtors again. I have yet to meet one that doesn't feel like deadweight on the process, on society, on me.
My high was accomplishing my goal of setting up NJ bike tours and actually getting paying customers. It was a thrill to be a Princeton small business and get integrated in so many ways from it.
Rehoboth was a high. Good memories with the best people. I wish we could spend more time together! All in good time.
Hitting Vermont at its foliage peek was a high. We felt very blessed to make that happen!
Noel's well deserved job offers and raise
Isa getting into Founders
All the times I got to see my family.
Florida alone with noel
Colie and Cora in good health
Isa's top two teeth are missing. It's the cutest thing in the world.
New next door neighbors with kids our kids age (Rare in our neighborhood) and they get along great.
Lows
I try to erase lows from my memory. A few I haven't erased yet...
Tori's allergic reaction
Tori stopped napping right after she turned 3 and refuses to do quiet time. I don't need suggestions. I've tried it all. I just miss nap time.
Tori used to be my best sleeper and now every night is a battle.
I promise I love Tori a lot.
A lot of moves that were hard for us.... Best friends of mine and the kids, both next door neighbors, both my counselors.
The first 2 months of 1st grade
From Noel:
Highs: Job promotion
Florida trip with Natalie
Seeing my kids grow
Lows
I forgot already
I (Seth) would say:
Highs: passing my oral boards, fun trips to Europe and Rehoboth, getting a great deal on our house and thus avoiding a move
Lows: always grateful and recognize that our lows aren't that low. But making career decisions and not getting the Denver job was a bummer.
Heidi:
Highs- Trip to Israel, lots of other fun trips as well, seth passing oral boards, I'm continually grateful that we are all healthy
Lows- we had a lucky and blessed year and I'm very grateful I can't think of a low that stands out. Anything I could come up with would be pretty petty.
Alright here we go. (from Felicia)
Lows: Moving to idaho at 38 weeks pregnant, the people we worked for at the motel, 30 hr labor then a C-Section, losing our cat Tobi, hydroplaning at 70 mph
Highs: Having Kent, being a stay-at-home mom, moving to Idaho Falls, taking Kent to his first byu football game, Kent saying Mama, Rehoboth Beach and driving up to New York, making friends in Lava Hot Springs, going to Lagoon for the first time, our cat Tobi coming home after a month, having an amazing ward in Idaho Falls, Steve and I celebrating our 2nd anniversary, watching Kent grow every day
That's all I can think of :)
For Steve...
Highs: Kent being born, obviously, and getting to watch him grow. Moving to Idaho was a very positive thing. As a family I think we're much more comfortable and happy here. Beginning a career in hospitality with the Marriott is really exciting! And finally looking forward to another wonderful year of marriage with Felicia.
Lows: Moving away from Lava Hot Springs. We made a number of good friends while we were there. However, another low would be experiencing the not-so-fantastic work environment of the motel there.
Kent: Learning to crawl; it's a blast. Solid food is OH so good! And playtime!! With friends is even better! I guess being born was cool, too, but mostly playtime!
Lows: Burning my fingertips on a hotel fireplace. Who knew too much hot is bad? Then I couldn't use my right hand for 2 whole days! And shots. They're no fun. Neither is bed time.
Dan:
Highs - Rehoboth/West Virginia/DC trip, moving to Idaho
Low - leaving Utah
Lara:
Highs - east coast trip...actually the whole summer, the new house in Idaho
Low - moving
Daph:
Highs - West Virginia, eating ice cream 3x a day in Rehoboth, riding horses in Driggs, Oakcrest and Girls Camp, hanging out with friends.
Low - moving to Idaho
Zane:
Highs - living closer to driggs, living close to a good sledding hill
Low - baseball season, moving to Idaho
Scarlet:
Highs -
Low -
Brau:
Highs - star wars movie, snowmobiling, skiing, getting PS4 for christmas
Low - cutting open finger and getting stitches, leaving his best friend in Utah
Levi:
Highs - skiing, wrestling with Skye, getting huge air hitting jumps on the sled, doing "sick" tricks on his scooter in the house
Low - life is pretty good when you're 3 and the youngest
Highs are definitely Kent and Cora coming into our family. How did we ever get so blessed? Somewhere in my youth or childhood . . . .
Other highs include our week together in Rehoboth with my family and my brother's family. That was beyond fun! I still can't get over the price of rides at Funland. I think Loren and Edna were there as well. They both loved that place.
Lows are very few in number. The only ones I can think of are:
Struggling to get poor Cole Merie and Miss Cora well. They are too tough ladies.
And losing Jerry. Although it had to be a relief for him, I will miss our gospel discussions. He loved to talk about the gospel. Another true blue BYU fan is now rooting for them on the other side of the veil. Maybe he can help them find some 4 and 5 star recruits who can keep the Word of Wisdom.
From Mom: Highs and Lows of 2015. They seem to be so related most of the time. Low: Jerry died. High: Blessed to be able to go to the funeral and be with all my siblings and mom and the Stouts, D. Herways, and S Herways. Another time the high/low was a joint venture: Cora arrived and soon thrived: she had excellent care from the hospital staff and especially from her parents! The low was watching Nicole turn red, then purple then a bruising blue in a reaction to medicine for her mastitis. A high was being there to help, the low was that I needed to be there to help. A definite high was getting into the mountains after doing hospital duty, which I was glad to do, but those mountains! Gorgeous!
REHOBOTH. Definite high. Cora and Kent: HIGH. The view from our apartment is always HIGH.
Some lows: I did help out at the Refugee Tent City, sad to see but glad they were getting help. The aftermath of the Paris terrorist attack was a Brussels City lock down because Belgium is their home. My home too. Yikes.
Our ward and stake was changed and it was a rather messy affair. Well, actually a really messy affair. Tom sort of was released as Bishop. He is a much happier man. The result is a high: We team teach the sunbeams.
2016. Here it comes, ready or not. Oh my, some BIG changes coming our way.
