Merry Christmas everyone,

Ivan (old) continues to volunteer with the Utah Live Steamers railroad club. In fact, he bought himself a car. It still needs wheels and to be painted, but he’s excited to have some equipment of his own. This year was the sesquicentennial of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, so the club had their own Golden Spike ceremony, and Ivan got to see the Union Pacific’s Big Boy as it came through town.

Ivan went to a few conferences for work, but nowhere too exotic. One highlight was that he helped proofread a mathematics textbook his former professor who is not a native English speaker. This is probably as close as he’ll get to his childhood dream of being a published author.

Rachel (young) took the family to Texas to see the marriage of her youngest sister. She also got to drive a (rented) Tesla on a little road trip without the kids. It was really fun for her since she’s always harbored a secret fantasy of being a race car driver.

She continues to work the miracle of keeping the kids fed, clothed, and minimally traumatized.

Avery (11) was in the Lion King school play and went to her first summer camp at Clear Creek. One of the best parts was that her dad didn’t come this time. She’s still in vaulting(think acrobatics on horseback), piano lessons, and loves reading more than she loves her parents (not that we blame her).

Evelyn (9) was also in the Lion King and is in vaulting and gymnastics. She loves doing anything that involves endangering her life, or the lives of others like climbing trees, and standing up on the backs of horses. She and Avery are in the Chinese immersion program and able to say lots of things that their parents don’t understand.

Hazel (5) started Kindergarten and loves it. She’s in vaulting with her older sisters loves the horse Opal. Come to think of it, she loves lots of things and lots of people. The girls were all in a Christmas vaulting show, as well as one at the Utah Renaissance Faire.

Martin (1.5) continues to grow older and simultaneously cuter and more aggravating. He’s learned several words and knows how to use them to bend everyone else to his will. He also walks, climbs, and likes being read to.

Insert here a clichéd paragraph or two about how busy life is, how fast time flies, how blessed we are, and so on. You know the drill. Just because it’s cliché doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

We love you all,
The Andrus Family
Ivan, Rachel, Avery, Evelyn, Hazel, and Martin