2024 review

 Dear Friends and Family, 

2024 has been a year of change and growth for our family. 

Brent continues to work at Nelson laboratories. His position has shifted. He is now a consulting study director for Chemistry. He has also been tackling the project of transforming the unfinished basement into a 2 bedroom apartment. He loves to be outside with the kids and in the yard. A knee injury has been keeping him from time in the mountains, but he is hoping that his careful care of it will help him heal and he will have more time there next year. He has been serving as the Sunday School President for the ward and was just released in December. On to new adventures!

Katie continues to work for Alpine School District as a school counselor. She has been working at the Elementary level and loves the little kiddos. In late January she was offered a part time position as an ACHMC therapist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Family Services. She has been balancing the 2 part time positions and loving both. With the responsibility of both positions comes lots of conferences and trainings. She is passionate about growing and learning and loves the opportunity to network and learn. In early September she passed her first of two professional licensing exams. She plans to take the second next summer. She has been serving in the Church as a Gospel Doctrine teacher and an  temple worker in the Saratoga Springs Temple. She was released as Baptistry lead in October and continues to serve as an ordinance worker. On October 30th, she was extended the call of Stake Relief Society President. This has been a challenge, but a blessing of growth and learning in the gospel. 

Ayslind completed her mission services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in Brazil, in June. She was released honorably and immediately set to work finding a job and helping with the basement. She went back to Utah Valley University to continue her education. She started working at Kneaders with Cyana, but was given an opportunity to work with the English Language Learners at Katie's school in early Fall. With adjustment to home came reconnection with old friends, including her dear friend Nephi. Nephi proposed in late September and they are planning to be married in February. Ayslind has been serving as an ordinance worker in the Saratoga Springs temple and loves being a live ordinance guide. She is looking forward to getting married and moving forward with her life plans and goals. 

Cyana has had quite the year! She graduated in May from High School and sent many of her friends on missions in the early summer. She continues to work for Kneaders and also started her study in marketing and business at Utah Valley University. In September she and Ayslind were involved in a car accident that totaled her car. This shook things up a bit for her as she navigated healing from concussion and trauma. She went down to part time at school and focused on work. She has earned a position as a manager and is gradually working her way back into school taking an easier load while she heals. She retired in early Spring after nearly 13 years of Irish Dance. She continues to work as an assistant teacher at her dance studio and is hopeful to become certified as a teacher in the future. She loves the freedom of having her own room in the basement (first time in her life, having her own room). She is creative and loves sci/fi fantasy as well as working on her DM skills for D&D. This Fall she felt that it was time to go to the temple and deepen her relationship with her Heavenly Father and Savior by making covenants and receiving her temple endowment. It has been such a strengthening power for her!

Bowyn continues to grow and stretch in many different ways. He completed 9th grade this year and is now 6'3" tall. He loves seminary and has been serving as the secretary for the Teacher's Quorum. Over the summer he met his high school cross country team and coach. He has been running miles and miles with them. It has been a pleasure watching him develop into this amazing athlete. He sets goals and then pushes himself like never before to achieve them. He has a wonderful coach mentor and team captain that he adores. No matter the weather this kid is running like crazy! His favorite race this year was in California. He has set a goal to go back and place in the medals next year. He also continues to jazz out on his saxophones. He was given a rare opportunity to gain a beautiful cannonball tenor sax, which he loves! He plays tenor in Jazz band and his Alto for symphonic. We love to hear him improvise wearing the sunglasses and everything. He also had a rare opportunity to buy a car from his cousin that returned from his mission. He worked, earned and through sweat equity (helping in the basement) he was able to buy the car (Saromon (AKA the leaky cauldron)). He has been working on his hours for his licensure so that he can drive it come this next early spring. 

Lyvian has blossomed and grown this year. She soared through 7th grade and into 8th grade. She has found a niche in the drama department not on the stage, but behind it. She loves being a part of the lighting crew and stage craft. This past fall she was given the opportunity to be the main stage manager for a play called "10 ways to survive a Zombie apocalypse." It was an entertaining comedy. This opened up opportunity for her to work for the community theater as well in the beginning of December. She is a well organized leader. She is amazing in her self discipline and has an amazing schedule that keeps her organized and on track. She faithfully does Duo lingo studying Chinese, Japanese, and Navajo every morning. She loves the scriptures and studies faithfully every morning in her routine. She was able to attend the temple several times this year and looks forward to seminary next year. 

Kanyon has been busy growing taller and smarter in so many ways. He has done an amazing job on really focusing on his school and trying to do better. He got a surprise at the end of 3rd grade when his teacher showed up as his teacher for 4th grade as well. We LOVE Ms. Hiller and she has done amazing at helping Kanyon grow, especially in his reading and writing. Over the summer a turning point for him was when the moving The Wild Robot came out. He wanted to see it so badly. We made a deal that when he had finished the book we would go see the movie. He delved and finished his goal. He now is onto the 2nd book and has started to discover a love for reading. He also set a goal to read the Book of Mormon. It has been a pleasure and joy to watch him begin to discover his testimony and relationship with his Heavenly Father and Savior through reading. He was also able to play baseball this year. We worked ALOT on keeping a growth mindset. He plans to continue to play as he discovers his own special talents and abilities. 

This has been a year of abundance for our family and we feel so blessed to share our testimony of the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ is that Savior. He came leaving power and glory behind, to arrive in a simple manager, bearing a mortal body as fragile as yours and mine. He grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. He learned to align His will with our Heavenly Father's, just as we are asked. He completed His calling and election as the Messiah, the Redeemer in the Garden, on the cross, and bursting the bands of death by leaving an empty tomb. His love is big enough for each of us. He ministers to us one by one. He is my Savior, Our Savior, The Savior. We love Him. 

Wishing each of you a blessed and hope filled 2025 New Year!

With love, 

The Shelley's