Christmas Newsletter 2014

The Leary Family

2014

Alex (4) is my partner in crime for Cookie Thursday, a tradition we started last school year. He’s reading and tinkering on the piano. He surprised us all when he recited his part from memory (with no help) for the Primary program.

Ashlyn  (9) joined the Lego League team this year. As our roller blade queen, she was able to blade our entire 6 mile route on the Jordan River Parkway without breakin’ a sweat. She is also the only one left at the elementary school until Alex joins her next year.

Nathan (12) soloed on the violin at his first orchestra concert and accompanied a girl on the piano for a musical number during church. He runs with Kiersten and the cross country team during their summer training sessions and ran the last 6 miles of my Bryce Canyon Half Marathon with me.

Erik (14) invited his mom to eat lunch with him when she was subbing at his high school. Is he feeling okay? He’s now taller than her and quickly closing in on his dad. Jeans and nicer shirts have finally become part of his wardrobe. His friend Carl likes to tell him he’s swagalicious.

Kiersten (15) is still desperately trying to stay awake to study for her driving permit. She’s joined the cross country team and says it’s the best decision she’s ever made. After a family trip to San Francisco she’s pretty sure she’s going to live there one day. She also decided to switch from violin to viola in her orchestra class this year.

Missy had big changes in August beginning with a new calling as Young Women President. That necessitated FINALLY getting a cell phone to keep up with all her girls. She also started substitute teaching around the valley. High schoolers are her favorite; first graders: not so much :)

Tyler survived a several-month attack of whooping cough. TREES! He keeps planting them and the neighbor thinks he has an obsession. One day he’ll run out of space . . . maybe. He ran his first 5k, bought some actual running shoes, and has had to put basketball on hold due to plantar fasciitis.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Newsletter 2013

The Leary Family  2013

Alex (3) would prefer everyone call him King Alex after being dubbed “The King” by Grandpa. He ran his first mile race, raised both hands as he finished last and yelled “I WIN!” He also knows the ABC song inside, outside, and upside down much to the dismay of his family.

Ashlyn  (8) fell in love with soccer, roller-skating, and the sewing machine. Our little fire ball now knows it’s okay to run through the house screaming “FIRE!” when there’s a real fire instead of nonchalantly telling mom, “There’s something wrong in the kitchen.”

Nathan (11) doesn’t like heights we learned this summer as we visited the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. But he does like getting up early (like 6am early). He’s usually off to orchestra or math before the school day even begins.

Erik (13) admitted to getting a bit cold during a scout overnighter when his sleeping bag failed to make it into his pack. Oops! This summer he became his own businessman, washing windows for the neighbors, and he also landed his first striped bass which threatened to pull him into the lake.

Kiersten (14) loves high school especially sign language and seminary. She is no longer the tallest sibling . . . Erik has outpaced her, and regency-era movies have become a staple in her life. She has more piano students which translates into more cash but less time for play.

Missy learned to use the fire extinguisher before any major damage was done to the house (you really shouldn’t forget and leave honey melting on the stove). I’ve also come around on my canning stance: it is a rewardingly fun hobby.

Tyler is sure turning 40 isn’t quite “over the hill” yet. He set up his own home theater system like a pro and designed and built Tetris-shaped garden boxes for use this spring. The gopher hunt continues as he attempts to exterminate those pesky critters from the neighborhood.

                                         Merry Christmas!

Christmas Letter 2012

The Leary Family
2012

A Year in Review

Alex (2 ½) has a developed an affinity for Erik’s Kindle. I would like to be able to report that he’s precociously reading books on it but actually he’s really good at targeting Bad Piggies with a bunch of Angry Birds.

Ashlyn ‘s (7) monkey bars got the best of her which entailed a trip to InstaCare. Luckily no broken bones and she scored a Happy Meal out of the deal. She also ran her first 5k this year.

Nathan (10) says he has been heavily recruited this year joining the ranks of soccer player, Lego engineer, violinist, pianist, and early morning scientist. He loves his busy life most days; the other days he’d really rather be engrossed in a novel, preferably about mythical people.

Erik (12) is the most popular kid at school, or so says Kiersten. We suspect it is probably due to his skills on the basketball court. He eats and breathes basketball. And then he just eats and breathes. And sometimes he just eats. One of his favorite things to read is the Taste of Home magazine.

Kiersten (13) became our first teenager. We are loving teenagerdom and love her and her infectious happy attitude. She finished the Book of Mormon for the first time, joined the brace face club, and has two piano students (her first job).

Missy* put together her first Primary program as chorister and can’t wait for next year (I’ve been in charge of many programs on the script-writing end). This is by far my favorite calling. AND, Alaska wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be (refer to Tyler).

Tyler* has put up with me for the past 15 years. To celebrate, I indulged him with an Alaskan cruise. He loved the wildlife, the crab, the salmon, the scenery, and the eat-whenever-whatever-you’d-like cruise ship cuisine.

*Our kids may think we’re old if we reveal our actual ages. I’d prefer they still think otherwise.

May the Christmas spirit find room in your hearts and home this season.

Christmas Newsletter 2011

Last December we moved into a new home and didn’t find time to do much Christmasy stuff other than unpack boxes and rearrange things.

This year we wanted you to know we are still

alive and well.

Tyler moved from house project to yard project this year. He attempted to tackle the entire acre in one season. I can’t speak for him, but I’m exhausted.

I (Missy) completed my first half marathon this summer and am looking forward to another one next year.

Kiersten became a guppy in the big pond and participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), almost achieving her goal of writing 50,000 words in a month. Maybe one day she’ll let me read it?

Erik has been involved with Lego League where he gets to play with legos and program robots. He thinks he might want to be an AWESOME engineer one day.

Nate mentioned the other day that he doesn’t want to ever go to juvie (juvenile detention). Now how did he know to call it that? He’s also my biggest assistant in the kitchen and competed in his first kid triathlon.

Ash has fully utilized the monkey bars in our yard. You should just see her hands – very gymnastical in appearance. Blisters abound.

Alex is loved, loved, and loved even more. He is our 18-month-old ball of energy who loves trains and organizing my spice cabinet.

Thanksgiving Newsletter 2008

A for Ashlyn: Some words we find hard to correct are finishin’ (As in “I need to finishin’”, coldin’, blanklet); she is a Josh Groban fan. One day Ashlyn walked with me over to a neighbor’s house and when we got back she was breathing kind of heavy. I asked if she was out of breath and she said “Ya, then I got back in breath.” Antelope Island: the only place Erik wanted to go this summer. He wasn’t disappointed. Aerated Lawn: This spring we had our lawn aerated and Erik noticed the neighbors “marinated their lawn too.”

B for Backpacking: Ty and Erik were invited to go backpacking in the Uintas and even bought new gear. He also bought me a backpack and informed me we were going to have a new hobby. How do you declare a new hobby before you’ve even tried it? I’m thankful he enjoyed himself and the money wasn’t wasted. Baptism: Erik was baptized and confirmed in June. Blogging: Yes, I caught the bug last November after lurking on several for over a year. Tyler's been after me to tell my family and friends about it, but how do you do that? "Hey, everyone. I have this blog like 10,000 other people and would really like you to take time out of your very busy lives to read about me, Me, ME." No, this blog isn't really for anyone but myself. BUT, I don't mind if other people want to read it. If you are interested, email me (melissa@learyfam.com) and I’ll send you an invite.

C for Countertops: out with the purple and in with neutral quartz. Love them, love them. Cute Conversation: Nate: "I know 11 times 54. It's 594." Cashier: "Oh, really." (Mentally you really see her wondering if what he told her was true and knowing she was going to go home at the end of the day and get our her calculator.) Nate: "I also know what 10 divided by 4 is. It's 2 remainder 2." At this point I was trying not to smile. As we walked away the cashier said to the next customer: "I bet you didn't know what 11 times 54 was." Tyler has taught the kids the shortcut to figuring out 11 times tables with big numbers. They usually try it out on family and friends, not complete strangers.

D for Diapers: there are no more to be found in our home.

E for Erik: eats, drinks, dreams basketball; is not a reader of fictional novels, but loves biographies and science books. Ear Drum: Nate had a perforated ear drum that needed minor surgery to correct.

F for Friendships and Fishing: No, we aren’t fishing for friendships, but I did get reacquainted with an old friend I’ve known since I was two. And the fishing has been good to Tyler and the kids this year.

G GO FISH!

H for Hard to Separate: Last December we moved Erik and Nate from their shared queen bed to separate twin bunk beds. There was trauma for a day as they adjusted to sleeping apart and wondering how they would talk to each other.

I for Ireland and England: Ty and I got to go for 8 days. Loved the Irish/British accent, the U2 cover band, meeting the people Tyler works with, visiting Belfast where my ancestors are from and where the Titanic was built. Don’t miss all the potatoes they served with every meal. Visited several old cemeteries in Tyler’s ancestral home in England for a couple of days. Hated driving on the wrong side of the road. Scenery was beautifully green and lush. Discovered how easy it was to leave America and what a nightmare customs was trying to get back in. It was a little unnerving not having cell phone coverage or Internet/email access.

J for Jordan River Parkway: We rediscovered our roller blades and love to blade on the parkway, usually a couple of miles to Iceberg to eat and then back. Jr. Jazz: I officially became a “soccer mom” when Erik signed up to play Jr. Jazz basketball and Kiersten signed up for Stansbury Soccer in the spring.

K for Kiersten: she’s learning to like spicy food (i.e. Mexican, Chinese), took 3^rd place in the Stansbury Elementary Book Battle and won a gift certificate and field trip to Barnes and Noble, has many friends, becoming a good pianist and taught herself several songs on her violin.

L for Las Vegas: We took the kids on a business trip and thankfully stayed on the west side of Vegas away from downtown. They loved the Mars chocolate factory, the M&M store, the museum, which leads us to . . .

M for Mistaken Identity: Kiersten and I sound so much alike on the phone she often gets confused for me and I for her. She’s had her dad start a conversation before she can interrupt, and I’ve had her friends ask if I can play. MRI: Ash doesn’t need anymore. She just meets with her oncologist once a year.

N for Nate: he started piano lessons, loves to play baseball and is not afraid to catch the ball, reads very well for a first grader, is our tactile child (loves to touch and be touched), can fall asleep most anywhere and often puts himself to bed early when he’s tired.

O for Oreo Truffles: Yum, yum, and oh, so easy!

P for President Hinckley’s challenge: our family completed the Book of Mormon . . . 3 years later, but we did it; Pees-maker: One week we were discussing being peacemakers in our home. Ashlyn had started potty training and said, “When I do pees in the potty, that’s being a peacemaker.” It took me a second.

Q for Quote: “Having a testimony alone is not enough. In fact, when we are truly converted, we cannot be restrained from testifying.”—M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, November 2004. I testify that Jesus the Christ lives. He is the only reason for Christmas. I know the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus more than any other book. I cannot deny that. I am grateful for the hope that the gospel of Jesus Christ gives me, and I know God does not forget his promises and answers prayers in a very personal way. I testify we have a living prophet on the earth today who is God’s mouthpiece, and I know I am a spirit child of my Heavenly Father.

R for Races: I competed in my first 5K race and am working toward a 10K; Nate competed in his first 1 mile along with Kiersten and Erik. Roundabouts: Hated them in England and prayed through every one that we would survive.

S for Super Money Credit Union (SMCU): Tyler and I wanted to experiment with a family credit union (bank is an indecent word in our home). Our mission is “to teach our members [our kids] how money works, where it gets spent, how to save, how to be charitable, how to budget, how to track their money via a check register.” So far success.

T for Turkish Delight: DETESTABLE! Before embarking on our journey to Ireland, Tyler and I visited the London Market in Salt Lake City to get a flavor for the culture. We discovered Turkish Delight, the food that causes “whomever eats it to feel an insatiable greed for more” (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). It takes exactly like a rose petal smells—something to be smelled, not eaten. Ash is the only one who felt that “insatiable greed for more.” In fact she liked it so much, I came home to find she had helped herself to the leftovers.

U for Utah Jazz: GO JAZZ. Their games are the only television programming we regularly watch.

V for Violin and Vah-cue-bollary^*: Both belong to Kiersten. She started violin and I’m learning along with her. And one day she kept telling me she had vah-cue-bollary for homework. I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. Can you tell what the word is?

W for Wexbur: “Sister Wexbur” to be exact. That’s a name Ash came up with and likes to call everyone.

X for Xbox: We are probably the only family in our neighborhood that doesn’t have a gaming system. Let’s hope that lasts.

Y for Youthful Observations: Erik gave the bishop his tithing and then watched as a friend his age handed his tithing over to the high councilor sitting two seats down from the bishop. Erik turned to me and asked, “Does everyone have a different bishop?”

Z for Zip Line: Who can resist this fun activity at Grandma’s? (Answer: Ty and Missy! But the kids all gave it a try at the Seamons family reunion this year.)

  We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas.

“But you know, whatever.”

ooxxooXoXXx^**

TY, MISSY, KIERSTEN, ERIK, NATHAN, ASHLYN 

*Vah-cue-bollary = Vocabulary

**hug, hug, kiss, kiss, hug, hug, big kiss, little hug, kiss, kiss, little kiss
It’s a Nacho Libre thing, a favorite movie of Tyler and our kids.

OREO TRUFFLES
1 bag Oreo Cookies, ground in blender or food processor (filling and all)
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 package Almond Bark (white chocolate candy coating)
1 square of the Chocolate Bark for drizzling

Mix ground oreos and cream cheese until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt chocolate bark and spoon into the corner of a ziplock baggie. Snip a small corner and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. Let dry. About 30 truffles each recipe.

Thanksgiving Newsletter 2007

Where there is great love, there are always miracles.

—Willa Cather

Happy Thanksgiving from our hearts to yours. A new job, another kid in school, and all of them growing and changing all the time. Here are some highlights from the past year.

• Biggest event: A windstorm that swept through our yard taking down our fence and uprooting a 50-foot shade tree—a birthday Ty will not forget!

• Happiest event: Kiersten turned eight, was baptized, and received the Holy Ghost
• Favorite recipe this year: Fresh corn salsa
• Missy's most recent and favorite discovery: Caesar salad with extra garlic
• Biggest fight: All four kids over a times table placemat; even Ashlyn calls "I get the times table placemat!" Erik loves math and is trying to complete 200 math questions in 5 minutes. Ty taught Kiersten a trick to the 11 times tables. Ask her 11 x 53 and she'll tell you the answer. Nate has also jumped on the times table bandwagon and even beat Erik in answering 9 x 2 one day.
• Game of the year: Stratego. Daily Stratego matches have taken over our home.
• Most quoted expressions: "You missed me!" and "Do the Ashie do." Ashlyn is quick to run and hug whomever happens to walk through the door, even if they only went to get the mail. She also asserts her 2-year-old independence by saying, "Ashie do," and the others mimick by saying, "Do the Ashie do."
• #1 pastime: READING! Kiersten again has probably outread all of us. She participated in the Book Battle (a Jeopardy-like contest on books they've read, complete with buzzers). Erik will read when it's required and is studying for his Book Battle, Nate can read simple books, Missy's favorite find is These Is My Words by Nancy Turner (I also thoroughly enjoyed Jane Eyre, a book I had never read), Ty's been captivated by a book titled A Short History of Nearly Everything, and Ash just likes to be read to.
• Award for most callings held in a year (thankfully not simultaneously): That would go to Missy who started out teaching in Relief Society, was called as the visiting teaching coordinator, and several months later moved back into a Primary presidency after a 2-year hiatus.
• Funniest joke: "Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it did." Ashlyn's the jokester who came up with that one.
• Newest words from Ash: Honeybird for hummingbird and chin grass for Dad's goatee (may have started as "chin scratch").
• Home improvement of the year: Walkways (thanks to Uncle Bob and his fantastic crew!).
  

• Favorite summer activity: Our garden. It's been three years since we planted a garden and we were all so excited to see things start to grow again. Many mornings I would find all of the kids out in the garden first thing searching for peas or raspberries or beans or whatever happened to be growing at the time.
• Some firsts for Nate: Learned to ride a bike, tie his shoes, and started kindergarten.
• Nate's #1 disappointment with kindergarten: No homework. He begs me every day to find some for him. Sometimes he'll open his little black spiral notebook and start copying words into it.
• Favorite aspect of Ty's job: No more traveling (or at least very little).
• Best seamstress: Kiersten. She sewed her own skirt and proudly wears it to church.

• Community involvement: Erik started a chess club that became a basketball club as the weather warmed up this past spring. Missy volunteers as webmaster and treasurer for the Stansbury Park Community Association and maintains a website for the Stansbury Soccer Club. Ty still does finance lectures at BYU.
• Funnest vacation: San Francisco sans kids. Ty and I went for 5 days in June to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. Loved Alcatraz and Muir Woods.
• Cutest story about friendship: Nate's best friend, Noah, brought over an old wallet that had a dollar bill hidden in it. Noah really wanted to share with Nate, and after much thinking they decided to cut it in half. Each one came away with half with no real way to spend it.
• Ty's rediscovered hobby: Fishing, especially night fishing. We've had a few trout fries for breakfast recently.
• Supercalifragilistic expialidocious: A favorite song of Kiersten and Nate. Kiersten and Erik have both become very proficient at the piano (despite having their mom as the teacher) and even play simple duets together.

Check out our website at http://tyler.learyfam.com for pictures and the latest happenings.

Wish this coming year:

May your year be filled with many miracles as you experience the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

TY, MISSY, KIERSTEN, ERIK, NATE, and ASHLYN

Fresh Corn Salsa
2 c. fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears) OR frozen kernels, thawed
½ tomato, seeded and chopped
¼– c. purple onion, chopped
¼ c. red bell pepper, chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
½ t. salt
t. pepper
½ t. crushed garlic
2 T. lime juice
sugar

Combine corn, tomato, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper. Add salt and pepper. Add lime juice, garlic, and sugar until it fits your taste. Serve with tortilla chips.