Christmas Letter 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

We have enjoyed a wonderful year full of fun and adventure! It was our last full year in Okinawa and has really flown by! I can’t possibly summarize all of it so I’ll share just a few of the highlights! Most of these activities were made even more memorable by the fantastic friends we’ve made here in Okinawa. They’ve become our family while we are so far away! We’ve been sad to lose so many of them this year but are grateful for the technology that allows us to keep in touch with all of them and the family that we miss so much!

Some of our favorite things this year: (details on all of these fun times can be found on our blog!)

** Visit from Papa and Grandma Barb in March!!!
** Karamas: A trip with friends to a small chain of islands. We stayed in a traditional Japanese tatami room and had the best snorkeling ever! We saw huge sea turtles and even a manta ray!
** IE Island Half Marathon: Tom and Tracey ran it together!
** Trip back to the states: Lake house with the Stinchfield’s in Washington and tons of shopping then off to Utah for the 4th of July with the Rowan's, seeing old friends, going to the temple with my sister Rachel, relaxing in Park City and playing at Lagoon!
** Iheya Island Marathon: Tom ran and met his goal of under 4 hours! While on the island we went exploring and found the most amazing beaches!
** Tour de Okinawa: Tom and I trained for a participated in a 110 mile bike ride. It was pouring rain and there were insane hills but we had a great time!
**Parks - Karaoke - Beach - Snorkeling - Aquarium - Rain - Dragonboat races -Water slides - Cultural sites - Fish market - Bike rides - Races -
Hayden: He continues to amaze us with his mind and abilities at school. We were sitting around one night after dinner trying to solve some riddles and Tom and I were both stumped when suddenly Hayden blurted out the answer. I imagine it’s not the last time he’ll show us he’s smarter than we are! He took first place in the school science fair and placed second at district. He’s a reading machine and recently finished the Fablehaven series. This past year he played soccer and basketball and likes them both. Most of his time is spent creating with legos, playing computer games, doing science experiments and running around with his friends in their imaginary world!
Danica: It’s been a really big year for Danica as she has grown a lot physically and emotionally. Her confidence and enthusiasm for life has really grown. She’s doing at gymnastics and can’t get enough of her time at preschool. A while back she began begging me to teach her to read and she loves it! During the summer she learned to swim on her own and has now taken the training wheels off her bike! She spends all her free time coloring with markers and playing “mom and dad” while dressed like a princess. Last week she turned 5 and tells everyone she can find!
Alyssa: She has such a great outlook on life and approaches every new situation with a smile and sense of adventure. In August she turned 3 and in September she started preschool. Although she’s the youngest kid at the school she loves it and is doing really well. Her teachers report that is always full of smiles and hugs, constantly telling them she loves them. If it were up to Alyssa she would have me push her in the swing all day, going “super, super high!”
Tracey: I’ve had a busy and fun year with not enough time to sit and read. I was the Girls Camp leader which was a new and exciting experience. For Christmas last year I got a road bike and I spent this year learning to ride it, culminating in the 110 mile ride in November. I’ve been very busy at church, the kids schools and running my family. To stay sane I have kept up on running and exercise. I listen to audiobooks throughout the day while doing housework and love the multi-tasking!
Tom: He has spent all of his free time this year in training for one event or another. It started with just a half marathon but then he decided to do a marathon in October and the bike race in November. He was faithful to his work out schedule and succeeded in both! He’s also in the progress of getting scuba dive certified and found a new interest in racquetball. He officially turned in his separation from the Navy and will be getting out this next summer. Although he has enjoyed his time serving in the military and all he has learned he is looking forward to the next adventure in life!
We truly are so blessed and recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives daily. He watches us over always and we feel his love. It is our hope that you to have found peace and happiness in 2010.

Love,

The Stinchfields