Tate's 2008

2008 has been such a rollercoaster. We have had so many things happen, good and bad, but through it all, we have felt the Lord’s hand and blessings. We have been strengthened and molded to be a happier and closer family. Josh and Cami celebrated their 9th Wedding Anniversary at Emeril’s Fish House, their special restaurant and to KA, a gravity-defying production by Cirque de Soleil. As a family we all took a vacation in Blanding for two weeks where we hiked, swam in the lake, and picked and bottled 66 quarts of cherries and 10 pints of cherry jelly. We appreciated the relaxed lifestyle we had while we were there and dreamed of one day being able to live in such peace. -------- JOSH turned 31 this November and had lots of new changes. He fulfilled his church callings of Nursery Leader (his favorite) and then Scouts as the 8 year old leader. Josh transferred to be the Section Commander of the RED HORSE squadron at Nellis. They are a squadron of Readiness Expeditionary Civil Engineers. We have had lots of fun with this squadron by going to Lake Mead cruising on a beautiful yacht owned by the Silverton Casino. The owner of the yacht is the squadron’s Honorary Commander. He donates his boat and an amazing barbeque dinner. We also got to go to Defending the Caveman, a comedy show for free. Afterwards we were interviewed by the news about the upcoming deployment. This new job at RED HORSE brought a deployment of 7 months. The first month gaining Army Combat Skills training in Wisconsin and then followed by a 6 month tour to Balad, Iraq. He has many long hour work days and is able to call home every once in a while for a 15 minute call. We miss him terribly. -------- CAMI has had a demanding year with being mom to five active kids. She was busy with the kids’ school functions, Book Club, aerobics, couponing, making greeting cards, scrapbooking, and turning the big 30. Cami was a Sunday School Teacher to the 16 year olds until she was released to have an easier calling in the Enrichment Committee while Josh would be gone. She also enjoyed going to three concerts this year. She went to see Elton John, and then became a New Kid on the Block groupie again. She had a blast. The year is ending with her following a dream in learning more about health and nutrition. She is getting trained in becoming a Health and Wellness Coach. -------- JAYCIE has had a big year. She graduated from second grade and started the third with Mrs. Sanchez. Jaycie turned eight and chose to be baptized and become a member of the church in July. She has such a sweet spirit and really tries to do what’s right. She also started to develop her love of music by taking piano and voice lessons. She is a fast learner and is very talented. Her voice brings a smile to all. She loves being active by hiking, biking, roller blading, and anything to get her outside. Though she has a hard time enduring the responsibilities of being the oldest, she loves her brother and sisters, and this love shows in her service. -------- MACKENIZE has grown up so much this year. She turned six in July and finished up kindergarten. She loves Mrs. Lopez as her 1st grade teacher and she loves school and was able to start reading fairly fast. She has straight A’s and has a natural ability to lead. Mackenzie is also a natural nurturer. She loves to help take care of her baby sister and she can get Marlie to giggle faster than anyone. Mackenzie is also an artist. This talent comes easy and she has the most beautiful handwriting. -------- CALIN turned four in February. He had a rough year, but came out on top proving his resilience. Calin is so determined to always be on the go, he didn’t let a full body cast and a broken femur stop him. He quickly learned how to maneuver the wheel chair or crawl and then walk in his cast. He healed fast and now has no signs of ever have been on the injured reserve list. Calin has a soft heart and always has a hug to give and an “I love you” to say. He has learned a lot and is doing well in Preschool. He enjoys his friends and displaying his projects or giving them to family. His new favorite thing to do is to break dance. He’s always smiling and can’t wait to wrestle his dad and to show him his muscles. -------- CAMPBELL turned two in February and is a sweet girl that is always helping. She’ll do anything she is asked and has to do it by herself. I can get so frustrated with her because she does things that are way too advanced for a two year old, but she seems to manage. She surprises me every day. Her vocabulary has finally become clear and she can express herself with words. Campbell is fearless. You will often find her climbing; exploring, running and will always end on top. She always works hard doing what she needs to do to get what she wants. Campbell is also an artist and isn’t shy using the walls as her canvas. -------- MARLIE was born fast and healthy the last day of April. Josh got to do the WHOLE delivery, so it was a sweet bonding moment for daddy and daughter. She is such a perfect baby. She hardly cries and is 99% content all day long. Marlie has a Daddy face so she’s a comfort with him being gone. She hasn’t officially started to crawl because she is too busy pulling herself up on the furniture and climbing the stairs. I have a feeling she’ll go straight to walking. She has a beautiful smile and her cheerfulness is contagious. We are so blessed that she has chosen our family. -------- With all our trials and adventures, we have been uplifted and we prevailed due to our faith. We feel that the Lord has given us these trials to strengthen us and we are better because of it. We are ready for anything that comes our way. This season as our family is separated to both sides of the world, we are strengthened through the gospel and our testimony of Jesus Christ. We know that it was Christ that carried us through our hard times, and it’s through his love that we have the benefit of enjoying good times. May we all seek the Lord as the Wise Men and rejoice in our journey. ***** MERRY CHRISTMAS! *****