2010 A Pringle Odyssey

Where did the year go? Somehow time and space have been compressed in such a way that 2010 came and went and we just hung on for the ride! Our family reached critical mass about the second week in December and some things (like Christmas cards) just didn't happen; hence the very late Christmas greetings to all of you. So, Happy New Year?! Here's what we've been up to:

Collin (almost 3), the human tornado, is a big Toy Story fan and frequently can be heard announcing "I'm Buzz Lightyear. I come in peace." He received a Buzz suit for Christmas and immediately upon putting it on dove into the air in an ill-fated attempt to fly. He is full of energy and noise and hugs and demands and funny things to say ("Girls aren't my friends. They're for dancing.")and huge blue eyes and dimples. It's a good thing he's so cute, 'cause he's certainly a handful (or three).

Sarah (8), is funny and opinionated and sparkly and so sweet. She insists on giving and receiving multiple bedtime kisses every night. She's also becoming quite a snappy conversationalist and it's fun to watch her personality develop. She has been working very hard at school and in her ballet classes and began violin lessons last Fall. When music is on (and sometimes even when it's not), she is dancing and moving around with amazing grace and rhythm. She seems to have dancing in her blood. She is also excited to be in her first play this spring ("Beauty and the Beast" at the high school).

Nathan (10) has recently developed a fixation with architecture and design. His most beloved Christmas presents (besides his 6-book set of science encyclopedias) were a book of graph paper and a protractor. He loves Math Olympiad team at school and is often caught hiding in the bathroom reading when he is supposed to be in bed. He loved being an urchin in "Oliver" last spring and is excited to be in "Beauty and the Beast" this March. He has continued to play soccer, but got brave and decided to try basketball this winter. And despite not being of great stature (can you say point guard?), he really likes it and shows a lot of hustle on the court.

Katie (12) is turning into a young lady way too fast. She's grown two inches in the last 6 months! Always a great helper at home, she loves being in the Young Women's program at church and is having a great year so far in 7th grade. She especially enjoys starting each day with one of her favorite classes, Choir. She went out on a limb and tried Cross Country last fall-it was definitely a growth experience! She performed in "Alice in Wonderland" at school last spring as well as "Oliver" and will be in "Beauty and the Beast" and "Into the Woods" at the middle school this spring. Music (piano and singing) and theater are her passions and we all get to enjoy her talents.

Ryan (14) is becoming quite the young man and definitely keeping us on our toes. He had a great football season again this year and looks forward to wrestling starting in just a few weeks. It went very well for him last year (Rookie of the Year), as did Track, where he placed in every one of his events at the county meet. He's working hard to save up enough money to attend EFY this summer (lots of manual labor like cutting and stacking firewood and yard work) and should also be doing his Eagle Project in a few months, with a lot of, uh, nudging from his dad. He's sticking it out for one last year on the piano and was recently called as an assistant ward organist.

Rachel (the mom, of indeterminate age) does lots of running kids around, signing permission slips, and flogging at the piano and such, as well as trying to keep Collin out of the street and the cookies and to please take a nap so she can get something done(or occasionally snuggle up with a good book). She is really enjoying her service teaching the Young Women at church (especially because she gets to share that with Katie) and is looking forward to assisting with the middle school musical this spring.

Don (the dad, we jokingly call him "El Presidente" around here)works so hard for all of us- long days at school as well as taking on extra responsibilities to keep our family budget on track despite state funding cuts. He would love to tell you about his enjoyable leisure activities, but they seem to be limited to "finding peace" amidst the chaos of 5 wacky kids going a hundred directions, an overscheduled wife, and heavy church responsibilities.

We are truly grateful for so many things, our friends and family among them, and look forward to this new year and the adventures it will bring.

May 2011 be a wonderful year for you and your family!

With love from

The Pringle Family