2017: A year in review

December 2017 It has been a very full year for the Weston family during 2017. We have had so many adventures and have grown in many ways. The year 2017 started off with our third major winter snowstorm hitting the Portland area in January, causing the schools to close for a full week and extending our school year until almost the end of June. We enjoyed many days of sledding, snowball fights, hot chocolate, and (when we grew restless) time to clean out and organize our garage.

For spring break we headed to Rexburg, Idaho to watch Toby’s youngest brother graduate from B.Y.U. Idaho. It was a short 4-day weekend that involved a lot of driving -- but we enjoyed showing the kids around the campus and encouraging them to consider B.Y.U. Idaho as a potential future college to attend. This summer as soon as school was out (which wasn’t until June 24th), we packed our car and headed to California. We spent more than a month in the sunny state (with a short detour to Reno to visit family). We enjoyed spending time with family and friends and being outdoors a lot. We rode our bikes, camped, hiked, and spent a lot of time at the beach. We spent five days in Yosemite National Park where Ben and Toby hiked halfdome. We spent many days in southern California visiting theme parks, playing at the beach (and getting very sunburned), checking out museums, and spending time with friends. San Diego was our favorite destination of all. We hit Legoland, Knotts Berry Farm, Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park while we were there. The kids even took surfing lessons one day. We ended our vacation with a stop in Arcata and a drive up the northern coast of California.

Benjamin started middle school in the fall and has enjoyed being part of the Chamber Orchestra and running for the school’s cross country team there. He has adjusted to having multiple teachers, and he is keeping up academically so far (although Spanish has been a challenge for him). He is planning to do track in the spring. He continues playing cello and piano, and he is thinking about starting up Aikido in January Nathaniel is in fifth grade and is enjoying his final year of elementary school. He played soccer in the fall and has recently taken an interest in studying algebra and geometry with Grandma Myrna. Nathaniel plays violin and piano, and he and Ben both continue to play in the Marylhurst Youth Symphony Orchestra every Saturday.

Mary is in third grade this year, and she recently started playing violin with the West-Linn Wilsonville Intermediate Strings Program. She had her first orchestra concert this week and sounded great. She continues doing ballet with Abernethy Performing Arts and is gearing up for her winter performance this weekend. Mary also plays piano, and she is now part of a local girl-scout troop (which Juliette is one of the leaders for). Mary acquired several parakeets this year as pets, and she prides herself in caring for and spending time with them. Juliette is still teaching part time for North Clackamas School District. In addition to teaching half-time at one school, she has a .2 position as a special education Teacher on Special Assignment in which she helps support new teachers and provide case management support for teachers who need it. Juliette enjoys running and cooking when she has time. She ran one half-marathon this year. Toby is in his ninth year as a middle-school orchestra teacher. His program continues to grow, and he is always coming up with new systems and strategies to make his program stronger. In his free time, he often tackles house projects. This fall that included redoing and improving the ductwork in our attic and blowing in more insulation. It was a very messy job, but it seems to be helping keep our house warmer this winter. We hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. May the spirit of Christ be with you and your family and may you find ways to reach out and serve those around you. Love, Toby, Juliette, Benjamin, Nathaniel, and Mary Weston