As we approach the end of yet another year, the time just seems to fly by faster and faster!

We’ve had a wonderful year! Geoff was blessed to find a job that not only is closer to home, but back at a company where he knows so many people from his Rockwell/Conexant days. His boss is amazing and happens to be in our Stake (church organization). We are deeply grateful for this opportunity for him. We see this as a direct blessing from our Heavenly Father. Geoff also spent a lot of time this year taking photos. His talent continues to grow… Loretta tried her hand at a few shots, not near the quality of Geoff’s but at least they document him… One of our favorite things to do is walk the Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday mornings. It’s fun how the water foul enjoy posing for photos! We also enjoy going to Oak Glen for apples in the fall. They have fun hiking trails that offer the perfect landscape for photos, too.

We enjoyed lots of visitors during the year from dear loved ones! Brian got to spend a day with us. We had so much fun with him! He is doing amazing things in his profession. We love enjoying his accomplishments. Both he and Staci are doing wonderful things! Speaking of accomplishments, we are in awe of the accomplishments of our Smith grandsons. They are accomplished musicians and excellent students. We love them and wish they lived a little closer to us!

We also got to enjoy our cousins Anita & Layne. We love our family and the special treat it is when they come into town and can spend some cherished time with us!

Loretta continues to work hard to build her doTERRA organization. This year she hit rank during the recognition period and was recognized at the yearly convention. And then, was blessed when she got home with a visit from a dear friend from Oklahoma! She and Dani had a blast just playing and unwinding for a few days!

Loretta also received a new calling at church as the chorister in Sacrament Meeting. Something possessed her and she volunteered to organize a choir for Christmas. Then our bishop was released and with the new bishop, that calling evolved to Ward Music Chairman. Her wish to have a choir performance every month has come true. She really hopes she can learn to read music in the process!

Kristi is amazing in the way she is able to continue to work hard and make it look easy. She worked with a broken ankle and no one was the wiser. We are so proud of her. We hope that 2018 will continue to provide her with wishes and dreams to come true.

Gavin & Alex had many firsts this year. In March they turned 12 and passed the Sacrament for the first time. Geoff got to accompany them in their first time. Then they got to go to Scout Camp and do Temple Baptisms. We are all very proud of the young men they are becoming… Gavin is involved in Parkour, and Alex is taking piano lessons while playing tuba in school band. Alex is brilliant with computer skills, and they both spend a lot of time creating on their computers. They still wrestle in the pew at church, and have fun personalities. They are a joy to have in our home. We love them. We are grateful for dear friends who step in and lend a fatherly touch for these dear boys. Ritchie Blake has been such an amazing influence on our dear boys. He and his wife Melissa are deeply loved by all in our family.

And then there’s this little guy… He’s our neighbor, Buddy, and belongs to the Blake family. We’ve gotten to enjoy him quite a bit when his family goes out of town. He’s brought us a lot of laughter and love. That’s what makes life easier to endure… finding something to laugh about and love.

This time of year comes with a lot of pressure, especially when your family is not the normal structure. We have found such comfort in focusing on the true reason for this season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He lifts our burdens with his angels all around us – both seen and unseen. As we get older, our hearts grow fonder of the amazing gift of his birth. May each of you feel the love of the true meaning of this season. And may you all have a wonderful and prosperous 2018!

With love, The Smith Family