Merry Christmas from Luke, Janna, Stone, Rusty, Van, & Sawyer

It's that time of year when we get updates from so many friends and family. Once again we have gone the electronic route and posted it on our blog as most of those who read our blog are the ones we would send them to.

We had a great 2009. We started off the year sharing the news of our expanding family. In May we found some nice wood floor on Craigslist as well as someone to install it for a reasonable price. Janna insisted we get it done before the baby arrives and so we hired it out and had it done in 2 weekends. We love our 5" Brazilian Walnut floor and the boys love to slide across the floor and "rum" their cars across it.

Before we had Sawyer I had the opportunity to make a career move into parking management. Yes, I park cars for a living. I was offered a position as the Denver Regional Manager for one of the largest family owned parking companies in the west. It was a bit of a risk and a change as I went from t-shirts, jeans, and boots to shirts and ties and slacks. I manage day-to-day operations for my different garages as well as all of the marketing, HR, training, and anything else necessary to us growing and being successful in the Denver market. We recently have started valet operations in town and that has been going very well. I love my job and cannot imagine doing anything else for a long time. I have a flexible schedule and have opportunities to take the boys to school and attend more of their events. I also have opportunities to offer people employment as well as show more of my outgoing personality that everyone says I have.

Janna had a big year as she hit the big 3-0 in October and gave birth to our first daughter, Sawyer Jade Lee, in June. She went full term but Janna was tiny and so was Sawyer. She was 4lb 15 oz and 19 inches long. Janna stays busy with 4 kids in tow. She doesn't get a lot of rest as we have a sleep walker, a 6 month old, and a 2 year old that insists on making his way into our room a couple of times a night. Janna was called as one of the ward librarians and enjoys meeting all of the people and hearing about all of the happenings of our ward family. 2 weeks after we had Sawyer, we embarked on a 4000+ mile road trip that included stops in Coeur d'Alene, ID, western Montana, Newport Beach, CA, a 3 week stay in California for Janna and the kids after Janna fractured her elbow, and a 1,000 mile drive back to Denver. 3 weeks later we flew back to California for Janna's sister's wedding.

Stone started 1st grade and is a fantastic student. He excels in his studies and is becoming a great reader. He is a caring big brother and is very adventurous. His brothers follow him everywhere he goes and they are just as comfortable in his 1st grade class as he is when they come to visit. Stone enjoys drawing and playing games.

Rusty stayed in pre-school this go around. He loves it and is very social. He has a late birthday so we waited to start him in Kindergarted til next year. He is very smart and makes friends easily. He pretends to be shy but usually is the center of the excitement.

Van is our wild child. He is fearless. He will follow his brothers everywhere they go and has to do whatever they are doing, except bigger and better. His hair usually gets people's attention as it is still very much platinum blonde. He loves nursery and always talks about the "bubbles" afterward. He is a great big brother to Sawyer and loves to lay by her and hold her hand.

Sawyer is our baby girl. She just hit 6 months and continues to be a joy. She has red hair and it is starting to thicken on her scalp. She has a very cheery disposition and smiles and laughs a lot. Sawyer got her ears pierced last week and looks very cute with her cute dresses and outfits. Our ward was more excited than we ever imagined that we had a baby girl and they were so generous.

We feel so blessed to have had such a great year. We have a wonderful home, 2 cars that are paid for, and a ward that has been so good to us. We have so many wonderful friends that make us feel at home here in Denver. We hope that many of you will let us know when you pass through so we can give you a place to stay and visit.