Our Christmas Card

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings and warmest holiday wishes from the Martels! We hope that everyone is doing well this Christmas season and we hope that you have enjoyed a wonderful year as we have. It has been quite an eventful year full of school, awesome family vacations, fun-filled birthdays, and, well, more school. We are happy of the memories that have been made, and thank you for helping create those memories.

RAY

Ray has had a wonderful year, full of accomplishments. Towards the beginning of the year, we were blessed with an acceptance letter from Southern Utah University's Nursing Program. Out of 100+ applicants, Ray was chosen as one of the 20. He is loving the nursing program, as he has just completed his first semester. While working diligently in his demanding studies, he always makes time for his family and his video games (which luckily, he has a wife who likes to play them with him). He loves spending time with friends and family and is always there to help a friend in need.

SHAY

Shay has just completed her bachelors in accounting this December. She has also received her acceptance letters for the Masters of Accounting and Masters of Business Administration by Southern Utah University and will be attending come this January. She finds much satisfaction in taking on what seems to be simple crafty projects that always manage to turn into big "what was I thinking" projects. She relishes the time she has with her family and friends and loves anything that doesn't have to do with studying and homework.

MADELYNN

Mady is growing up so quickly, she is 21 months and is quite the little sponge. Her favorite things to do are: reading books, dancing, coloring, playing outside, watching Yo-Gabba-Gabba, playing with Dori (her friend), playing with babies, and doing anything Mom or Dad is doing. She is at the stage of wanting to do everything by herself, which at times is hilarious. She is talking all the time, although most of it is Japanese, or maybe Albanian; its so stinkin' cute. Mady loves going "potty". Except potty right now means getting naked and sitting on her cute pink potty for two seconds at a time. We're still working on that. Mady loves playing with her friends, family, and especially her extended family. There is never a dull moment without Mady, and we wouldn't want it any other way.

This year has been full of fun adventures. Two of our most memorable vacations were Disneyland with the Waymans and Lake Powell with Martels twice.











Lake Powell with the Martels is always such a treat. Our first trip was right after spring semester finals. It was also Mady's first time at Lake Powell. The water was FREEZING! But we were able to go again at the beginning of August when the water was super warm. Disneyland with the Waymans was a trip to remember. With 14 people in all, it made for one of the funnest trips. Mady loved going on the rides and it was so fun to see her reaction. It was also nice to have so much help when Ray and I wanted to go on rides together. It was such a fun trip, we were so grateful to be able to go.

We want to wish you a most Merry Christmas and that we are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family, such as yourselves, in our lives. Thank you for making this year so wonderful for us. We hope that you are celebrating the end of a fantastic year and looking forward to an even better 2012.

Love you all,The Martels