Darwin and Margaret News for 2011

Our year, in looking back, had some challenges but nothing too big and full of many blessings.
We got to send our youngest off to serve the Lord and put him in his care totally. A big relief to us, yet a new growing time to rely only on the Lord ourselves with joy and faith in Carl being the fine man he is growing to be. We are proud of him and enjoy hearing how he is living his exclamation point life in Brazil. ( It's a joke we have since all his letters are filled with multiple exclamation points!!!) Anyway, we truly are empty nesters and enjoying our freedom as well as being reminded of those first few years of marriage before children.
We got to go to the Midwest this year in welcoming Preston to our family. It's a joy to watch our children become parents themselves. The Midwest was a beautiful place. One of the times we went, we flew into Minnesota and went around where Dean had served his mission. He was to come with us but got a job at the hospital last minute and decided to be responsible instead. So off we went with his map of where to go and who to met. We also all went to Nauvoo Illinois and totally enjoyed church and family history. Then back to Wisconsin for Preston's blessing. Great times! We also got in a trip to Utah to visit Ter and Jer and kids. It's always great with them too.
Darwin has been mostly been busy with work and farm life. He was a great help trying to keep up with everything when I was down with my back. He resently went back to Wisconsin and did the road trip thing with Neil in driving to San Fransico stopping in Utah to see Terra's fam.
Margaret has been busy with great kids for preschool again this year, learning to knit, doing her "Happiness Project" group and "21 Wishes" group, water aerobics (you can laugh out loud on that one but you don't want to visualize it) wonderful friends to play and learn new things with, and Delee's kids to enjoy. My big challenge this next year will be that I've been accepted into the "master gardener program". I will attend WSU extention ( but I will remain a Husky). I am looking forward to getting some scientific knowledge to help with my experience of gardening all these years.
So much to be thankful for and if you reading this you are one of those blessings! Thanks!
Merry Christmas..... Love Margaret and Darwin