Christmas E-Card for all my Bloggin' Buds!

Happy Holidays to all my friends in the Bloggin' World. I have been so thankful for you, especially in these past few months as we've tried to settle in and get to know people here in CA. Your comments are like Christmas presents. It's been so nice to be able to keep in touch with you, and I look forward to another great year of blogging!

Dear Family and Friends, December 2008

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope this letter finds you all well and happy. We feel so blessed to have many wonderful people in our lives. Thank you for always being there for us and for your love and support. 2008 has been a busy and fun year for both of us, filled with many blessings and changes.

Our biggest news this year is that we are expecting our first child, a boy, due February 24, 2009. We are so excited to be parents and are trying to get ready for his arrival. Other big news is that this past August we made the move from Provo to Irvine, California in Orange County. We’re 10 minutes away from Newport Beach, and 30 minutes away from Disneyland! We’d love to have you come visit us as you plan your vacations! We are settled in and really love Southern California, the weather, the people, and our ward out here.

Jared spent the first half of the year enjoying his last few months as an MA student at BYU. He participated in his last Spanish Golden Age theatrical production in early Spring and worked on his Thesis all summer. Both of us are so thankful for the friends we’ve made through Jared’s master’s degree. It was hard to leave all our great friends at BYU and our family in Provo. Jared began his first quarter as a PhD student this September at the University of California, Irvine. He is studying Spanish Literature. He has really enjoyed his classes and professors so far and feels comfortable in the program here.

Emily spent the first half of the year finishing up her second year teaching dance at Granite Park Middle School in South Salt Lake, which included a concert in April. She has really enjoyed being a part of the middle school kids lives over the past two years. They have blessed her life as well and she misses her dancers. Emily is now working for a school district here in California in the city of Costa Mesa. She is a teacher in a program called “Project Success” and has a class of twenty 5^th and 6th graders for three hours after school every day. Elementary kids are very different than the middle schoolers she’s used to, but she loves working in a school again. Emily’s pregnancy has gone very well and she is feeling great. She was able to take a Hip-Hop class at the UCI gym across the street this past quarter. It has been fun to keep up some dancing through pregnancy.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season and feel the love of Jesus Christ in your lives. Don’t hesitate to call, email or stop by anytime! We love you all very much.

Love,

Jared, Emily and Baby Boy White