Dear Uncle Mark

Dear Uncle Mark (Elder Hallstrom),

This is Brian.  I am in a playground group that meets every Monday-Friday from 1-5pm at a park close to my house.  My favorite person there is Mr. Trevor.  We play play games, eat snack, have water days on Fridays, do crafts, and later on we'll have field trips.  It's so fun.  On Thursday, my best friend, Caleb came to my house to play.  Caleb moved to a new house last year and we always have fun playing together.  We played outside with him.  

This is Tyler Jacob.  (Tyler insists on being called by his first and middle names now.)  I like to turn on the sprinkler and put it under the trampoline and jump on top.  It's fun to do.  Last night, I went to dad's work party and I won a FOOTBALL.  Even though I already have a football, this one is better because it's a NIKE football.  I carry both of these footballs and my other favorite toys around in my orange backpack.  At the work party, we ate yummy food and then after they handed out the prizes, we went swimming at the Aquatic Center (small water park.)  Last Saturday, we went to a big family reunion in Salt Lake City.  I got lucky again and won a big strong Star Wars kite.  Then we spent the rest of the day at Grandma and Grandpa Ward's house with some aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We played with a bubble machine in their backyard.  I miss you, Uncle Mark.  You are one of my best friends.  You are SO COOL and I'm proud of you for being a missionary.  

This is Katie.  I am a good girl most of the time.  I sleep in most mornings at eat breakfast around 9:30-10am.  I still have this awful scream that I let out if I'm not getting my way.  I am learning how to talk more.  My hair is the exact same color as my mommy's hair and it has grown down past my shoulders.  I nap in the afternoon.  I don't like going swimming, although I must say that I look really cute in my zebra striped swim suit.  Tyler can make me laugh the most.  He's funny.  And just like my brothers did when they were my age, I hate wearing a diaper.  Even duct taping down the front tabs on my diaper is no obstacle for me.  My mom and dad put my footy pajamas on backwards on purpose when I go to bed.  They've found that it's the only way to make me keep that blasted diaper on.  No, I don't want to use the big potty yet.  Oh well.  I like taking baths with my brothers.

This is Lisa.  My kids sure do keep me on my toes.  By the end of the day, I just have to sit down for a bit to catch my breath.  Next week, I plan on signing up for a 2 month, self study photography class.  I'm excited for the class and for the neat things that I will learn.  I'm learning how to use a new photo editing software that I won in CA... Adobe Lightroom 4.  I'm planning a bridal shower for Laura.  It will be held in Provo sometime in July.  And next weekend, I'm inviting the kids in my Primary class (9 and 10 year olds) to our house for an ice cream party.  I gave them an assignment to complete before they come... to tell the class (they can type it up if they want) all about their favorite Book of Mormon hero.  Anyway, I'm going to make homemade mint Oreo ice cream and some monkey bread.  I bet those kids will just want to hang out on in the backyard on the swing set and trampoline most of the time.  I'm on the Relief Society Planning Committee.  For our upcoming July activity, we are having a couple of the Young Men teach us how to do Family History indexing online.  That should be interesting.     

This is Sam (well Lisa writing for Sam).  I have been working extra long hours at work the past couple months.  It's all paid off though because this week, I got a raise at work!  I'm still one of the Electronic Engineer Technicians.  I enjoy my job.  It's neat to be a part of the newest technology in rugged handheld computers.  In church, I'm serving in the Sunday School presidency.  They occasionally have me teach the gospel principles class.  My boys like to have me take them on bike rides around the neighborhood.  Their favorite route, they call, "the special trail" which is just a dirt road on the edge of our neighborhood.  The boys and I also like to go to the Aquatic Center together and jump on our trampoline.  For a few days in mid August, our family will be going to Yellowstone National Park with my family for a reunion.   

It's hard for me to remember what stuff we've already told you about.  I hope there isn't too much repeat info in there.  Keep emailing us every week.  It's fun to hear what you've been up to.  It'd be fun to hear about some stories of you and your companion just out and about meeting/visiting people.  I'm sure life is different out there in CA.  

Love, Lisa and Family

This Year's Family Newsletter

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." -- Burton Hillis

Besides having family around on Christmas, I also like to read over all of the Christmas cards we've received from family and friends.  Here's what our Christmas card looked like this year:

Dazzle And Shine Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

And here's what I typed up for the inside of the card:

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope the that you had a wonderful year and that you enjoy this holiday season.  Our family has had a great year and we'd like to share the highlights.

In April, we made some major changes in preparation for our growing family.  We hired a guy to build a wood fence for our backyard.  It's so nice to send the boys out to the fenced backyard to play.  Also in April, we bought a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country minivan which has two built in car seats.  We love it.  On May 26, we welcomed our baby girl into our family.  Katie Jane Ward weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long and had plenty of thick brown hair.  Katie is 6 months now and is learning how to sit up.  Brian and Tyler can't get enough of their baby sister.  Brian is 5 1/2 and loves kindergarten.  He's already learning how to read and enjoys doing his homework.  Tyler will turn 3 this month.  He loves to line up his toy cars and play with them.  My friend and I started up a small preschool.  That friend and I along with three other women, take turns teaching preschool in our homes.  It has worked out nicely and the kids just love it.  In October, I was privileged to be a wedding photographer for my sister, Amy and her husband, Nate at the Salt Lake Temple.  It was fun to photograph all the details of their day.  I serve on the Relief Society planning committee.  Sam serves as a counselor in the Sunday School Presidency.  Sam has worked with the same company for 2 1/2 years.  He enjoys his job as an Electronic Repair Technician repairing rugged handheld computers.  On Thanksgiving Day, Sam ran his first 10K race.  Sam is a wonderful father and husband.

Our hearts are full at this time of year.  Sam and I feel so blessed to have a home of our own filled with our three beautiful children.  We appreciate our family and friends and the love and support they give us.  We hope your holidays are full of love and happiness.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Sam, Lisa, Brian, Tyler, and Katie

2000-2009

I've been thinking about the last decade. I've had many changes in my life and have grown in all areas of life. Those years were exciting. Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?!

2000- Graduated high school in June. Moved out of my parents' house. In July, I started my first semester as an art student at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. I had a fun summer, taking 3 college classes and learning how to succeed as a college student. I made many new friends and had fun on a day trip to Yellowstone National Park. I also started working out frequently at the gym. That fall, Ricks College became a four year university, BYU-Idaho. I spent Christmas with my family in New York.

2001- Completed two more semesters at BYU-Idaho. I had great roommates, neighbors, and friends and enjoyed school and my social life. I really enjoyed being a member of the University Choir along with a roommate and three neighbors. (All of us sang alto). I worked for a couple months cleaning the campus library from 4-7AM. In the winter, I worked at Western Wats where I conducted phone surveys. During the summer, I had four jobs: house sitting, Summer Cohesion counselor (a day camp for kids), waitress at Friendly's Restaurant, and Camp Star counselor (a week long camp for handicapped kids).

2002- Met Sam Ward in April. Worked in Arizona for the summer in the gift shop at Jacob Lake Inn (near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon). Sam began calling me soon after I began working there and continued to call me as often as he could for the rest of the summer (about once a week). We also wrote letters back and forth that summer. Sam picked me up in Provo, Utah at the end of the summer, took me back up to school, and we've been together ever since. I changed my college major to Photography. That fall, Sam and I took a religion class together at BYU-Idaho. Sam and I were engaged to be married by the end of the year.

2003- Married Sam Ward in the Palmyra New York Temple on May 10, 2003. Honeymooned in Niagra Falls. Moved into our first apartment in Rexburg, Idaho for the summer. Worked several jobs that summer (Wendy's, The Galley, other odd jobs) to earn money for college tuition. In August, we moved to another apartment in Ogden, Utah and we both started school at Weber State University. I worked at Cash Advance in Layton, Utah to help pay the bills. We spent that Christmas in Illinois with Sam's family.

2004- In June, we were thrilled to find out that we were pregnant with our first child. In July, I had the opportunity fly to New York and be the wedding photographer for my friend's wedding. It was a great experience which boosted my confidence as a photographer. While in New York, I informed my family that I was pregnant with their first grandchild. Sam and I both worked at Chick-Fil-A and at Mervyn's at the Newgate Mall that summer. We also helped a friend paint his dentist office. In December, we moved to a 2 bedroom apartment and prepared for our baby boy. We spent Christmas with my family in New York.

2005- Brian Samuel Ward joined our family on February 24, 2005 (my dad's birthday). I slowly adjusted to the life of a stay-at-home mother. Sam and I were called to write the monthly newsletter for our ward.

2006- I was the wedding photographer for my sister, Jenny in May. That same month, Sam graduated from Weber State University. In July, he accepted a position with Micron in Lehi, Utah. So we moved to a nice apartment in Pleasant Grove, Utah. In August, Sam left for job training for 4 months, leaving me a "single mom" with 18 month old, Brian. I was called to be the Wolf Den Leader in Cub Scouts. It was a very time consuming calling, but I had fun with it.

2007- Sam was asked to go work in Fishkill, NY for 6 weeks. It was a fun time because Brian and I were able to go with him and spend alot of time with my family (who live 3 hours West of Fishkill). In April, we found out that we were pregnant with baby #2. Soon after that, I was called to serve as the First Counselor in the Primary Presidency. I became very good friends with the women I served with in Primary (Beth Reese, Bethany Deveraux, and Lindsay Strickland). In July, Sam and I went on a trip to Arizona. We stayed a couple nights in a cabin at Jacob Lake Inn and visited the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. The highlight of the year was when Tyler Jacob Ward joined our family on December 30, 2007.

2008- In late April, Sam accepted a job offer in Logan, Utah. The company wanted him to begin working 2 weeks later. While in Logan for a day, Sam picked out a lovely 3 bedroom apartment for us to live in. We packed up our apartment, said good-bye to our friends, and moved to a new town. We really enjoyed that apartment. My Grandma Hallstrom lived on the other side of town. The apartment was only 1.5 miles from Sam's work, we had a playground right outside our door, and we had a great mountain view (with a nice view of the Logan Temple).

2009- In February, we began looking to buy our first house. I spent many late nights on the computer searching for the perfect house for us. On our second trip out with our realtor, we found "the house." After a rollercoaster of events, we got the house and moved in just days before my 27th birthday. In July, our family of four flew to New York and spent 2 weeks with my family. All 8 Hallstrom kids were home and we enjoyed some quality family time. In October, we were thrilled to find out that we're pregnant with baby #3. Our baby is due to arrive in June 2010.

*** After writing this up, I realized how much my Heavenly Father has blessed me. I strive to stay close to my Heavenly Father and counsel with him in making big decisions in my life. I know that if I am in tune with the Spirit, I will make the correct decisions in my life. Life is full of surprises. I can't wait to see what the next ten years have in store for me and my family!

2009 Ward Family Newsletter

Dear Friends and Family,


We hope that you enjoyed the holiday season as much as we did. We were blessed to have my sister, Amy spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us. A couple days later, Sam's parents and sister, Laura came for two days. My sister, Emily flew in from New York and spent four days with us. It was fun to have family visitors and we're now gearing up for the new year.


2009 was a wonderful year for our family.


SAM is still enjoying his job as an Electronic Engineer Technician. The busiest time of year at work for him is July-November. He put in many extra hours fixing the handheld computers. When Sam is not at work, he enjoys reading adventure books and hanging out with his boys. He's a great help around the house too. He does the dishes and always puts the boys to bed at night. Sam is an amazing husband and father.



BRIAN will be 5 years old in February. He is full of energy and makes friends very easily. For the past three months, Brian asks daily about his Curious George birthday party with his friends. Brian's best friend is our neighbor, Caleb. They love playing with the neighborhood kids in our backyard. Preschool is still Brian's favorite place to be. He never complains about going to preschool or the long bus ride. Brian is so inquisitive these days. His vocabulary has exploded and he is always asking where things come from. He is more demanding than his younger brother. Brian is testing his boundaries. Sometimes he thinks he can get what he wants by repeating himself and raising his voice. Brian is a pretty easy going boy. He loves to help make food in the kitchen. Also, Brian likes to make crafts in the craft room. His favorite things these days are: Caleb, the color red, numbers, trampolines, and candy. (I sure hope Mommy, Daddy, and Tyler are included in that list too).



TYLER just turned 2 years old on December 30th. Tyler is very energetic. He loves following his big brother around and likes to be included in all the fun, even if that involves the big neighborhood kids. We're still teaching Tyler how to be reverent in church. He usually has to leave the chapel and lets out his energy by running the halls. (I know, I'm a bad mommy for letting him run the halls, but please don't judge. We're still a one car family and poor Tyler hardly ever leaves the house during the week). Tyler may look like the sweetest boy with his killer smile and super long eye lashes, but he sure knows how to get into mischief. Lots of damage can be done when he sneaks into our closet and shuts the door. I've found him in the closet with a mouthful of sticky candy and candy slime stains on his face, clothes, and on the carpet. That carpet just faced some additional damage when he got into my makeup bag and completely emptied a new bottle of foundation. Oh a more positive note, Tyler is our family's most exuberant dancer and he compliments his dance moves by making silly faces. His favorite things these days are: the "Bolt" movie, Elmo, Mickey Mouse, play doh, dancing, Brian, and candy.



LISA (which is me writing) got the best birthday present ever... a new house! Sam outdid himself this year with the gift giving. We moved into our house just days before my 27th birthday. We just love our new house, our neighborhood, and our new ward. I joined the neighborhood Card Club. It's fun for me to make homemade greeting cards and exchange them with card made by other club members. We meet once a month. Sam and I have served in the nursery at church and were just called to serve as teachers for the CTR 5 class. I'm having fun decorating my house. I'm still trying to decide how I want to fix up a couple of rooms. We have plans to paint our front door red, paint a couple bedrooms and a bathroom, and fence up the backyard this spring. I'm excited that we'll be a two vehicle family soon. A larger family vehicle is in order. I'm pregnant with baby #3! The baby is due on June 11, 2010. We're so excited to welcome a new baby into our family.

We hope that this letter finds you well. Thank you for all of the love and support that you show our family.

Love,
Sam, Lisa, Brian, Tyler (and baby)

2008 Year in Review

2008 was a busy year for us:

January - brought our newborn baby, Tyler home from the hospital. Tyler Jacob Ward was born at 5:41 pm on Dec. 30, 2007 weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 21 in. My mom flew out (from NY) a week after we got home from the hospital to meet her newest grandson and to help us out while Sam went back to work. About a week later, my sister, Emily flew out (from NY) to help us. So we were definately spoiled with help from family.

February - Brian celebrated his 3rd birthday. His big presents were a kid potty and underwear...exciting, I know.

March - My sisters and I threw a baby shower for Jenny. She was due to have her baby boy in May. We were sad Emily couldn't be there too. The other members of the Primary Presidency and I threw a baby shower for our Primary President, Beth.

April - Sam was offered a Electronic Engineering Technicain job in Logan, Utah. He accepted the job offer and we started packing to move. Sam's parents came to visit on their down time from Sam's sister, Laura's graduation ceremonies at BYU.

May - Two weeks after Sam accepted the new job offer, we moved to our new apartment in Logan, Utah. Our apartment is the perfect location for us. Church is just across the street, Sam's work is 1.5 miles away, and we're less than a mile from all the main stores that we need. Sam turned 28 and bought himself a bike to ride to and from work. (We're still proud to be a one car family). Oh, and my older sisters, Amy and Emily came for a quick visit.

June - Began my weekly visits to my Grandma Hallstrom to help her rearrange and organize her apartment.

July - Sisterfest with my oldest sister, Amy. We had fun staying up way too late and being really silly. We had a fun time shopping, eating at Rumbi Grill and going to a Bullriding Contest. My little sister, Jenny, her husband Seth, and their 2 month old baby, Ben came to visit one last time before they moved to Las Vegas.

August - Took our family up to Rexburg Idaho for Staci & Kyle's wedding. It was fun to see Sam's whole family and to get out of town for the weekend. Sam's parents came to visit for a few days after the wedding.

September - Brian started preschool and loves going twice a week. He gets so excited to ride the school bus. Tyler mastered the art of walking. I started a photography blog full of my work.

October - Did two family photo shoots for the Clarke Family. The day of the first photo shoot, it was freezing outside and we were rushed, so I offered to do another photo shoot of them. It was fun and I learned alot. Halloween was fun with two boys. Brian and I made his costume on Halloween afternoon. We took a produce box, painted it red, and added a few neccessities to make it look like a racecar. It was not just any car, it was Lightning McQueen! We got so many compliments on the costume. Brian sure got the hang of Trick or Treating this year. We dressed Tyler up as a baby dragon.

November - My mom came out to visit her grandsons again. She had fun seeing our boys. Tyler had been walking for about a month at this point. This was the third year that we hosted Thanksgiving. We had a much smaller group, only 3 guests; Uncle Calvin, Laura, and Amy. Sam was the chef for the day. I must say that he did an awesome job preparing the food.

December - We took our boys on a weekend trip to see their Idaho relatives. They had a blast playing with their cousins, both boys. My sister, Laura joined us for Christmas and Emily joined us right after Christmas and was here to ring in the new year with us.

Our Christmas Greeting

Dear Family and Friends,

Seasons Greetings! We can’t believe that 2008 is coming to a close. We’ve had a very eventful year and would like to share this year’s highlights.

At the end of 2007, our second child joined our family. Tyler Jacob Ward was born on December 30th at 7 pounds 9 ounces and 21 inches. He has been such a joy to have in our family and keeps us on our toes. He didn’t stay a baby for long. Since he was 9 months old, he’s been walking! We guess that Tyler’s great motivation to walk was so that he could keep up with his big brother, Brian.

Brian will be 4 years old in just two short months. This boy of ours has such enthusiasm for life. He loves to play outside with friends, play Mickey Mouse on the computer, and watch Sesame Street. Another thing Brian loves is preschool, especially riding the bus. He is learning so much and his speech is becoming more comprehendible. Brian is a great big brother who shares most everything, even his bedroom. Recently, we misplaced Brian’s beloved “Nunu,” his comfort blanket, which was devastating for a couple of nights. We found “Nunu,” but haven’t showed Brian because he is doing well without it. My boy is growing up. Now, if we could only get him completely potty trained!

One of our biggest changes this year was moving to a new town. Sam accepted a position at Juniper Systems in Logan, Utah. After two short weeks of Sam accepting and starting the new job, we were all moved into our new apartment. It was hard for us to leave all our friends in Pleasant Grove, Utah. This move has been really good for us. Sam’s new job is much better than his previous job. No more 12-hour rotating shifts, no more white jumpsuits, and no more working the occasional Sunday shift. Sam now works Mondays- Fridays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. as an Electronic Repair Technician. Sam repairs rugged handheld computers and really enjoys it. Other good things about living in Logan are that my grandma and second cousin live in town and that we are within walking distance to Sam’s work, our church, and several stores.

Sam is a wonderful husband and father. We are blessed to have him as the peacemaker in our home. He works so hard and is a great provider. This year, he spoiled us with a 46 inch HDTV. After not having cable for our whole married life, I really appreciate that her boys can enjoy a show while I get a few things done. Anyway, Sam and I teach the 3 year old kids' class in our church’s Primary. It is a lot of work, especially since we bring Tyler to class with us. Sam does a great job teaching the kids. They love it when he tells stories. Brian and Tyler love having their dad tell them stories and put them to bed each night.

I love being a wife and mother. Even after all these years, I am still adjusting to both roles. Being a wife and mother is hard work, but it is so worth it. I often find myself complaining about all the messes my two boys create and about all their demands. A few things that keep me sane are going to grocery shopping by myself and taking night classes. I just completed my first night class, Photoshop Elements for Photographers. I have plans to take more photography classes in the future. Sam encourages me to better myself and to work towards my goal in becoming a professional photographer. Check out the photography blog that I started: lisawardphotography.blogspot.com

Well, that wraps up the main happenings of our family this year. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May you remember the true meaning of Christmas and have a blessed New Year!

Love, The Ward Family – Sam, Lisa, Brian, & Tyler

Our Holiday Greeting

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