Christmas Band Concert

 We were so proud of our kids performances this year in the band concert. Tyler's first year playing the trombone. He sounded amazing. At least we couldn't hear him above all the other kids playing wrong notes so we count it as a win.

 Papa and Nana Livsey were able to come and hear the concert. They had four grandsons performing in one event. Pretty good turnout.

Carter is doing trumpet for his third year. He was the one in sleigh ride who made the horse noise with his trumpet. It sounded great! They had such a fun night and we snuck off to have yogurt at Orangeleaf after with the Ruesch cousins. It was a fun night.

Christmas Letter 2013

The BJP’s Christmas Letter 2013

Another great year has quickly come and gone. I can’t believe how much we were able to squeeze in.  The kids have grown taller and smarter, the house has gotten older, and its inhabitants have grown closer.  It was a successful year for the BJP’s.

Carter, now thirteen years old, has managed thus far to avoid what we call “teenage disease”. He is still quick to help, kind to his family and loyal to his friends. He is playing the trumpet in band, loves going to Scout camp, ran cross country with his junior high team and is tolerating Latin since his got a new upgraded teacher. His love is reading; give him a new book and you won’t see him for two days. He simply vanishes from life. We are so lucky to have Carter in our family. This next year we are anxiously anticipating our first Eagle Scout.

Tyler is eleven quick witted, clever and handy. He loves a good project and wants to be in the thick of whatever we are working on. He plays the trombone with band in school and suffers through the violin.  He is counting down the days until he gets his braces off (Jan 7^th), loves to play with friends, go camping, sledding or anything outdoors and scout related. Tyler is one kid who is happiest when we are on an adventure and lives life to the fullest. Tyler is full of compassion and fun. His mind is rattling off new ideas and plans for the future.  We are so glad to have Tyler in our family.

Ally (note the new spelling, she changed it) is full of energy and vitality for life. If you can keep up with her energy level then you must also be a seven-year old girl. She loves gymnastics and has perfected her round-off back handspring and is diligently working on her back tuck. She is the cutest violinist and enjoys watching herself improve. She loves to play with friends and cousins. She is full of determination and enjoys a good challenge. The trampoline is her favorite hangout but says sledding and building igloos with her dad are the best winter activities.  She is also very pleased with the new Siamese kitty Cleopatra we got a few months ago but would have really liked a little sister. (Not going to happen.)

Byron is and always will be my man with many hobbies. His newest hobby and our favorite is Popup Camping. We are the proud owners of a Coleman Popup Camper. He was released from Elders Quorum and put in as Scout Master (round two.) He is having fun with Carter and his friends. Today they did a practice snowshoe hike to prep for their Yurt experience in January. Byron is happiest if he is on a hike in the hills behind our house with his dog Jessie. He has taken us to some of his favorite hunting places in our popup and we are enjoying the time together. He is a on again, off again P90X participant but manages to stay in shape so he can keep up with his outdoor activities. We are happy to say Byron is still gainfully employed with CIT Bank and hope this will continue for many more years.

I, Erin, am busy with a new job. I am part time secretary at Ally’s school. I am loving handing out band-aids, getting ice packs and keeping track of attendance. Byron got it right with his anniversary gift this year and gave me a really nice camera. I am now enjoying my new life as an amateur photographer. I have also taken a few painting classes again and am now using a painting knife. It has again added a new level of difficulty and I am challenged and having fun painting. I am tickled watching my garden grow and mature as we have been in this house for 8 years now. My lilacs bloomed for the first time this year (hallelujah) and my apple tree gave us an amazing harvest. It’s really the little things in life that are so exciting.

We were blessed to take use our vacation days and head for some fun family time. The kids and I enjoyed a quick trip up to visit cousins in Idaho and moved a few boxes while we were there.  Byron and I snuck away to Maui to celebrate our 15^th Anniversary. I love getting away from it all and hanging out with my boyfriend. He’s awesome!!  The bamboo forest there is my top spot on the planet. So peaceful!

We took the kids on a few camping trips: Goblin Valley, Arches, Topaz Mtn, and the West Desert near the Great Salt Lake; (wouldn’t recommend that one.) Goblin Valley was at the top of our list (ultimate hide and seek game).  We also took the kids on an “exotic” island vacation to Catalina Island in California.  We thoroughly enjoyed the flying fish tour at night with a big spotlight, petting jellyfish at the aquarium, and snorkeling in our wetsuits. I can’t forget the ice cream, lots of ice cream. 

I also snuck the kids off during Thanksgiving Break without Byron (work) and we hit Zion National Park. It was amazing and the Red Cliffs Recreation Area was equally awesome. The beauty literally fills me with joy. We have two weeks off for Christmas and I just don’t know if I will be able to stay home the whole time…where shall we go next?  We have realized our days with our kids are numbered and we must make the most of the time we have. They are growing up at an alarming rate.

We went to Dallas, TX this summer to celebrate the 90^th birthday of Byron’s Nanny. We had a great time visiting the new Perot museum, the aquarium downtown and fishing at the local pond. Best of all was hanging out with family and cousins and second cousins and jumping in the pool with our clothes on. Yee-haw!!

We managed to make it to Jackson Hole for a few days of our annual Livsey Family Reunion. It’s tough squeezing in a whole weeks worth of activities into three days but we managed. The cousins, aunts and uncles, grandpas and grandmas made it a fun adventure. We can’t wait to go again next year. I would order less of Ally getting bucked off and dragged behind the mule next time; everything else was perfect. She quickly recovered and we are thankful for the fast acting red-headed wrangler who unlatched her foot from the saddle with an amazing head first flying leap off his running horse. He may be superman or an angel, I don’t know. We dusted off the mud, found her missing shoe in a bush and said a quick prayer of gratitude. Ally was not excited about riding back to camp so the two of us walked.   

We are excited that late this year Byron’s brother Jason moved in with us. He is working downtown managing Golf Anytime USA.  It is an indoor golf simulator store. Schedule a T-time and perfect your swing.  The kids are LOVING having him around. I for one am enjoying my snow removal team.  For a bunch of Texans these boys can get-er done.

I am so grateful for this time to reflect on the year, on our blessings, and on the love our family shares. We are thankful for our Savior, for the chance we have to be forgiven and for the great potential there is in all of us. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and the very best this coming new year. (If you read all the way to here you must really love us! There’s always too much to say for one little page.)

All our love, Byron, Erin, Carter, Tyler and Ally Pollan

Zions Thanksgiving Break

The kids and I snuck away for a trip down to Zion during Thanksgiving break. Byron had to work and couldnt join us. We drove down and stayed in a nice hotel with a pool and a hot tub and thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate bar and chocolate chip cookies they set out nightly. Ahhh, nice.

We hike almost every hike in Zion. Starting with Angels Landing. The kids were troopers and the weather was amazing. Nice and crisp hiking weather. Freezing once the sun went down but beautiful during the day.

The view from the top of Angels is incredible. We made it across some of the chain zone but Ali decided to be the sensible one and we stopped before we got all the way to the end. It made her and Tyler a little nervous to be walking along  a bitty ledge of rock, hanging onto a freezing chain and trying not to slip to your death. Carter was disappointed but as he has hiked it already he agreed to turn around with us.

We chose two hikes a day, one tough one and an easy one. It was amazing hanging out with our cute kids and chatting as we hiked. They have lots of ideas in those heads of theirs.

Swimming in the pool, heated pool, was fun even though it was chilly outside. The hot tub was great as well. Ali enjoyed playing the animal game where we shout out an animal and she swims like the animal would. She would play much longer than we were willing to think up animals.

This is my trusty camera lens. I had a fun time trying out new things with my camera and finding out what it really can do.

These are taken on our hike back from the trailhead for the Narrows hike. This is not the time to hike the Narrows, but our kids are ready to come back in the summer and hit it then. It looks like a fun hike up the river and through the narrow rock canyons.

We got a kick out of this sign. Lots of joking about being in the wild.

The kids found this sandpile in a dried up riverbed. They spent an hour or so building sand-castles and then used dirt balls to try and destroy them. It is harder than you would think destroying a sandcastle with a a sandball. I had fun stacking rocks and taking pictures of them while waiting for the kids to finish their castles.

We really loved our hike through the Redrock Cliff Recreation Area. This is a camping site which we will have to bring Byron back to next year.  It's just one exit further south off I-15 than the Zions turn. Funnest hike of our trip. Steps carved into the side of sandstone, ropes hanging down to help you hang on with. Natural waterslide rocks along the riverbank, it was too cold for us to try it but we are returning come summertime.
The kids and I had a great time hanging out together and enjoying the pure beauty of nature.