Playing air hockey while waiting for her turn to bowl.
Do you think my ball will ever get to the end of the lane?
What a cutie!
Gerald bowled an awesome game this time; one of his best! It must have been all that practice on the Wii. :0)
So much fun! Merry Christmas
Henry B. Eyring said, “We can with confidence set a goal to make this Christmas brighter than the last and each year that follows brighter still. The trials of mortality may increase in intensity, yet for us, darkness need not increase if we focus our eyes more singly on the light that streams down on us as we follow the Master. He will lead us and help us along the path that leads upward to the home for which we yearn.”
We add our testimony that Jesus is the Light of the World; that he can heal any sorrow, lift any burden, and bring light to the deepest darkness.
We hope your Christmas is one filled with light, love and joy!
Love,
Gerald, Jennifer & Katelee Reynolds
Inside the brochure:
2009 in Review
2009 has been a year of changes for our family! In the past year we have: sold our home, moved to a new state, quit old jobs and started new ones, returned to ‘student life,’ held a combined total of six church callings (only one at a time!), and much more! Read on to hear more details about each of our individual lives.
Gerald
Gerald started out the year with a great job at Garbett Homes in SLC, but also with a great desire to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. We learned in the spring that he was accepted to the Master’s of Architecture program at the University of Colorado! Gerald began classes as a full-time student in August. He has worked hard and earned wonderful grades this first semester! Although his family sorely misses the days when he ‘only worked 60 hour work-weeks,’ Gerald has still found a way to balance his intense school demands with family life. He is a wonderful husband and support to Jennifer, and is, as usual, the center of Katelee’s happiness! Gerald loves our new ward (we all do!) and is currently serving in the Sunday School presidency. Gerald has also enjoyed his many opportunities for woodworking and drawing since he started school.
Jennifer
This has been a very busy year for me. First and foremost, I love my family and find a lot of joy in being Gerald’s wife and Katelee’s mom. I don’t always balance all my household duties perfectly, but I do my best and I love serving my family. Leaving Lehi was very sad for me, as it was for all of us, but I have continued to keep in touch with my Utah friends and have made some amazing new friends here in Colorado. I love our new ward and am really enjoying my calling as second counselor in the Relief Society. With Gerald going back to school, I have had to become the ‘bread winner’ for the family. So far we have been blessed to be able to make ends meet while I work from home. I am still teaching piano lessons, something that I am really passionate about. I had to start over again when we moved, but I currently have 21 students (still hoping for more!) and am really enjoying each of them. I also have a small side business making and decorating cakes, which I think is such a fun hobby. And, as always, I love to read, sew, blog, cook, learn new things and visit with family and friends.
Katelee
Katelee has also had a year full of changes! She has grown so tall; most people think she is at least 5 years old. She has also grown a lot in other ways. She is such a social, friendly girl, always introducing herself to new children and wanting to play with anyone who’s interested. She also likes to have grown-up conversations with anyone who will listen! She has an amazing imagination and loves to pretend with her princess dolls. Katelee turned three in 2009, and had a superhero party filled with friends, cousins, superhero capes, and cake. Katelee loves to spin in circles, learn new things, be with friends, read books, run around, play board games, be a princess, go to church, play pretend, swim, eat frosting, talk on the phone, swing, dance, and be tickled. She has such a huge, loving heart, and can make anyone her ‘best friend’ in seconds. She misses her friends from Lehi, but has been so good at making new friends here in Denver. She has had some huge life changes this year, but has proven that she is strong, cheerful and resilient despite those changes. We love our little Katiebug with all our hearts, and cannot imagine life without the joy she brings us!
On the inside flap cover:
Katelee wants a brother or sister!
Our little family of three has been desperately hoping to become a family of four. We’ve decided that it’s high time to make that happen.
Which is why we are starting the adoption process!
We are so excited about this decision! Please keep us in your prayers and spread the word to anyone you know.
Our adoption blog:
Praying4Adoption.blogspot.com
The day after Christmas, my sister and her family returned to Mesquite. The cousins had fun dressing up together. Aren't they such pretty girls?
When the cousins were no longer around to dress-up with, Aunt Brittany (being the FABULOUS Aunt that she is!) stepped into play with Katelee. They made their own run way and modeled their gorgeous dress-ups for us. Don't you love Katelee's poses?
Katelee really seems to love all her dress-ups, but I have to say that the Snow White dress is by far the most popular one; in Katelee's words, "That's 'cuz this one is my favorite."
Eventually she turned her attention to her stocking.
When she realized there was some pretty good stuff in there, she wasted no time dumping it out! 
Jackpot!
And she tried out the new SmartCycle Santa brought. She has had a lot of fun playing with this since, even if she wasn't exactly shouting with joy when she first saw it. :)
I think Santa spoiled this girl rotten - she must have been a good girl this year! ;)
Then the kids were able to open a few Christmas Eve presents! First, they exchanged gifts amongst themselves. Katelee really loved choosing gifts for her cousins this year, and she loved the Rainbow Dash pony they chose for her! 
Look at those eyes!
Then each of the kids opened their gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Thurston.
Grandma made each of them one of these adorable duffle bags. She made each of us kids one of these duffle bags when we were young. I still remember mine: blue flowers with lace on the edges. It is fun that Katelee now has her own bag. Each bag was stuffed with other presents: books, a stuffed animal, and more toys. Also, included in the bag was this years' Christmas jammies!
Katelee sporting her new Christmas PJ's
We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with our family, and left Enoch in time to get home before bedtime.
After arriving back in Mesquite at my parent's house, Katelee chose some cookies and some carrots to leave out for Santa and his reindeer. Gerald also opened his Christmas jammies that I made for him. We read a few more Christmas books, and went to bed early. What a fun day!
Also, my sisters asked me to teach them how to make fondant while we were together. We had a lot of fun making fondant Christmas cupcakes together. I wish I had a picture of all the cupcakes, but I didn't get a picture until many of the cupcakes were already eaten! Here are a few of the ones we made - I think they turned out really cute.
Katelee loves petting the dog!
Isn't this picture of Gerald and my cousin's baby adorable?
Thanks for the great party, Thurston family!
Katelee especially loved having her cousins around! She loves them so much! 
