Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

It has been quite a challenging year, to say the least. 2008 has been a great year of change for our family. Some good, some bad. At this festive time of year, I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas. We are looking forward to 2009 and all of the change I am sure it will bring. Here is the update on everyone in my family.

My mom and dad have been in their new home since this summer and are finally getting settled in. It is a beautiful home and this winter has already brought them more snow than they bargained for! They are enjoying living in Herriman for a change and have been having fun making friends with their new neighbors and ward members. They have been having lots of sleep overs with Chloe, who ADORES my dad.

Rachel & her family are still in Herriman and the kids are growing faster than I care to admit. Cassie is in 8th grade and is finally adjusting to life in Junior High. She had a hard year last year but she is making up for it this year and, surprisingly, making pretty good grades! She has a new boyfriend, Taylor, whom the family really likes. Let's hope this one sticks for a while! LOL Carter is in 6th grade and spends his spare time playing video games with his friends. Chloe is getting quite the personality and is a lot of fun to play with. She says the funniest things and keeps us entertained. This year they got a new puppy, Sweetie. She is a Miniature Schnauzer, and this time, she fits their family much better. Ralph and Paul still live in their basement and Ralph has been watching Chloe the last little while. That seems to be working out alright for everyone.

David is still living in Provo and has been working for Novations for quite a few years now but has learned he will be laid off come the end of this year, 2008. He is stressed and worried, trying to find a new job. Keep him in your prayers that he will find a new job soon!!! He is staying here and at my parent's house off and on until he finds something so we are grateful to have him "home" again. We LOVE having him around.

And now for Chip and me. We purchased a townhome in West Jordan this summer and are all settled in to our new home. We LOVE living on our own finally and have enjoyed this special time together. It's like we are newlyweds all over again! We are starting to meet our neighbors and make some friends and that has been fun as well. This time of year is very busy at work for me so I don't have a lot of free time. I was laid off this past February and, thankfully, started my new job at ADP in April. It's been a new and exciting experience, though difficult at the same time. It's hard to learn something completely new after being somewhere for 11 years! I love the people I work with and I actually get to work from home sometimes. That's been a WONDERFUL blessing with all this white stuff that won't seem to quit!!! Chip is working at K9 Design, the best grooming business in the valley. Sunshine has been groomed there for the past 3 to 4 years and now Chip is learning the ropes. He's the dog washer part time and a groomer in training. He loves the job and it's looking promising that it could turn into something long term for him. Here's to hoping for that!!

Well, I need to get to bed but wanted to updated everyone on our year. We love you all and wish the very best. Happy 2009!!

Long Overdue

OK. Megan isn't going to leave me along until I post a new blog, so here goes... (Just kidding, Meg!)

I am looking for a new job for the first time in ELEVEN years! I can hardly believe it. It still doesn't seem real. I have to keep working like nothing has changed until the end of February and then I get a nice little severance package. That is the silver lining I suppose. If I can find a new job quickly I will be getting double pay. That would be FABULOUS! I am crossing my fingers for that scenario. If not, I've got a couple months before I really have to panic. It's certainly been a struggle. Going outside my comfort zone is always difficult. I am trying to stay positive and remember this can be a good thing.

On a much brighter note, Chip got a new job that started today. He is working at Speedy Towing and will be doing dispatching and such for them. It seems like it will be a nice change for him and it is allowing him to learn something new. Good luck, honey!

My parent's house still hasn't sold and now it's not even listed. It's been a stressful time for my parents but hopefully things will work out soon! Their new house is supposed to be done in a couple weeks... We will see about that! Once they move out, Chip and I get to move upstairs!! FINALLY! SPACE! It will be so nice to have a fireplace and a big kitchen! I haven't been out on my own in almost 3 years. It will be a big adjustment for me! It will also be the first time Chip and I have lived ALONE together. HAPPINESS!

And what's with all this SNOW!!! I seriously need to take pictures cause it just amazes me. I haven't seen this much snow in a VERY long time. Maybe ever. It's a good thing we've gotten a little warm weather to melt some of it before the next huge storm dumps even more on us. I love Utah until I have to drive in this kind of snow. Ugh! At least it's pretty, right?!?!

Well, I think that's all I have to update for now. I will try to post more frequently. Thanks for reading! :)

Happy Holidays!

Welcome to the Blog Spot for the Johnston, Bowler, and Dansie families. We are going to give blogging a go, thanks to Megan's constant pestering. This is where we will try to keep everyone up-to-date with what is going on in our families. We hope you will check back often and, most of all, ENJOY!