2023 Newsletter

Best viewed in landscape mode (rotate phones) (de     2023 Year in Review   We have been in Texas now for over 11 years.  As we look back over 2023, we can't help but feel so blessed and grateful.           Spring Break   We took a road trip to the beaches of Florida and stopped at our old stomping grounds in New Orleans for a day.     Maya   Senior year has been extremely busy: taking a full load of AP classes, filling out college applications and trying to do all the fun Senior Year stuff.     Started Flight School     First job working at Hanis Orthodontics     Attended the popular Taylor Swift concert     Piano and violin lessons continue     Accepted to Texas A&M College of Engineering     No final decisions have been made as to where she flies to next!           Ethen   Ethen also made life changes and decided that the end of Junior High was also the end of band.  He still plays the saxophone on his own time.  He has found a new love in kickboxing and had his first belt advancement this summer. Now a Freshman in High School, he begins his study of Driver's Education over the holiday break.  Yay!       Devi     Ever a path of destruction left in her wake, Devi can't help but light up any place she enters -- which is usually with some flying leap off a piece of furniture.  Details of some of her exploits will follow...       Naughty List   > Emptied contents of salt canister, flour canister, sugar canister, powdered sugar canister (all on different days) > Spread honey all over patio and attracted every bee in Fulshear >Mud in pool, potted plants in pool, poop in pool (she spent lots of time swimming, but consequently none of the rest of us did) > Sea monkey genocide > Overflowed tub on multiple occasions > Toilet paper in tub, toothpaste in tub, Icy Hot in tub (ouch), poop in tub > Countless toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner bottles emptied > Shattered nail polish > Climbs any fence to swim in any pool naked       Nice List   > Slept thru the night for a week straight! > Swimming independently > Gives the best hugs and kisses, and somehow that makes up for all the naughtiness         Family Reunion   Our summer Keddington Family Reunion was held in the Red Rocks of Southern Utah.  We stopped at Las Vegas for a day before enjoying the beauty while hiking, rappelling, kayaking, and cliff jumping!       Thanksgiving in Quebec   We enjoyed the long holiday in Montreal, Quebec City, and skiing at Mont Tremblant.   Squirrel Care   Dave found this abandoned baby squirrel in our front yard, and found ourselves caretakers of it for a season.  Sadly, despite our best efforts it passed from pneumonia.  We anticipate our reunion in the next life, because Dave needs to have closure.     Dave and Shirlee   Shirlee spends each day anticipating Devi's next mess and finds the sleepless nights her best time to get stuff done.  She is surprised daily how so much joy can come from her family despite the busy schedules and endless to-dos.     In the offshore world...   Dave is nonstop working, both in and out of the office.  He is still fully engaged in educating the government on the polymetallic nodules.  He's made numerous trips to DC to speak with Congressional leaders, and his job has taken him to Greece, Norway, the Cook Islands, Belgium, India, Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK.  Amid all that he is serving in the bishopric and taking any free minute to be up in a plane.  He recently became IFR certified (meaning he can fly in non-visual conditions using instruments only.)           India       Greece       Cook Islands     Washington DC           In October we visited the historic Ohio Church sites in Kirtland and Hiram.         Click on each photo for a slide reel of each event.     Devi's Pirate Party           The Ark Encounter           Covey Trails Fly-in             We Wish You A Very Merry Christmas Season   And a Safe and Joy-filled 2024!     Copyright © 2023 Keddington