If I were to write a Christmas letter

 It's been a long time since I sent one out, I know.  Here's the story.  The year Brad broke his leg on the river I put a picture in the Christmas greeting card that he didn't like of him laying at the water park with his broken leg up watching the kids kayak.  I liked the picture because I thought it showed what a good dad he is.  He didn't like it so much because he thought he looked weak? broken? (well, he was) I don't know.  So he took my pile of Christmas greeting cards that I made and threw them into the fire. (I may be exaggerating here but I don't think I am...it's been a number of years, like I think Kenzie was 14 that year and she's 22 now but if not the fire, then he threw them in the trash.  You know, your common marital fight.)  So...I decided I would never write a Christmas letter again.  And I haven't.

But here I am at 6:25 am on February 2nd and I just received my last family Christmas letter from a family friend we met in Dental school and recently took down all the greeting cards I received.  They brought me so much joy to read and see how my friends were doing and how their families were changing.  Thank you for still sending them.  So, I thought to myself, I should write one and send it out to all to truly update friends and family on the going ons in our life.  I mean, I know, I make those cute little reels on instagram with music (that I love btw....hope you do too...but truly I think I watch them the most) but there are no words to accompany them and sometimes the words put the pictures together.  Actually printing off a Christmas card now is a little late and takes a lot of effort and maybe would seem out of place, but to do it here is a little easier and I could put it on facebook, so here is goes... if I had written a Christmas letter to family and friends and sent it out, this is what I would have written...

Merry Christmas from the Belts 2024 - February 2025

Hello friends and family!  Just recently I had everyone home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  In three weeks we went to a quiet family of three, to having eight adults in the house, back to three, then five, then seven, then six and then back down to three again.  The house that used to fit us so perfectly when Jake was 7, now seems busting at the seams and unable to hold us all when we are home.  The food I shopped for and the dinner I made are now much more difficult to gauge and I end up frequently with too much food (feeding the leftovers to the chickens) or too little (running to the grocery store at the last minute).  I know it's been a while since I've updated many of you...so let me tell you what's going on in our lives.

Brad is going on his 17th year of being a dentist.  This last year he did a lot of dental CE adding IV sedation to his list of dental services he offers in our office.  He loves it and so do our patients and our practice is booming because of it.  He still is determined to keep a 3 day a week schedule and in all his spare time dirtbikes, moutain bikes, back country skis, water skis, lifts weights, harvests logs and builds saunas at home.  He seems to have endless energy and definitely can outpace me.  He keeps us on our toes constantly.  When he is not working, he works by playing and when he's not doing that he creates.  After almost 27 years of marriage, the things he can do and learn still amaze me.  

Me, I just turned 50.  I can't believe it either. And yet, I feel strong and healthy still.  Perhaps the healthiest I've ever felt in my life to be honest.  A few years back I took up weight lifting, adding that to my fitness routine.  I believe this has made a HUGE difference in my overall health.  To my women friends....if you aren't weight lifting, take it up!  This year, I got hit by a jeep while on a road bike ride and while it was a slow impact (long story...happened in a parking lot) I believe my weight training is what prevented me from breaking any bones when the jeep hit me.  Like most parents who stare empty nesting right in the face, I'm trying to remember who I am.  For so many years I gave everything up to be a good mom and wife and office manager that in many ways I lost myself...which was good at the time...but now that my child rearing days are over I am searching for purpose again.  Don't laugh, but I am helping to "coach" (I put it in quotes because I don't know I can call it that, really I am just volunteering) the girls wrestling team and I am remembering why I chose teaching as a career.  I love the youth.  They are fun.  I just wish I was coaching a sport I had more experience and knowledge of, like basketball.  I feel VERY uncomfortable giving any instruction on wrestling.  Usually I preface it (or follow up any instruction with)..."remember...I've actually never been on a mat and wrestled, I've just watched a LOT of it."  I still am managing the office at Durango Dental and am enjoying that most of the time...I say most because I do a lot of insurance stuff and I don't really enjoy that.  Don't get me started on insurance, but I do love the people.  I'm raising chickens (Thank goodness can you believe the price of eggs) and Brad calls me the crazy chicken lady.  Maybe that is what I will become in my next 50 years.  Yep, I'm living until 100...just ask my kids.

Jordan and Molly (or MOJO as my kids refer to them at times) are living in Salt Lake.  Jordan is in his second year of dental school at the University of Utah and Molly is working as a medical assistant for a cardiologist group.  These two are rocking life together.  I couldn't be prouder of them and what they are working towards.  They have a cat name Soli whom they love (and my whole family loves because he used to be one of our kittens) and are the glue that hold my family together in Utah having family dinners and games at their place weekly.  They hosted Brad and I this fall for a visit where we enjoyed riding some of the mountain bike trails they love and hiking in that beautiful country.  They came to visit for Thanksgiving and we got a quick visit from Jordan prior to Christmas.

McKenzie graduated from Utah Valley University this last May with a degree in Biology.  She applied to many dental schools in the fall of 2023 and was accepted to several settling on Roseman University, a three year dental school in Sandy, Utah.  She also was offered and accepted an army scholarship which pays her tuition in full in exchange for three years of service in the army after dental school.  She spent one last (shortened) summer home with us before starting school last June.  She swims and lifts weight regulary.  She loves to ski, thrift shop, bird watch (really), and read.  She still outpaces us all with the amount of reading she does.  She wishes she had a cat but is allergic to them and misses Blue intensely.  She went to a Zach Bryan concert this year and won the game 2468 (she was so excited about that she texted me).

Ben is in his third year at Utah Valley University and is studying civil engineering hoping to emphasize in geo-technical engineering one day.  He wrestles with the BYU wrestling club and loves that.  He dates a lot.  He lifts weights, mountain bikes, skis, oh...and recently (this past year) he has picked up country dancing.  When he is home he works a lot with Jake to help him improve his wrestling.  Jake and Ben wrestle everywhere.  It might a be a problem.  I do have to remind them where they are a lot.  

Riley graduated from high school last year and is now a freshman at Utah Valley University.  He is also majoring in biology and hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon one day.  Riley is the same as all the others and loves the outdoors as much as they do mountain biking, skiing, hiking, etc...  In fact, Riley had a mishap this past fall mountain biking going off a jump blind, over rotating on the landing and landing on his head breaking his neck and back.  He was fortunate to have no nerve damage and not need surgery but he did give us all, including himself, a big scare.  He was in a neck and thoracic brace for 6 weeks and was able to take it off right before Thanksgiving!  Yay!  He is working on increasing his strength right now so he can return to the activities he loves.

And Finally, Jake.  Jake is the tallest of my kids, matching Brad's height (I actually think he'll surpass it).  Jake is a junior in high school and is currently in his wrestling season right now.  We are one week away from regionals and we expect Jake will make it to state which is a huge accomplishment that he has worked many years for.  Jake lost a lot before he started winning.  Jake loves music, singing, joking and is easy going.  I got Jake to start taking voice and guitar lessons this last January and he has been playing a little around town.  NGL I ask him to play for me all the time and then secretly record it and the post it whenever I can on instagram because I love his music so much.  

Sometimes I think our annual letters make us look too polished...and to be truthful they do.  We've had our share of challenges this year (suspensions, fights, dissappointments and worries) but we do feel life is good and it is.  We hope your life is a good as ours.  We love you.

The Belt Family