A Look Back at 2009

Here is a copy of our Christmas letter that never quite made it out this year. Oops! Sorry. Well, hopefully by posting it here, a few people will still be able to enjoy it.


Life is full of surprises, Full of ups and downs.

This line from a Thomas the Tank Engine song summarizes 2009 for us. Although this year has had it's share of downs, we have enjoyed many wonderful ups that far outweigh the others.

On April 1st, William turned 8. He was baptized along with his friend Devin Clare on the 18th. It was a wonderful day and so exciting to see William take this step in his life. William is in third grade and loves spending time with his friends. He continues to enjoy writing stories and drawing. He is also a fantastic big brother and keeps asking how old he has to be in order to babysit, although I think that is more about the money he will earn than the actual babysitting. He has also learned how to cook a few meals and enjoys helping Mom in the kitchen any time he gets a chance.

Jacob just turned 7 on the 20th of December. Much to William's dismay, he is now the tallest of all the children in the family and outweighs his brother's by about 20 pounds. He is also still the biggest softy of the bunch. He loves to snuggle and with very little attention, he will become your friend for life. He loves to ride his bike, play soccer, and read. He is in first grade and is often asked by his teacher to read to the class, which he does so very willingly. He is looking forward to turning 8 next year so that he can be baptized and join cub scouts.

Spencer started kindergarten this year. He is doing well and is picking up reading and math amazingly well. He has had his own struggles this year trying to find his place in the family. Being the middle child can be tough! He continues to keep us laughing with his funny faces and little comments that he makes. He is a very happy boy with a great imagination. He loves playing games with his older brothers and is learning to ride a bike.

Bryce has been a very busy boy this year with many therapies, Doctor's appointments, and hospital stays. After a year full of tests, he was diagnosed in June with Unspecified leukodystrophy. We are currently working toward getting in touch with doctors around the world who specialize in this rare disorder. Although he continues to regress, that regression has slowed considerably this year which is a true blessing. After loosing weight for 8 months, he had a feeding tube placed in September and has since gained 2 pounds! He continues to bring smiles and joy to everyone who meets him! We are all very blessed to have this celestial child as a part of our family.

May was a wonderful month as we welcomed our little princess, Annalise, into our family. She has been a true blessing and a wonderful baby. She is 7 months old and began crawling on December 30th! She is completely adored by her brothers who love to make her laugh. She has the greatest little personality all of her own. Mom is thoroughly enjoying having a little girl and is learning all about bows, dresses, and everything pink. It's nice to have another girl in the family to help balance us out a little bit!

John turned the big "40" this year! He has been busy throughout the year with many projects and honey do lists. He has just recently finished building a laundry room onto our guest house which is much appreciated by our current renters. He is loving his job at Orbital Sciences and we are hoping that he continues to have that job for many years to come. In June, he played the part of Issachar in the Community Theater Play production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. He sings well and has had many opportunities this year to share this talent. He is down to only having 2 horses and a few chickens to take care of for now. He also has a busy group of boys to teach as he teaches Jacob's class in Primary at church.

Tammy keeps herself busy as a full time wife and mom of this crew. Although her job often seems overwhelming, she loves it and wouldn't trade it for anything. However, she wouldn't mind getting a good night sleep once in a while! She is sad and sorry that she has not been able to keep in touch with friends as much as she would like to this year, and hopes that when life slows down a little bit, they will be able to reconnect. She enjoys keeping family and friends updated on our life through our family blog and Bryce's website. Feel free to visit them anytime you would like to. www.lifeontheclaytonfarm.blogspot.com and www.caringbridge.org/visit/bryceclayton She is helping John convert his old workshop into a sewing, craft, scrapbooking, escape area for herself with hopes of using it someday soon. She is thankful that we are able to have good renters whose rent money helps to pay for some very needed help around the house.

We look back on this year with much joy and look forward to what 2010 may bring. We are grateful that the Lord has blessed us with such wonderful friends and family members. May you all enjoy the upcoming year!