Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas! We rejoice in the birth of our Savior, and in the love we share with all of you. Here is our yearly family update.
Our family has fallen in love with Okinawa, and we’re surprised by how much this little island has to offer. There’s always something interesting to do. We’ve enjoyed lantern and cherry blossom festivals, a Ryukyu Kings basketball game, bingata and coral dyeing, historical and cultural sites, aquariums, scenic hikes, paddle boarding, lazy beach days, snorkeling, and lots of delicious food. In addition to exploring Oki, we’ve made several visits to mainland Japan. Last winter we spent a week experiencing Tokyo’s many spectacular sites and activities, and we spent another week in Hokkaido where we enjoyed Sapporo’s ice and snow festival and the best skiing of our lives. In the summer, we visited Osaka and Kyoto and took an epic road trip to see Nagano’s breathtaking castles and national parks. The highlight of our trip was climbing to the top of Mt Fuji.
Jared continues his work as a Navy dentist and has taken on new responsibilities as a training officer to improve his battalion’s readiness. When he isn’t working, Jared is busy serving at church or at home. He mows our giant lawn, helps kids with homework and applications, plans family trips, and reads to the little girls before bed. This summer he also accomplished his goal of getting dive certified.
Mary stays busy homeschooling and serving in the Relief Society. She enjoys teaching a co-op history class, going on Adventure Wednesday outings, and participating in a monthly book group. Her latest passion is snorkeling Okinawa’s beautiful waters.
Abby graduated high school in June, and in September she started her freshman year at BYU. She loves her classes, and has enjoyed her new roommates and living close to grandparents. Abby serves as the organist in her student ward, and has joined a BYU flute choir.
Maddy’s dreams came true in February when she received a beautiful Aoyama pedal harp. Her harp and piano playing fill our home with lovely music. She started her senior year and is busy with classes, college applications, babysitting, and serving as an accompanist for her school choirs and church.
Nathan started his sophomore year and is now over 6ft tall. He enjoys reading, playing bagpipes, singing in the school choir, and participating in his school’s robotics club. This year he also started MCJROTC.
Audrey loves homeschool co-op, Activity Days, playing outside with friends, swimming, doing arts and crafts, playing the violin, and reading books.
Brooklyn is quiet, careful, and sweet. She likes co-op and playing with her sister and all the little girls in the neighborhood. She also enjoys swimming, playing the piano, and reading.
We hope that your holidays are as wonderful as you are. We are grateful to have you in our lives.
Love, The Colletts
